Kindred in Christ,

This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, a.k.a. ‘the birth of the church’! We hear of rushing wind, tongues of fire, and the breaking down of social barriers. The multilingual celebration we read about in Acts 2 reminds us that God sent all humanity a gift—the Spirit, with its promise of passion, diversity, and creativity.

Yet, it is not an exclusive party. With all that wind and noise, and hazardous pyrotechnics of the Spirit, the text tells us that the Apostles were moved outdoors to begin their multi-lingual proclamation. While they began indoors, the Spirit pushes them outdoors to connect with new people in new ways. Rather than starting outdoors and being moved inside a temple, the Church is born when a group is empowered to “come out” and connect with the world in a new way.

This Sunday also kicks off our Pride Month series, God is Proud of You!  We will celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and the way the Spirit is still working to break down walls that exclude and birth new and inclusive community through us.

I hope to see you as we celebrate Pentecost and Pride in the weeks to come through worship gatherings and outreach events.

Alongside you,

Rev. Paul Ortiz