your young men will see visions; your old men will dream dreams…

Pentecost Sunday is all about the Holy Spirit pouring into the church, followed by the church pouring into the streets.  Some were confused, others thought that it was too much booze.  Peter quoted the prophet Joel to explain what was happening.   He also mentioned that it wasn’t wine, since it was only 9am.  I love that.

Here’s my point: the church needs generations, not just a generation.  The Spirit brings about the forward momentum of the Church through people.  The young ones see what is ahead (vision).  The old ones remember what happened like it was yesterday and dream about the future.

Vision sees what is not yet there.  Younger church leaders (I’m talking about the people in the pews — the church, not just the clergy) need to see God’s preferred future for the church and faithfully join Him in that work.  Without that forward energy, the Kingdom is limited in how wide it can expand through a local congregation.

Dreamers recall what once was, which is what got us to this point in the first place.  This is critically important because wisdom stops us from doing something stupid.  Older church leaders (again – the people, not just the clergy) need to remember how God brought a church to its current state.  At the same time, these ol’ dreamers can imagine an amazing future predicated on what is already there.  Without roots, a local congregation is likely to topple over upon itself.

Pentecost is about the birth of the church.  The church is given the Holy Spirit so that it might carry out the mission of God and bring about the Kingdom as young, old, and in-between work together, united by the Spirit.  That’s when real life change takes place in a community.  Kids,  Teens,  College Students, Family-Keepers, Career-ites, Silver watch wearers, Gold watch wearers, and the Living Saints — we need each other.  Most of all, we need the Holy Spirit.