The Breath of Life

Good morning - I have here today a balloon - something that captures the essence of the day of Pentecost - the day that God poured out the Holy Spirit upon the very first church.

It is a pretty nice balloon I think. But something seems to be wrong with it - it doesn't bounce (drop) or float in the air very well. Can anyone tell me what is wrong with it???--- Yes - it needs air - it needs the breath of life.

On the day of Pentecost God breathed life into the church - by giving us the Holy Spirit. Before the people of the first church received the Spirit - they were sad and afraid - they believed in God - but something was missing. They didn't go anywhere. They didn't tell other people about Jesus. But on the day of Pentecost God did for the church what I just did for the balloon. He breathed life into it. The Holy Spirit is like the breath that is in the balloon - it allows a person to come fully alive to God and able to do and be all that he or she is meant to be.

Let us pray. Dear Lord God, without breath a ballon is very sad. Without breath it is not all that it can be. We thank you God, for the gift of breath. We thank you for giving life to the church. We thank you for giving your Spirit to all who believe. Amen.

________________________________________________