We turn our faces today toward Pentecost — and we prepare for that Day when God’s Spirit floods us with God’s gracious, loving, holy presence. To prepare ourselves we daily recite the Jesus Creed — to love God and to love others — and we are doing this for 40 Days so we will be focused on what God wants to do to us and through us: create that Community with a new Praxis (40 Days Living the Jesus Creed). Today we face Pentecost by facing God.
I love Numbers 6’s great prayer, which I quote here in the KJV (because it seems right):
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
It is the face of God that concerns us today. God’s face comes with grace and it comes with peace.
Pentecost comes with grace and peace. Why? Because the face of Pentecost is none other than the face of God present with us in the Spirit. Look into that face today as we look toward Pentecost.