a note from rev. sharon

Dear St. John’s,
    Looking through old photos, I came across this one from a church program where volunteers helped children toast marshmallows and make s’mores after their evening meal. For some kids, the program provided their first experience of toasting marshmallows as well as playing African drums, learning dance moves and trying various arts and crafts.
    New experiences enlighten us. They expand our minds to new ways of thinking. When they really excite us, they ignite a passion within us – to continue the experiences and to share these experiences and new thoughts with others.
    That’s the kind of fire that propelled the apostles out into the crowd on Pentecost, speaking to whoever would listen about their experiences of Jesus – his life, his teachings, his resurrection, and his promises of forgiveness and abundant new life for all. That’s the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit within us – an enlightenment we want to share with the whole world.
    What experiences have changed how you see the world? What ignited a passion within you?
    Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to enlighten and inspire us, as we experience our own Pentecost moments.

Rev. Sharon