When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Acts 2:1-21 NRSVUE

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Muli, isang mapagpalayang Hapon sa lahat, and Happy Pride! Gaya ng nabanggit natin two weeks ago, ang text natin for today ay sequel nung ascension story. And dahil nga sequel siya, from 40 days, tatawid naman tayo sa ika-50 days. Ang salitang “Pentecost” ay hango sa Greek word na “pentēkostē”, which means 50th.” Celebrated on the Sunday that falls on the 50th day after Easter, Pentecost is not just a commemoration, but a divine activation – the promise fulfilled.

Eto na naman tayo. Just like nung ascension story, may feeling na parang tuloy-tuloy lang na naganap ang mga eksena. Pero yun pala, it took another week or so. From the time na umakyat na si Jesus sa langit, sunod na naganap yung isa pa nyang pangako, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Naalala ko tuloy yung first time na nagsulat ako ng sermon about the Holy Spirit. Isa sa mga tanong sa utak ko ay: So dumating lang pala ang Holy Spirit after ni Jesus? Eventually, nasagot ko rin naman. Because we know that even during the Old Testament, the Spirit was already active. But at that time, they appeared upon specific people, for specific moments—like with prophets, visions, and proclamations. Isa na nga dun ang prophecy about the Messiah na, by the time of our story in Acts, ay naganap na.

Ang title ng previous sermon ko was “Mission: Completed,” referring to the completion of Jesus’ earthly mission. Pero hindi doon natatapos ang kwento. Ang mission natin ay nagpapatuloy. Hence the title of my preaching today: “Mission: Continued.” Sa Acts 2, sa araw ng Pentecost, we witness not just an event, but a moment of divine empowerment, isang surprise that changes everything.

Like in the previous stories we’ve explored these past weeks, ganun na naman ang feeling ko sa text na ito. Ang lalim, napaka-profound, literally prophetic, and undeniably powerful. At maidagdag ko lang, napaka-dramatic din ng arrival ng Holy Spirit—may wind, may fire, may speaking in tongues. Pero rather than mag-focus sa question na “Did this really happen?” or sa scientific explanation ng mga events na ito, I found myself thinking: Napaka-queer! BONGGA! Imagine, rushing wind, dancing flames, ecstatic speech, if that’s not divine drag, I don’t know what is!

And then, I thought about how beautiful this story is. If we look closely, we are reminded of the experiences of the very first Christians. Just like us, Hindi nila na-meet ang historical Jesus. They were holding on to stories, appearances, memory, and promise. Just like us. They were scared. Just like us. They were unsure about what was next. Just like us. But then something unexpected happened. God surprised them. And through wind and fire, they were not just comforted, they were transformed.

Now let’s rewind a bit to remember how we got here. Our Easter series, The Gift of Surprises, started with the theme “Mission: Love One Another” Ang huling commandment ni Jesus  wasn’t about doctrine or rituals, but about love. Love for one another as a sign of being His followers. And we explored how that love shows up, especially in queer lives, in chosen families, in checking in, showing up at paggampan sa maraming ganap ng ating simbahan. And let’s be honest, the fact that we, as queer Christians, continue to love a faith tradition that hasn’t always loved us back? That’s already divine.

In our second week, “To Be or To Do,” we reflected on how Jesus broke Sabbath rules to heal – and this healing wasn’t just physical, it was revolutionary. We asked ourselves if we want to be recognized—or if we want to act. We remember si Dr. Paul Brand, si Princess Diana, at si Pope Francis—each breaking through stigma, expectation, and status quo to bring compassion. And just like them, we are invited to choose substance over ego, pagkilos over parangal. 

Then 2 weeks ago, in “Mission: Completed,” we stood with the disciples as Jesus ascended. Pero hindi siya nagpaalam na parang “goodbye,” kundi parang “your turn.” The mission passes on to us. He promises the Holy Spirit—and that’s what we receive today.

Acts 2 is the moment when that promise breaks open. When the Holy Spirit descends, the disciples aren’t just moved, they’re activated. They begin to speak in different languages. And not just “foreign” tongues—understandable languages, spoken by the diaspora, the outcasts, the visitors. That’s the first miracle: People heard the gospel in the language they actually understood. Hindi Latin. Hindi theological jargon. But the language of their home. Their heart. Their mother tongue.

And isn’t that what our queer ministry is? speaking the language people have been denied in churches for so long? Telling them: You are welcome. You are holy. You are fabulous. You are enough. Telling them that God doesn’t just tolerate you, God celebrates you. And doing so in our own lingo, bekimon, or just Tagalog with a bit of camp.

Let’s not forget: when the Spirit came sa para sa mga believers, outsiders assumed they were drunk. Kasi nga, the Spirit made them loud, animated, passionate. Familiar? That’s us every Sunday! Loud, fabulous and unapologetic. But Peter responds: “No, we are not drunk. It’s only 9 in the morning!” And then he quotes the prophet Joel: Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young will see visions, your old will dream dreams. It’s one of the most inclusive visions in scripture. Walang age or gender limit, lahat ng uri, everyone, all flesh. And to think na isa ito sa mga unang sermon ni Peter sa pagsisimula ng Christianity, as it expands beyond Jerusalem, Antioch and the Asia Minor and Africa. Ang mga sinaunang preaching pala has always been about God’s radical inclusive love for all people, pero anyare dun sa ibang fans club ni Jesus? Parang na lost in translation ata. 

And so today, as we celebrate Pentecost – the birthday of the church, let’s not treat it as just an ancient festival na medyo complicated ang history or isang cute liturgical moment. Let’s remember that this is our story, too. That same Spirit is in us. That same wind still blows. That same fire still burns. And in our church, this queer, DIY, sometimes-on-the-brink, sometimes-on-fire at agit church, The Holy Spirit is active.

Mission: Continued. Because we still have queer kids hiding in fear na napipilitang umattend sa kanilang mga simbahang mapang husga,  We still have parents choosing to love quietly. We still have justice to fight for. We still have healing to do, in fact, a lot of healing, sa panahon ng impending na giyera, na pwede naman sanang maiwasan kung hindi lang sa EGO ng ilang lider at mga dabarkads nyang rich kids, lider na sinasabing galing pa naman sana dun sa promised land, Kaya tuloy ang laban against genocide, tuloy ang pagmamahalan, habang patuloy ang pagsigaw ng “Queer and Christian? Pwede!”

Pentecost isn’t just about what happened back then. It’s about what God is still doing now. It’s about the Spirit showing up and performing during drag bingo, in HIV awareness, in our trans siblings bravely living their truth, in a church that refuses to die. It’s about fire that refines, not consumes. It’s about breath that fills, not suffocates. It’s about voices that rise, even if they tremble. Parang si Maricel Soriano as Terry while confronting Monique. 

The Mission Continues. 

A