What is the most important thing you know

Today is Pentecost, the day we celebrate God's gift to us of the Holy Spirit and we also celebrate the birthday of the church.

I asked Jason and the kids to gather with me today to blow up some red balloons in celebration of the day and to read a few passages of Scripture to talk about the significance of this day; I was grateful that they all obliged and were good sports.  We read the following passages of Scripture:
Genesis 1:1-4
Genesis 2:4-7
1 Kings 19:1-13
Psalm 133
Matthew 3:13-17
John 7:37-39 
Acts 2:1-4 

As we read these, I challenged us all to listen for the thread through these passages of what these tell us about the Holy Spirit.

These were some of the things that seemed to pop out:
breath of life

life giving water

tongues of fire

dove of peace

still small voice 

community

inclusion 

unity

declaration of our belovedness 

I then asked everyone a question that I heard recently from our neighbor Jaime. Apparently when she and her husband Adam were about to go out of town on a trip without their four kids, they realized that they needed to write a will in case something happened. God forbid- if something did happen- Jaime asked herself this question:  "What is the most important thing I want my kids to know?" 

And the answer was simple- that they are loved. So, Jaime frequently quizzes her kids and asks them "What is the most important thing that you know?" They have been asked enough that they know the expected response, and they said, "That I am loved." 

After reading these passages and reflecting on Pentecost today, I posed this same question. 

I would add one thing to what I hope our kids know (and that I want to be grounded in each day too): 

THAT I AM LOVED and THAT GOD IS WITH ME. 

It's not as fancy as the Heidelberg Catechism, but it's short and sweet and thus, it's easier to remember. 

I am so grateful for Pentecost each year as a day to remember that God gave us the gift of His Spirit and that because of this, we can know that we are indeed loved and that He is with us. Amen and amen. 

  

printed and put on the bathroom mirror for us to see each day