Saturday, May 05, 2012

Pentecost Lost by Patricia Holland- A Review

It is not often I have the opportunity to review a book by a friend and a mentor. Yet such is the case with Pentecost Lost by Pat (Patricia) Holland. Pat and her husband, Wayne, were (are) mentors to my wife and me when we first began our involvement in Children’s Ministry.

One of the things I most appreciated about Pat was her ability to communicate the Gospel in her own special way. She, in particular, is such an engaging story-teller that, not only are children’s interests piqued, but so are the interests of all who surround her as she faithfully and empathetically conveys the message.

Such, too, is the case with Pentecost Lost where she literally tells the story of Holy Spirit, intentionally leaving “the” off His title so as to better convey His personality (as opposed to being inanimate.) In other words, one is continually reminded that Holy Spirit is not simply some inanimate object or thing; instead, He is a living Creature Who is God Himself.

Pat tells that she wrote this book from the standpoint of one who desires to faithfully communicate the truth, the power, and the emphasis of Holy Spirit and to communicate as one who has a passion to minister to children and their parents. In fact, she states that Pentecost Lost is “written to pastors or leaders that need a little extra help making the topic of receiving the Holy Spirit easy to understand.” She further reminds us that Pentecost Lost is “not a theological exegesis but is a journey through Scripture to help the reader fall in love” with the Holy Spirit.

The content of the book is basically seven illustrations (thus denoting each chapter title) of the Holy Spirit: 1) Pentecost/Calendar 2) Presence/Water, 3) Promised Gift, 4) Partner/Wind, 5) Passion/Fire, 6) Purpose/Oil, and 7) Power/Electricity. These groupings give Pat the platform to use her simple but profound illustrations in her very own story-telling mode to communicate different aspects of the Holy Spirit. This method is both engaging and informative. In fact, for me (who has been away from Pat’s influence for several years now), it was refreshing to again participate in her style.

I strongly recommend Pentecost Lost by Patricia Holland. I would recommend it especially for pastors, parents, children’s leaders, anyone else who desires to communicate the truth of the Holy Spirit. I have read and enjoyed it. I have also been reminded of His magnitude and His simplicity.  I have also been equipped with more ammunition to use to communicate Holy Spirit and His truth.

Holland, Pat & Wayne. Pentecost Lost- Don't Believe It! Jacksonville, FL: Patricia Holland 2011. ISBN: 97801057817-066-4

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