Spirit of Creation

Day of Pentecost

From “Sitting on the Rainbow”

Artwork by Elsa Ingulsrud

Scripture Reference: Acts 2:1-21 and Psalm 104:25-30

Preparation: Bring puzzle pieces to give out at the end of the talk.

Today is Pentecost Sunday. Do you know what happened on the first Pentecost? (Children may offer answers.) After Jesus had gone back up to heaven, his disciples were gathered together in a room. Suddenly, there was a sound of rushing wind. It was a mighty sound, and it filled the room. Fire appeared above the heads of each of the disciples, and they began to speak in many different languages.

At Pentecost, the disciples were filled with God’s Holy Spirit. It’s hard to picture in our minds what the Holy Spirit is like. We can picture Jesus as he might have looked wearing a long robe just like other men did at that time. We may even be able to imagine what God the Father might look like seated on a throne in heaven. But it’s hard to get an image in our mind of what the Holy Spirit might be like.

At Pentecost, God’s Holy Spirit came as the sound of a rushing wind. The Spirit of God also is mentioned many times in the Old Testament. Verses 25 and 30 of Psalm 104 tell us that this Spirit is creative and life-giving. I’ll read a few verses of this psalm to you: “Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both great and small. . . . When you send your Spirit, new life is born to replenish all the living of the earth” (NLT).

Have we discovered all the creatures in the sea that God’s Spirit created? Do you know that scientists who study the oceans are still finding creatures no one has ever seen before? The Spirit of Pentecost is a great creative force that gives life and faith to us. When we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit, we become creative, too.

I have one piece of a puzzle with me today. You can’t tell from just this one piece what the whole puzzle looks like, can you? We can know a little bit of what it looks like, though. When you paint a picture, make up a song, play an instrument, or dance and sing to the glory of God, you are seeing a little bit of God’s Spirit. God made us to be creative and imaginative because God is creative and imaginative. As you discover the many wonderful things that God’s Spirit has created and breathed life into, you see parts of the Holy Spirit. It’s sort of like discovering pieces of a puzzle.

The more of God’s creation that we discover, the more we are able to see the wonderful creative power of the Holy Spirit. I encourage all of you to keep looking for pieces of the creation puzzle. Use the imagination that God has given you and keep exploring and learning. Before you go back to your seats, take a puzzle piece with you to remind you of God’s creative Spirit.

Prayer:  We praise you, Creator and Holy Spirit, for the gift of imagination. Help us use this gift to your glory.