We are a Church of the resurrection, and we get the joy to remember that every day this holy season. Happy Easter, friends!
But I have long thought we don’t pay enough attention to the joy of the coming of the Holy Spirit–Pentecost. Easter is not fully understood unless it is paired with Pentecost. And Pentecost is coming, soon!
The Pentecost is the reminder of our mission to proclaim the good news that Jesus Christ saves us and he is alive. And the gift of the Holy Spirit gives us not only the impetus, courage, and words to share the good news–we receive so many gifts as a community when we strive to walk in the Spirit of God!
The end of the Easter season, when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit in the Pentecost, is often the time where parish activities wind down: summer is here, and people are in and out of town while on vacations. And we do need a break: it is necessary to rest and to catch our breath. But the timing is unfortunate because the Pentecost reminds us that our role in the Lord’s mission is just beginning! (If you look at the Book of Acts, “rest” is not what the apostles did after the Pentecost….)
One way to offer parish leaders a time to rest in the Lord and with each other, yet honor the beauty of the Pentecost, is by taking a peaceful morning to assess the fruits of the Spirit in your parish. After months of sacramental preparation, service activities, and common worship, your parish leaders (staff, council, selected representatives)–or if you prefer, all the baptized–can gather for 2-3 hours of prayer and reflection. What better time to ask the Holy Spirit for insight into the fruits borne by the parish as community, and where to pay attention in the future?
We are offering you a FREE resource to use at a parish leaders/staff meeting, even as a mini-retreat to end the activity year before a season of rotating vacations begin. St. Paul gives us a list of the fruits of the Spirit in his letter to the Galatians. What if you took time in prayer together to reflect on where fruit is being borne within your parish this past year?
Wrap up the year with this ready-to-use Pentecost reflection, helping your team prayerfully discern the fruits of the Spirit in parish life—and where God is calling your parish to bear fruit next.
