Holy surprise.

Imagine the roller coaster that Jesus' disciples have been on. Betrayed by "one of them", trial, beating, scattering, afraid, watching at a distance, watching from up close, their friend and Savior dead, so sad, bitter sad, now risen from the dead, word spreading, can it be true, He appears to them, together in one place, sound of a violent wind, bits of fire separating and sitting above heads, He disappears into the clouds....Are you kidding me? This is like emotional whiplash. They are all over the place in heart, mind and body.

The above was an actual sequence of events. They are tired. They are deeply grieving, then grieving interrupted by elation followed by grieving and confusion once again. Their adrenaline has fired and fired again and again. I think they are a mess of a community with all that has swarmed over them and in them over these days.

But a mess of a community, is still a community.

And they are drawn together. Mysterious magnet, this pull toward community. They are together in one place. They want to be together. They want it. You and I experience this periodically throughout our lives. Something really hard or really joyful happens and many times we long for our community of people to experience it with. Not all the time. Sometimes we lurk in the shadows like Peter did, not knowing if we really want more encounter or not. But many times, the "pull" to be with those that we love is so intense in these intense moments that it almost seems otherworldly. It is otherworldly. Heaven in the real world. Taste of new heaven and new earth. Hinting at more holy surprise. I believe our "pull" to be with those we love and live with in the midst of trial or celebration is rooted in these moments of the holy surprise of communion with God and each other told to us in the bible book of Acts chapter 2.

Push further into the words of Acts chapter 2. Notice these phrases that hint at holy surprise.

Verse 4, "filled with the Holy Spirit"

Verse 7, " Utterly amazed"

Verse 13 "made fun of"

Verse 17 "spirit poured out….children, youth, parents, prophesy, visions, and dreams"

Verse 37 "cut to the heart"

Verse 41 "about 3000 added to their number"

What is our creative response to the holy surprise of the continuing movement of God toward us? Always toward us, over and over.

I believe this...so I live differently because God the Spirit is in me.

I want this...I want to be utterly amazed at the pleasure and movement of God in me!

I declare this...so I risk being made fun of.

I live this in and among family...so there is multiplication of this truth in the generations.

I submit to this...so it affects my heart practically and powerfully.

I am in awe of this...that this continues to grow and multiply in number and IN ME!

Yes Holy Spirit. We want you. Tell us your wind words. Show us your fire tongue.

More wind.

More fire.

More of you Holy Spirit.

There's more.