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CELC 2026
CELC 2026
Deep Breath
In the world of the Bible, the word breath is synonymous with “life.” Breath is necessary for a creature to be considered alive; where there isn’t breath, there isn’t life. Breath from God animates—brings to life—the creature formed from dust, the first human. When Jesus dies on the cross, three of the four gospels describe the moment using the phrase “breathed his last.”
Jesus appears to the disciples after the resurrection and offers his body to them for inspection. His scarred hands and side reveal that he is, in fact, Jesus, who was crucified. He is not an impostor. The disciples rejoice at the recognition. Next, Jesus breathes on them, a clear physical and symbolic assurance that he is not just a body but a living body. The breath that was once spent and gone has returned. He is not reanimated; he is resurrected. He has life in him again!
When Jesus breathes on his disciples, he also invites them to receive the Holy Spirit. This moment is extraordinary. Jesus animates the disciples in the same way God animated Adam: by bestowing divine breath, which brings not only physical life but spiritual life as well. Moreover, Jesus reveals that the Holy Spirit he promised to the disciples is, in fact, his own animating Spirit.
The earth-shaking wind of the Spirit at Pentecost is also an intimate breath of life. Through this divine exhale, there is the gift of life—body and spirit—and the enduring promise of resurrection.
Spend a few moments today doing some deep breathing as you give thanks for God’s gift of breath and for the Holy Spirit.
From sundaysandseasons.com.
Copyright © 2026 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserve
Words From Our Vicar
Words From Our Vicar
Greetings from northern California, where I’m on vacation visiting my kids Molly and Andy, who live in different parts of San Francisco!
Even though we of Christ Lutheran are far apart geographically right now, I feel that we are very close in faith, hope and love. For that, I am honored and blessed. In July it will be 2 years since you took me on as your Vicar, which has meant lots of growing for me- thank you!
Between now and then, on May 24, comes Pentecost, that major Christian holiday celebrated 50 days after Easter Sunday, marking the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as "tongues of fire," enabling them to speak in foreign tongues and begin spreading Jesus' message, thus birthing the Church.
So much change since those early days! And we experience change even now. It’s amazing to me how we can look around us and see new ways to be the Body of Christ, here and now. That has struck me even more this year, with the Lenten Round Robin, Lenten services, Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter Day, then the continuing saga of the Season of Easter, in which the apostles continued to wrestle with Jesus’ message and his departure from them. It’s only at Pentecost when their lenses were finally focused on the deep truth of Jesus’ message that they were able to go forth and be what they were born, trained and blessed to be.
Over my last several decades, I’ve come to see in myself, my kids and others that the same dynamic often plays out in us other humans. Sometimes an event occurs, maybe as large as the death of a close relative, or as small as the unexpected arrival of a bluebird couple, that seems to give us a new way of looking at things, including sometimes ourselves. This dynamic is not limited to Lutherans, or even Christians- but it does give us who believe a way of re-viewing our faith- not only what we believe, but what we doubt- not only what we do, but what we can practice in new ways.
Such an event can help us grow, no matter our age or circumstance! I hope that, in this wild season of change and growth, that the Holy Spirit might descend on you and me, and give us the fire to do good things in His name.
So may it be for all of us. God loves you, and so do I! AMEN
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