Come, Holy Spirit with fire, wind, and freedom

It's the season after Pentecost and the Holy Spirit is moving. As much as we pray and hope and labor for peace, maybe it's more appropriate for this season to be marked by unrest and upheaval. It's telling, perhaps, that the spirit is most often depicted as flame, rushing wind, descending dove. Perhaps to reach peace and freedom we must first lean into and labor through the fire and wind.

May we surrender to the flames our unexamined privilege, our appropriation of the narrative, our apathy, our passivity, our hashtag activism. May the blaze illuminate our unacknowledged guilt, our unconscious bias, our brothers and sisters. May we clearly see the work that is ours to do—not just how and when to speak up and act out, but how and when to step aside, listen, and let other voices lead the way. May the winds of change sweep through our cities, our nation, and our world. May we be uncomfortable and unsettled and stirred to action.

What if the gift of Pentecost—the miracle of the indwelling spirit—is not just the ability to speak beyond our native tongues, but also to hear and understand when we listen, to be heard and understood when we speak? What if we receive the invitation now, allowing the Holy Spirit to bind up all the false divisions and distinctions that rend us while honoring the gifts and graces of our unique cultures, perspectives, and experiences?

We still have so much work to do. We are far from true and lasting healing. Many are still denied freedom and peace. 

May we prayerfully discern and faithfully do our part to hasten the communion and redemption foretold by Pentecost. May we continue to listen, learn, and labor together. 

Alongside you,

P. S. We put together this playlist to accompany the continuing work of listening to, learning from, and laboring alongside our brothers and sisters. 

Father's Day is coming up so we put together a few ideas for honoring those doing the work on fatherhood in your life. You don't need to be told what to buy, but decision fatigue is real—and recommendations from trusted friends are always helpful in hard seasons. In case this doesn't hit the spot, we shared more ideas here. 

FOR HIS DAILY PRAYER + PRACTICE

FOR THE LOVER OF LITURGY

FOR THE MODERN CONTEMPLATIVE

FOR THE SAVORER OF PSALMS

FOR THE ORDINARY RADICAL

MORE RESOURCES FOR PENTECOST