Pentecost message 2026: "The Holy Spirit Invites Reimagined Communities of Unity"
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place… All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongue as the Spirit gave them ability…They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common.” Acts 2:1,4 and Acts 2:42-44
Pentecost invites us to reimagine communities that care for and share what we have in common. In a world divided by war, hunger, poverty, violence, injustice, and ecological disasters, Pentecost reminds us that we are called to life together. Acts 2 says they were gathered in one place where they were “filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles” that served as indicators of a renewed community in Christ.
Their coming together was not just one homogenous group but was representative of a grand host of people from many places, customs and ideas breaking bread together and sharing what they had in common. This is a lesson for us today. Despite the troubled season of their time, they accepted the invitation to come together and modelled a new way of sharing common life in Christ with the gift of the Holy Spirit at the center.
Each of us is left to ask what this means in our season of troubled times. Regardless of the season, place or circumstances we are called to be agents of new and renewed Spirit filled communities that show love, envision and practice shalom, promote and engage food security, care for creation and seek justice not only within our faith communities but outside of them. Acts 2:45 states: "They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” May we too find new and renewed ways to carry out this same calling today. The Holy Spirit invites us to new things, possibilities and hope and brings us into communities where justice, peace and love abound. Let us this Pentecost invite the Spirit to transform us so that we can be more like Jesus.
Let us pray.
O God, we confess we have not done all that we can do to invite new and renewed communities of shalom inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Forgive us and help us to fully receive the power and grace the Holy Spirit has for our lives in community and for the integrity of God’s creation.
Help us to see and live into a renewed vision of shalom that models the oneness experienced at Pentecost locally, nationally, and globally.
We pray for a transgenerational revival that reconciles and restores us with repaired communities that have been broken.
Teach us and lead us anew to be filled with a holy awe of You that can lead and inspire us to be messengers and agents of your signs and wonders.
Amen.
Presidents of the World Council of Churches
H.H. Catholicos ARAM I, Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia)
Rev. Dr Susan DURBER, United Reformed Church
Rev. Dr Henriette HUTABARAT-LEBANG, Gereja Toraja
Most Rev. Dr Rufus Okikiola OSITELU, Church of the Lord (Prayer Fellowship) Worldwide
Rev. François PIHAATAE, Église protestante Maohi
Rev. Dr Angélique WALKER-SMITH, National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.
Most Rev. Philip WRIGHT, Church in the Province of the West Indies
H.E. Metropolitan Dr VASILIOS OF CONSTANTIA AND AMMOCHOSTOS, Church of Cyprus