May 2015
Dear friends
Do you sometimes feel that you never stand still, that you are constantly on the move to the next event in your life? It’s a bit like that with the church calendar, no sooner have we celebrated Easter, than we are well on the way to Pentecost Sunday which falls this year on May 24.
But what is Pentecost about ? Why is the day special, what is celebrated. Unlike Easter and Christmas, when colourful eggs, Easter bunnies, Christmas trees and Santa Claus are harbingers of the upcoming Christian holidays, there are no such social markers by secular society ahead of Pentecost. So here’s a few thoughts about what Pentecost Sunday is and some Bible references that point to these thoughts.
- Pentecost Sunday marks the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles.
- Pentecost Sunday occurs 50 days after Easter.
- The Bible records the Pentecost in Acts 2:1-13.
- Pentecost comes 10 days after the Ascension of Jesus Christ. The day he went back to Heaven.
- Pentecost is also known as "the birthday of the Church".
- Pentecost fulfils Jesus' promise to send the "Counsellor" and "Spirit of Truth" in John 16-5-15.
- Pentecost launches the large-scale spreading of the Gospel after Jesus' ascension. Acts 2:41 records that after Peter spoke to the crowd after receiving the Holy Spirit, some 3,000 people were baptized.
- The Pentecostal movement derives its name from the New Testament event in Acts 2.
- Jews also celebrate Pentecost, but not for the same reason as Christians. The celebration by Jews of Pentecost is to observe God giving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai 50 days after the Exodus. The Pentecost in Jewish tradition takes place 50 days after Passover.
- In Western Churches, Pentecost is usually represented with the colour red, which symbolizes the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Every Blessing,
Rev Michelle Ireland