Sermon Recap: The Echo of Pentecost @ Heritage United Methodist Church, Clearwater

Pentecost Sunday is a powerful and deeply moving Sunday in the church calendar. This year, I was not able to be in church on Sunday morning because my family and I were departing for family vacation. However, I was fortunate enough to receive Pastor Janean’s sermon outline so I was still able to experience some of this year’s Pentecost Sunday at Heritage United Methodist Church. As I read through the sermon outline, I couldn’t help but feel that the Spirit isn’t just something we remember from Acts 2—it is something we experienced.

Pentecost wasn’t a one-time event—it’s a continuing movement. The Holy Spirit didn’t just descend with fire and wind on the disciples; the Spirit continues to move in our world, in our church, and even in us today.

Pastor Janean draws a beautiful connection between the original Pentecost and the heart-warming experience of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. On May 24, 1738, Wesley felt his heart “strangely warmed,” and it changed everything. That personal Pentecost moment helped ignite a global movement that continues to inspire us to transform the world.

Acts 2:1-21 is one of the most dramatic passages in the Bible. Reading through that scripture will leave you feeling charged up with the Holy Spirit. Pastor Janean reminds us that God’s grace doesn’t whisper—it echoes. That echo, first heard in Jerusalem, was carried forward by the early disciples, by John Wesley, and now by us here at Heritage United Methodist Church.

What struck me most was this: Pentecost isn’t about creating monuments—it’s about becoming a movement. Wesley didn’t want to build something new; he wanted to renew the Church. He believed in empowering ordinary people through small groups, acts of service, and Spirit-led lives. And that’s still our mission today.

At Heritage, we describe ourselves and have identified our core values as being as a GATHERING PLACE, a GROWING PLACE, and a LOVING PLACE—and on Pentecost Sunday, those values are especially alive. Whether it’s mentoring a child or student, providing for a foster family, or welcoming a neighbor, we’re invited to keep echoing God’s grace in practical ways.

Pastor Janean issued a call to action for us to consider our part in that echo:

• Will we say “yes” to serving?

• Will we invite others to share the love of Christ we’ve found here?

• Will we give generously to extend the reach of that echo?

• Will we pray boldly for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit here at Heritage United Methodist Church?

Pentecost didn’t end in Acts 2—and it doesn’t end at the end of a Sunday service. It continues every time we allow the Holy Spirit to move through us. Whether it's mentoring a child, welcoming a neighbor, or supporting missions like Zoe Empowers, we are part of the echo.

At Heritage, the fire of Pentecost is still burning. The Spirit is still moving. And the call to transform the world still stands.

Let the echo begin again—right here, through us.

If you missed the service, you can watch it HERE. I am looking forward to watching it as soon as I return.