Dear Friends,
I grew up in a wonderful Presbyterian church, but we spoke very little about the Holy Spirit. My hometown pastor was a strong leader, deeply Christ-centered, and gifted with remarkable pastoral wisdom. Yet I suspect he was cautious about the growing Pentecostal movement in our city.
Some of my high school friends often talked about the charismatic worship services in their churches. They described people being touched by the Spirit and responding in dramatic ways—speaking in tongues, dancing, or displaying other extraordinary expressions of faith. Out of curiosity, I visited some of those churches and witnessed a few of these experiences for myself.
Those encounters led me to read extensively about the Holy Spirit from different theological perspectives and to examine these questions through the lens of Scripture. After several years of study, I came to appreciate the depth and wisdom of my hometown pastor’s understanding. At the same time, I often wished we had talked more openly and more frequently about the Holy Spirit.
Now that I am a pastor myself, I do not want to speak about the Spirit only once a year on Pentecost Sunday. You may have already noticed that the Holy Spirit has been a recurring theme in our worship and preaching these past weeks. Together we have explored the Gospel of John, where Jesus promises to send the Spirit to comfort, guide, and empower his followers after his ascension to the Father. We have also begun a journey through the Book of Acts, following the work of the Spirit in the life of the early church.
Again and again, Acts shows us how the Holy Spirit transforms people and invites the church to participate in God’s transforming work. One striking example is found in Acts 9. Saul was an enemy of God’s people. He approved the killing of Stephen, imprisoned followers of Jesus, and spread fear throughout the early church. To Christians of his day, Saul seemed dangerous, violent, and beyond redemption. Yet when Jesus confronted him on the road to Damascus and the Spirit transformed his heart, everything changed. The man who entered Damascus intending to arrest Christians left proclaiming Jesus Christ.
Throughout this summer, I invite you to join me in reading and reflecting on the stories of Acts. As we walk alongside the early church, we will deepen our understanding of the Holy Spirit’s work among God’s people and discover anew how the Spirit empowers us for ministry today.
May the Spirit of God guide you, encourage you, and strengthen you to share the good news of Christ wherever you are. And may we, together, learn what it means to walk in the Spirit as a faithful church.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Dr. Ramy Marcos