God's Spirit

"In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit." (Acts 2:17-18)

Yesterday, many churches celebrated Pentecost, the festival of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus had been raised from the dead and was taken up into heaven, God sent the Spirit upon Jesus' disciples. A man of flesh and blood could not be with them forever. But God's Spirit can. Some call this the birthday of the church because a small, Jewish movement broke wide open and included everyone of any nationality or religion. God's Spirit knows no boundaries. 

Peter quoted the above passage from the Prophet Joel 2:28: God will pour out God's Spirit on all people, young and old, male and female, slave and free, and they shall dream dreams and have visions. That gives me hope for the future. Dreams and visions are indicators that something better is yet to come! This world is not all there is. When we get caught up in the hopelessness of violence and terror, the despair of poverty and natural disasters, the suffering of those affected by addiction or mental illnesses... That's when we need God's Spirit to give us the dreams and visions of a better world. 

What are your dreams and visions for this world? 

Come, Spirit, come,

Inspire us, encourage us, fill us with your presence, fill us with your love, 

Come, Spirit, come, 

Be a breath of fresh air in our hearts and our minds, give us dreams and visions and help us build a better world.

Come, Spirit, come.