Our church celebrated Pentecost Sunday yesterday. As a small reminder of the Holy Spirit's presence, I gave everyone red pinwheels. It was a symbol of wind, breath and movement.
Later in the day, someone shared a picture from our worship. In it, an older saint was sitting next to one of our youth. The elder is blowing into the pinwheel while the young person watches with a wide, joyful smile.
When I saw that I wondered if this was an image of what the prophet Joel saw?
The prophet said, "your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." This happens when God pours out the Spirit on humanity. All people are meant to be drawn together in prophetic vision.
Joel saw a Spirit-led community where generations sit side by side. They aren't divided. They don't compete. Instead, they share the same sense of awe at the Spirit's presence. What Joel knew is what we need to remember: all God's people need all God's people.
We need the older generations to share what they remember. They are the ones who have carried prayer through the decades and have seen God show up in joy and pain. And their dreams are shaped by what God has already done.
We need youthful souls to see our way forward as well. The ones who haven't lived and believed as long but still dare to imagine what God might be willing to do next. Their visions aren't limited by what's been done before.
To be sure, our dreams and visions don't stand opposite each other. They're meant to complete our shared ministry. Memory and imagination, history and hope.
And when we honor both, by sharing them and celebrating them, the Spirit moves in the church in undeniable ways. Generations don't just watch the pinwheels spin. They catch the wind together. They move with the Spirit, side by side. This is what renewal looks like.
Stay blessed...john | 
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