There were two ways to power a boat in Jesus’s time: by human power, rowing the boat; and by the power of the wind.
The breath of God and the wind that stirred up the new Church on Pentecost are powerful symbols.
Joan S. Gray, in Sailboat Church: Helping Your Church Rethink Its Mission and Practice, distinguishes between the rowboat church, powered by the efforts of members, and the sailboat church, powered by the Holy Spirit.
We are committed to being a sailboat church, listening to God and trimming our sails to support God’s intentions for us.