The Pun
The Prayer
Many of us would certainly consider it a joy to continually live in the ecstatic excitement of Pentecost. Yet we are explicitly taught by Jesus that we have no ability to control such movements of the Spirit: "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8). So how are we to live when the wind is still?
One of Jesus' last instructions to his disciples was to "...wait for the Father's promise." (Acts 1:4). The waiting to which He called them, however, was active, not passive!
They engaged with one another by gathering regularly in unity. (Acts 1:12-19)
They continually prayed together (Acts 1:14)
They looked to scripture for specific guidance in the absence of Christ's or the Spirit's explicit direction. (Acts 1:15-20)
They obeyed scripture in order to best prepare themselves for the kingdom work of witnessing the resurrection. (Acts 1:21-26).
It was in this gathered, praying, scripture-seeking, kingdom minded state that the Spirit first filled the church: "When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting." (Acts 2:1-2). Now certainly, they had no control over this movement of the Spirit. Yet it was those who had set the sails who were first moved by this mighty rushing wind.
As we seek the Spirit's work, let us not become weary in gathering to pray, seeking out scripture's specific instruction for our current situation, and readying ourselves for kingdom work when the Spirit says: "Go!"