A Wind from God by Carol Devine

“A wind from God” was the force that began creation (Genesis 1.2). Wind has so much creative and destructive power. We use its power for electricity, to fly our kites, to dry our clothes and to cool ourselves. When the wind blows hard, we try to stay out of its way and build buffers, but we cannot ever stop it. If something is in the path of a strong wind it will carry it along or knock it down. The Holy Spirit moved like the “rush of a violent wind” over all who were gathered together on Pentecost (Acts 2.2). Nothing could restrain the Spirit’s power that day.

Isn’t this exactly the word of hope we, church people, need to hear in these tough times? It often feels as though the whole world is against us, and even those who claim us are not showing up to worship with us. This good news is precisely what we need to remember when we find ourselves weighed down by fear, grief and pain of all sorts. We so often forget that just as we cannot stop the wind, we cannot stop the movement of the Holy Spirit whose sole purpose is to bring life and transformation to all!

Many of us want the church to stay the same. We rely on church for stability and comfort. But, what we must remember is that God is our rock. God is the unchanging and constant presence on whom we trust and while the church as the body of Christ will not die, it is and will always be changing.

The Holy Spirit is always moving, our goal should be to connect with that power rather than to dig in our heels and get blown over. I love Sunday morning worship and will continue to show up and lead worship to the best of my abilities, but worship is not just a Sunday morning activity. Church is more than sermons and music, potluck meals and board meetings, and it is certainly not contained inside any building. Worship should not just take place one morning a week or look only one way. Worship can look like dinner church, hikes in the woods, book groups, delivering food, visiting prisoners, prayer experiences, gardening and so much more. The spirit is moving like the wind and we should work with that power and celebrate all the ways the church expresses herself.

Carol Devine
CCK News Editor
Pastor, Providence CC, Nicholasville