God's Wild, Wonderful Word is WOW for Pentecost

Acts 2: 1-21 is our Pentecost story. Open your Bible & read it. It's a story of wild rushing gale force wind; tongues of flames on the disciples' shoulders; worldwide languages spoken by Galilean peasants with no schooling in languages, but understood by all those visitors present in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks (50 days after Passover). And Peter interprets all these signs with a blockbuster sermon in which 3,000 come to believe. God will pour out God's Spirit on all people.

Sitting out on my back deck these last few weeks watching the strong winds whirl my tall mature trees reminds me of the strongest winds we've been experiencing: tornadoes & their especially destructive force in Reading, KS & Joplin, MO. Usually when we think of the Holy Spirit coming, we yearn for the peace, comfort, & healing presence that Jesus promises. I have a disconnect if I equate the Holy Spirit with tornadic winds or the devastation of forest fires, such as those currently in AZ.

Where do I see God in all this? I'm reminded that while God can certainly speak in the quiet of silence, perhaps it's appropriate to tremble when we say, "Come Holy Spirit, Come!" How might God challenge or push or pull us when the Spirit is strong enough to un-moor us from our comfortable & usual ways of doing things?

I look forward to hearing your stories of how you are called to prophesy or see visions or dream dreams.