Ascension Sunday has passed, but Pentecost (WooHoo!)has not yet arrived. The church stands in that strange in-between space between departure and arrival, between waiting and movement, between looking backward and stepping forward. Most of us know something about living in those spaces.
The Ascension story is often imagined as Jesus going away, but I think the deeper truth is that the presence of Christ becomes larger than before. No longer confined to one place or one small circle of followers, the Spirit of God begins moving outward into the world in ways the disciples cannot yet fully understand. That realization feels both beautiful and unsettling. The disciples stand there staring upward until the angels interrupt them and gently remind them that God’s not done yet, but if you are looking up then you are looking in the wrong place.
And then comes Pentecost.
Not quietly, but with wind and noise and courage. Pentecost is the moment the church stops hiding behind locked doors and begins discovering what life in the Spirit actually looks like. Fear gives way to possibility. “You mean they are included in God’s love too?”  Strangers begin understanding one another. Ordinary people discover they are capable of far more love, hope, and courage than they imagined.
That is part of why this season still feels so alive. The Spirit of God has always specialized in bringing life into places that feel tired, uncertain, or stuck. Again and again, scripture reminds us that God meets people not once they are polished and perfect; God does not require that we all be alike, God meets us in the beautiful diverse chaos of life.
As we move toward Pentecost at Sonoma United Methodist Church, I find myself noticing signs of life everywhere. The hills are still green. The mornings arrive earlier. Conversations linger longer. The world itself feels like it is leaning toward renewal. I can feel it in my soul, can you?
Maybe that is part of the invitation of Pentecost (WooHoo!): to pay attention to where the Spirit is already moving. In acts of kindness. In healing. In recovery. In community. In the quiet courage it takes simply to keep showing up for one another.
The wind of the Spirit has never stopped blowing through the world. And perhaps now more than ever, we need to remember that God is still creating new life among us.
Now … if you are wondering what all of this WooHoo is about: Pentecost is a celebration! It is the birthday of the Church Universal.  It is the Holy Spirit of God being offered to all of creation – that is cause for a cheer! Read the full story in Act 2:1-21. Hope to see you in worship for Pentecost (WooHoo!) Sunday (and after for potluck).
Grace and Peace,
Pastor M@