Cloister Thoughts...
This Sunday is Pentecost – it’s the day we celebrate the birthing of the Church. Join us for one of two services in the sanctuary hearing the Biblical story revealed in our beautiful stained glass as our choirs lift voices of praise and thanksgiving. Red is the liturgical color for Pentecost – wear a touch of red as we unite our voices in glorifying our God.
For thousands of years, Pentecost has been an important day for believers. In Jewish tradition, Pentecost was called the Feast of Weeks or Day of First Fruits and it fell roughly 50 days after Passover. For Jews, it came to commemorate the giving of the Law.
For Christians, Pentecost describes that great day we read about in Acts 2, 50 days after Easter, 10 days after the Ascension, when the Holy Spirit filled those first followers of Jesus. This led to unusual manifestations, the initial Christian sermon, multiple baptisms, and the beginnings of a communal Christian fellowship.
What happened at Pentecost was a huge breath of fresh air. Think of all that occurred that day, starting early in the morning: a mighty rushing wind, tongues of fire dancing over the heads of the 120 believers. Folks gathered to witness Peter’s first sermon followed by 3,000 baptisms. As the believers were filled with the Spirit, they began to speak “in other languages”. This is often called glossolalia.
At Pentecost, the variety of languages brought unity and transformation. The great mark of Pentecost is that the Holy Spirit came upon the faithful. As they unexpectedly and miraculously spoke many languages, the Church was born in a holistic witness to Jesus Christ which still goes forth today in all the languages of the earth.
Pentecost was a major pivotal point in history. Whereas the Nativity had been the dawning of possibility, and Easter the dawning of hope, Pentecost is now the dawning of certainty, the day of fulfillment. Whereas Jesus’ resurrection had been shrouded in mystery and astonishment, whereas Jesus’ ascension brought loneliness and wonderment, Pentecost represents joy breaking forth in community – the great new day of the people of God. When the Spirit came that first Pentecost, all of history was changed. Ever after, the followers of Jesus, bound together in a community of love, would learn to speak in many tongues so as to give glory to God.
So what tongues do we posses today that we might employ openly to the glory of God? Looking again at Pentecost, we can begin to see the variety of tongues in evidence. Think of it. There were tongues of fire, speaking in foreign languages, the prophecy of Joel brought out into the light, a call and response to baptism, the praises of the people as they gathered in Eucharistic fellowship. In other words, there were lots of ways in which the people expressed their praises.
On your tongue may be an invitation to worship to someone seeking the way. Your tongue may be a word of comfort to the sick. It may be a word of caution to an individual who is straying. It may be words of prayer for those in need. It may be words of wisdom to persons in search of guidance. Yes, you may even have an ecstatic tongue – words not readily understood. You have in your heart words, which God has given you. You can speak those words appropriate to the situations in which you find yourself. Pentecost is the acknowledgement that God is alive in each one of us as the spirit gives us utterance. May the words we speak bring honor and glory to God.
See you in red Sunday, Rick
