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Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Continue scrolling to read reflection.

By: The Rev. Cathie P. Young

I like to ponder the early disciples and their relationship with the Holy Spirit. When they first walked with Jesus they were decidedly WITH the Holy Spirit for He was filled with the Spirit from His water baptism (Luke 3). Then, after the atoning work of Christ on the cross and his bodily resurrection, Jesus changed the disciples’ relationship with the Holy Spirit. He “breathed on them” the Spirit (John 20:22) and no longer were they simply WITH the Spirit, but the Spirit was now resident IN them! But it is Acts 2 on the Great Day of Pentecost when the early believers’ relationship with the Holy Spirit changed yet again. Here, the Spirit came UPON them and these early disciples were empowered to reach out for the sake of others.

In this progressing “with, in, upon” relationship with the Spirit, we find something remarkable for ourselves as well! Before we knew Christ, we experienced the Spirit through the believers in our lives – we were WITH the Spirit. Then when we put our faith in Christ, the Spirit came to live IN us! But when the Spirit comes UPON us, He does this not for our own sake, but for the sake of others. His power is meant to be spent on reaching out to others!

The issues of life compel us to be filled once again with the Holy Spirit and to stand for life. But not just to stand, but to reach out in His power! The defenseless unborn need us! The women and men who have lost children to abortion need us! The suffering and dying need us! The Father gave us the great Gift of the Spirit so we would reach out for the sake of others! What are we doing with the Holy Spirit’s power?