In the days between Easter and Pentecost, I’ve been trying to sit a little bit longer in parts of the Bible like Luke 24 and Acts 1 that recount the time between Jesus’ resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

Following his resurrection, Jesus suddenly appears to his followers, and after proving to them that he’s not a ghost, he gives them some instructions. 

Luke writes: 

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what was written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:45-49). 

Luke picks up these threads again in Acts 1:8, where Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

In these two passages of Scripture we learn so much about the Holy Spirit and God’s mission. 

In Luke 24 we see the same pattern to come in Acts 1. The proclamation starts in Jerusalem and moves to the nations. Jesus tells his disciples to start at home, and that they’ll do this under the power of the Holy Spirit. 

When we think about reaching our Jerusalem, Arlington, we need to recognize that the power of the Holy Spirit is just as essential for being witnesses here as it is at the ends of the Earth.  

We’ve been given a charge to start at home, and as we do this together, we want to invite you to consider being a Neighborhood Chaplain, a concept introduced to our church back in November 2024 by General Secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, Elijah Brown, during his sermon. Neighborhood Chaplains bring the love, hope, hospitality, and healing of Christ to their neighbors in a profound way. 

To get started on this journey, begin with prayer. Pray for yourself and your receptivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your neighborhood; ask God to remind you that you have been ‘clothed with power from on high.’ Pray for your neighbors daily by name.  

Join us on the BLESS Every Home app to receive daily prayer prompts for the people living in your neighborhood. It’s a helpful tool that shows you the names of the adults living in the forty closest households to yours.  

So, as we reflect on the time between Easter and Pentecost, let’s not just read these powerful accounts. Let’s actively pray for and cultivate that same ‘power from on high’ in our own lives. Let’s open our eyes to the opportunities right here in Arlington to be witnesses of hope, love, and healing to our neighbors. Will you join me in this journey of becoming a Neighborhood Chaplain, empowered by the Holy Spirit to touch the lives around us?