I learned some Latvian words on Sunday. The reason? A church where my wife and I visited is hosting members of their sister congregation in Latvia. The guest preacher delivered a potent sermon on Pentecost, reminding us that the Holy Spirit can come with a convicting whisper or the force...

The other day, in the wee hours of the morning, a spring storm blew in with the fury of a toddler whose favorite toy had been taken away. We woke up to an eerily dark and quiet house – and it remained that way for over 15 hours as crews worked...

  Pentecost is the red-headed stepchild of Christian observances. Think about it: we get prepped up for Lent and Advent, buying devotional books and planning our spiritual disciplines. At Easter and Christmas, we deck ourselves out in holiday finery, sing triumphant hymns and prepare big family meals. Pentecost? The preacher wears a...