Message: Dance of the Wind / Acts 2:1-21

Today is Pentecost Sunday. This is the day we remember when the earliest followers of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit and the Church came into being. It is the day when a new community of faith was born through the breath of God. It is a day full of mystery, courage, and hope.

According to the book of Acts, on the 40th day after the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven. Before he left, he told his followers not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of God. He said, “This is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4–5). So they stayed. About 120 people remained in Jerusalem. They waited and prayed. They did not know what would happen, but they trusted what Jesus had told them.

Several days later, it was the day of Pentecost. This was a Jewish festival when people from many different places came together in Jerusalem to worship and celebrate. The city was filled with people, each bringing their own languages, stories, and lives.

On that day, the followers of Jesus were gathered in one place. All of a sudden, there was a sound like a strong wind blowing through the entire house. Then they saw something like small flames resting on each of them. At that moment, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in many different languages that they had never learned before. They went out and shared the Good News with those in Jerusalem.

When the people heard this, they were amazed. They said, “How can these people, all from Galilee, be speaking in our own languages?” Some were surprised. Some were curious. And some even made fun of them, saying, “They must be drunk.”

Then Peter stood up and explained the meaning of what had happened. He spoke about the Holy Spirit and reminded the crowd of the words of the prophet Joel. He told them that in the last days, God would pour out the Spirit on all people. Peter and the first believers did not stop there. They shared their belongings. They gave to those in need. They ate together with joy and generosity in their hearts. 

Each person who experienced the Holy Spirit was changed. Their hearts were changed. Their lives were changed. And the way they lived together was changed. That is how the Church began. The Spirit moved, and a new community was born.

Traditionally, the Holy Spirit has been described through many images. The Spirit is like a flame that lights the heart, the water that renews the earth, the root that grounds all life, and the river that flows through everything. These images help us understand how the Spirit works. The Spirit connects us to the heart of Christ. The Spirit softens what has become dry. The Spirit warms what has grown cold. The Spirit leads those who are trapped in darkness back into the light. 

In the Bible, the words used for Spirit in both Hebrew and Greek also carry the meanings of wind or breath. The Spirit cannot be seen but gives life. The Spirit is like breath inside our lungs and the wind that moves the trees. 

In her poem Who Has Seen the Wind, the English poet Christina Rossetti (1830 - 1894) wrote:

Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.

Like the wind, the Holy Spirit is invisible. But we can notice the Spirit by what begins to move. When people act with love, when someone speaks a word of kindness, or when fear turns into courage, we can say, “The Spirit is passing through.”

The transformation of the early believers was evidence that the Holy Spirit had passed through them. They could not stay silent. They shared the Good News with others. They welcomed more and more people into the community of faith. They were not afraid anymore. Even when some laughed at them, they did not care. They could not hide because they were full of joy and courage. Their lives looked like a dance with the Holy Spirit.

In terms of language, there is another story in the Bible. It is found in Genesis 11:1-9, the story of the Tower of Babel. In that story, people once spoke a single language. They decided to build a tower tall enough to reach the heavens. They wanted to show how powerful they were.

But God was not pleased, because the higher the tower, the greater its shadow. Towers create division. They separate people into high and low. Only a few can stand at the top. In such a structure, oppression and exclusion are hard to avoid. So God scattered the people by confusing their language.

The story of Pentecost shows us something very different. It reveals the kind of community God desires. The Holy Spirit is not interested in building a tower. Instead, the Spirit opens a dance hall. In that wide and level space, everyone is welcome. Everyone is invited to join the dance. In that space, language does not matter. Age does not matter. Gender, background, and status do not matter. The only thing that matters is that we come just as we are. The door to the dance hall is always open.

The earliest believers did not have a fancy creed, organization, or manual. They did not have a large church building or well-structured liturgy. But they had the Holy Spirit, and that was enough. They were the ones who trembled in the wind of God. They were the ones who danced with the Spirit. They were the ones who chose to build a dance hall rather than a tower. They showed the love and hope of God through their words and actions.

The story of Pentecost is not just a memory from long ago. It is alive here and now. The Holy Spirit is among us, moving through us like wind that makes the trees tremble. The Spirit is guiding us, encouraging us, and shaping us into the kind of community that God dreams we can become.

Even though we cannot see the Holy Spirit with our eyes, we can feel the Spirit moving among us through the faith, love, and hope we share in our community. 

We see the Holy Spirit in the dedication of those who serve on our council, board, committees, and teams. 

We see the Holy Spirit in the hands that share food with those who are hungry. 

We see the Holy Spirit in all who offer their time and gifts for worship - those who play music, sing in the choir, collect and count the offering, greet at the entrance, decorate the sanctuary, prepare the bulletins, and light the Christ candle. 

We see the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those who send cards and offer words of comfort to those who are ill or grieving. 

We see the Holy Spirit on the lips of those who pray for people suffering because of war, disasters, or financial hardship around the world. 

We see the Holy Spirit in the energy of those who organize items, bake bread, and prepare food for our congregation and the wider community. 

We see the Holy Spirit in the focused faces of those who wrestle with numbers to make our finances clearer and more trustworthy. 

We see the Holy Spirit in the steady footsteps of those who quietly come and go to maintain a comfortable temperature in our church building. 

And we see the Holy Spirit in the passion of all who work to help our faith community grow stronger, more open, and more loving.

Pentecost is still happening. The wind of God is blowing through this community. The Spirit is calling us to dance. The Spirit is giving us the strength to keep going. When we tremble in the wind of God, our words and actions will speak love. When we dance with the Spirit, this congregation will grow wider, like a dance hall with open doors.

May we be filled with the Holy Spirit today, tomorrow, and in all the days to come.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rev. Min Hwang

South Stormont Pastoral Charge