A year ago we had dreamed of reopening congregations in Rhode Island on the Feast of Pentecost. But it was not to be. But this year, in 2021, on this Feast Day, the Governor has removed our restrictions on gathering so carefully and deliberately, the day has come. It will be a while before things seem more like they did prior to the beginning of the pandemic. But the Spirit of God has brought us to this day and we can all rejoice that it has arrived.

Rhode Island takes sailing seriously; very seriously. And if you’ve sailed at all you know how important it is to pay attention to the wind, to the shifting directions and the sudden changes in speed. It seems to me, on this Feast of Pentecost, that we can meditate on the lessons learned on the bay and apply them to the life of our congregations. If we can pay as close attention to the Holy and Divine Wind of God as we do in a sailing race, then we can move outward on the waters, retelling a hurting world that God is active and present to them.