June 5, Pentecost C (John 14:8-17, 25-27)
The Spirit-driven tendency to undermine barriers goes all the way back to Peter and Paul.
Pentecostalism brings many gifts to the global church. For one thing, it is Christianity’s fastest-growing expression. And because so much of that growth is happening outside Europe and North America, Pentecostalism is a primary driver of global diversity in the church.
Because Pentecostal Christianity emphasizes the direct activity of the Holy Spirit, it has a way of undermining rigid doctrinal and social barriers. Folks who experience the pull of the Spirit need no supplementary source of authority. Not even conventional understandings of scripture will hinder the Spirit’s work.
This was the case even before the emergence of modern Pentecostalism in preachers like Jarena Lee. While hearing a sermon, she felt an acute awareness of her malice toward someone who had hurt her. On the spot she voiced to God her desire to forgive everyone. Immediately she felt carried away by God’s glory, and she stood up to extol the wonders of God and God’s salvation right in the middle of the sermon. Unauthorized, she preached.
