Pentecost
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Written by Matt Regitz
I want to break into song when I hear or read this Psalm. Thank goodness this is a written reflection otherwise you would have already moved on, politely I am sure, from my lack of musical talent. But I can hear this sung in a full church, with vivid colors of fire around the Church - from the red vestments and flowers all the way to the red sweaters on the church ladies in the congregation. Okay, maybe some men too! It must either be a Confirmation liturgy with hundreds of teenagers and a bishop, or it must be Pentecost, the birthday celebration of the Church! So here we are, fifty days since Easter broke the fast of Lent where we celebrate the lavish and abundant outpouring of the power of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, not just on the hearts specific individuals in the scripture, but upon the crowds, the nations, and the generations – including you and me. That is worth signing about, even if it gets us booted from the choir!
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
But many lifelong church pew sitting folks squirm in their seats when it comes to the Holy Spirit. Sure, we refer to God the Father, Lord Jesus, Christ our Lord… but the Holy Spirit? Well, we do when we sign ourselves, recite the Creed, or that couple times a year when we dedicate a liturgy like Pentecost or Confirmation to the Holy Spirit. But how about praying specifically to the Holy Spirit? For the power of the Spirit to fill us, to change us, to move us?
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.
The forgotten Person of the Holy Trinity has very few formulated prayers in comparison to the Father and the Son, but this prayer was developed from the Pentecost liturgy. The first two lines are the verses sung with the Alleluia before the Gospel on Pentecost. The third and fourth lines directly from the translation of Psalm 104:30, today’s Psalm. It was meant as a song, a chant, a prayer meant to call on the power of the Holy Spirit into our hearts today, just like the Spirit moved in power on the first Pentecost.
But let’s not lock the Spirit into one formal prayer or one big feast, let’s unlock the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives by praying to be filled with the Spirit every day! The beginning of that ancient prayer is a great staple for our spiritual journeys, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Invite the Spirit in to your hearts today as a welcomed guest, not a forgotten person. And let’s plug into the gifts we hear about at Confirmation so they can be released from a memorized list to bear fruit in us, today, right now.
No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:3
After graduating from Texas A&M and pursuing an oilfield sales career Matt took a leap of faith and became the youth minster at his parish in Houston, Texas. Matt received his Masters in Theology from the University of St. Thomas in Houston and has worked in parish ministry for more than 20 years. The mission has grown to include parishes around the world as he now serves as a global leadership coach with Divine Renovation Ministries. His main focus is on supporting and accompanying pastors and their leadership teams in the urgent and important work of parish revitalization and renewal. Matt and bride, Stephanie, started Survive and Thrive Ministries to share their story of healing and hope with other families. The rest of the Regitz clan includes their four kids at home and a daughter in heaven, Mary Clare, love soccer games, barbeques, minivan road trip, and the communal life. Follow Matt on Instagram.
Pray with today’s psalm.