Earlier today, I had the privilege of preaching a Pentecost sermon based on Acts 2:1-21 at Naples United Church of Christ.
Sermon Text
Like many of you, I grew up in the church. More specifically, I grew up in one congregation – the First Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Texas. I quickly learned my way around the church – from playground to pew. After attending worship for years, participating in Sunday school, and completing confirmation, I was sure I knew what it meant to be Christian. I could tell you exactly what happened during the 60 minutes I spent in the sanctuary each week. Church and the Christianity it represented made complete sense to me . . . until . . . Until, I found myself attending church somewhere else (to continue reading the full manuscript as a pdf click here).
Books & Blog Mentions
I mentioned a variety of sources within this sermon, including several books and blog posts discussed here on sowhatfaith. For more information consider clicking through to explore some or all of these resources.
- Douglas Jacobsen’s The World’s Christians: Who they are, Where they are, and How they got there (2011) – my review
- Susan Beaumont’s Inside the Large Congregation (2011) – my review
- Leonard Sweets Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (2012) – read my review
- Diana Butler Bass’ Christianity After Religion: The End of the Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening (2012) – my review
- Scot McKnight’s “How the Church has Changed” posted on his “must visit” Jesus Creed blog
- my own “Future Church – More Collaboration” from my series on The Future Church (v.2020)
So What?
There are many names in Scripture for the Holy Spirit, and many extrabiblical names that are helpful. In this sermon I explore how Pentecost was an occasion like no other for the Life-Giving Wind, and why this continues to matter today.
- What names do you use most often for the Holy Spirit? What names are used most often in your congregation’s worship services? How does this variety help you better understand the Third Person of the Trinity?
- How do you experience the guidance of the Life-Giving Wind on your journey of faith? What spiritual practices have you found helpful for heightening your awareness of the Wind’s presence?