CreatingCommunity is an email devotion to guide your preparation for worship next weekend. Imagine how much more clear and relevant God's Word will be if you have had an opportunity read, reflect, and dwell in the Word prior to worship. You may do this devotion alone, with others, as a family, or over Zoom as a small group.

This devotion is to be done in preparation for Sunday, May 31, 2020, The Festival of Pentecost

Please follow these three steps:

1. Read through the text
2. Respond to the questions (select one of the sets of questions)
3. Offer a Prayer
John 20:19-23
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
No Experience Necessary Questions:
  1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?
  2. What delights me in this text?
  3. What stories or memories does this text stir in me?
  4. What is God up to in this text?
Family Questions:
  1. What come to mind when think about the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do? What role does the Holy spirit play in your life ? What question do you have about the Holy Spirit?
  2. Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on his disciples, empowering them to forgive sin. When was the Holy spirit given to you? What is the Holy spirit able to accomplish in you?
  3. The risen Jesus appears to his disciples, offering them a benediction and a commission. What is the benediction? What is the commission? How have you experience those two pronouncements from the Risen Lord?
Advance Questions:
  1. Where did you experience the Holy Spirit this week? What kinds of experiences make you most aware of the Holy Spirit's presence?
  2. What do you know about the Festival of Pentecost? What story is associated with it. Where does it come in the church year? What would be lost if the church didn't tell this story?
  3. Luther says in his explanation to the Third Article of the Creed:"I believe that by my own reason or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me." How do you understand this? Accordingly, who/what is responsible for your belief in and worship of God? What does that tell you about God?
Click here to listen to this week's CreatingCommunity Hymn
“Bring Forth the Kingdom”
Prayer
O God, on this day you open the hearts of your faithful people by sending into us your Holy Spirit. Direct us by the light of that Spirit, that we may have a right judgment in all things and rejoice at all times in your peace, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.