Dr. Crowder shared the following in a letter to future Living Waters Region Clergy on Thursday, May 21.
The Holy Spirit: The Comforter Will Come!
Beloved Colleagues,
As the Church approaches the sacred celebration of Pentecost on May 24, 2026, believers around the world prepare to remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples gathered in Jerusalem. Pentecost is often marked by joy, fire, power, and proclamation. Yet for many, this season also arrives carrying sorrow, grief, unanswered questions, and the ache of absence.
This year, for countless families, including mine, pews will feel emptier. Voices once lifted in worship are now silent. Tables once full now hold spaces that cannot be filled. In moments like these, Pentecost offers more than celebration; it offers comfort.
Jesus understood the weight of grief long before His disciples experienced it. On the eve of His crucifixion, He spoke tenderly to hearts already trembling with fear and loss:
“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.” —John 14:16
Christ knew they would soon watch Him suffer. He knew confusion would overwhelm them. He knew they would feel abandoned after the cross. Yet He promised they would not be left alone.
The word Jesus used for “Comforter” comes from the Greek word, Paraclete—one called alongside to help, strengthen, encourage, defend, and console. The Holy Spirit is not merely a distant force or theological idea. The Spirit is God drawing near to wounded hearts. For those of us walking through grief, Pentecost reminds us that God does not only meet us in triumph; God also meets us in tears.
The disciples themselves entered Pentecost carrying grief and loss. Judas was gone. Jesus had ascended. The movement felt fragile and uncertain. They gathered not with polished confidence, but with waiting hearts. And while they waited, the Spirit came.
Acts 2 tells us that the sound of a rushing mighty wind filled the house. Tongues of fire rested upon them. Fear gave way to courage. Silence gave way to testimony. Brokenness gave way to boldness. But perhaps the greatest miracle was this: grieving people discovered they were not abandoned. That remains the testimony of Pentecost today.
The Holy Spirit still comes into locked rooms where sorrow has settled. The Spirit still whispers peace into anxious minds. The Spirit still strengthens exhausted souls to rise one more morning. The Spirit still gives language to prayers too deep for words. Grief often leaves us asking difficult questions. If I am honest, I am wrestling with these questions myself:
Where is God now?
Why did this happen?
How do I continue after such loss?
Pentecost does not erase those questions. Instead, it assures us that God walks with us through them. The Comforter comes not always to explain suffering, but to sustain us within it.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
“The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” — Romans 8:26
There are seasons when pain overwhelms speech itself. Yet Scripture teaches that even then, the Holy Spirit prays with us and for us. Heaven hears the cries we cannot articulate. Pentecost is therefore not only about power for ministry; it is also about presence in mourning.
The same Spirit that empowered Peter to preach also strengthened Mary to endure. The same Spirit that birthed the Church also comforted grieving believers trying to make sense of loss after the resurrection and ascension of Christ. And the Spirit continues that Holy Work today.
For those of us carrying grief during this Pentecost season, may we remember:
We are not abandoned.
Our tears are not unseen.
Our sorrow is not weakness.
God is with us and remains near to the brokenhearted.