The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

As a child of God, we know that we serve a purpose and have a role to play in furthering God’s Kingdom. Whether we are the hands, feet, eyes or ears of God, our role is important. As women, we also need to note that our role may not be as traditional as we may think. In Acts 2:1-21 when Peter stands and addresses the crowd after Pentecost he quotes from the book of Joel and addresses both men and women. We have all been called to serve.

Today’s podcast is Acts 2:1-21. I hope I am as proficient in the pronunciations as my pastor, if not, read along at BibleGateway.com.

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

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Pentecost means “the fiftieth” in Greek and it represents the fiftieth day after Easter. It was fifty days after Christ’s resurrection that Jesus visited the Apostles. At this time the Holy Ghost descended upon them. Pentecost also represented the Jewish festival, “feast of weeks” where the Jews would bring the first fruits of their harvest to God, Shavuot.

In England it is called Whitsunday for the white robes worn to signify the baptism in the Holy Spirit. There are also symbols associated with Pentecost to reveal, the color red to symbolize speaking in tongues and the power of the Holy Spirit. Doves are a symbol representing the visit of the Holy Spirit as in Jesus’ baptism. Wind is another, commonly associated with the sound of the arrival of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles.

The Holy Spirit is its own entity. Scripture from the old and new testament help us to identify the Spirit as separate from God and Jesus yet all three one in the same. The Holy Spirit is a personality that we must understand and know to do God’s will.

In Ephesians 4:30-32 the bible says:

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Paul is asking us to not shut out the Holy Spirit. To live and work with the Holy Spirit we are asked to not grieve the Holy Spirit and to do what Jesus would do, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

It makes me think of taking care of a plant. Remember how it was all the rage to talk to your plants, they would get good vibes and fair better than plants we ignored or were angry with? Well it seems that the Holy Spirit can be nurtured by how we live a Christian life and in the same; it will lead us to live an even better Christian life. We only get out of something what we put into it. If we are kind and show the Spirit our desire to lead the Christian life, it is as if we put water on a plant to grow and it gives something back and bears us fruit. So it is with the Holy Spirit.

For some more on the history and traditions of Pentecost see New Advent where you can read about Whitsunday. This article shares how Pentecost is celebrated in various churches in the east.

Also see the Lighting to Unite celebration at the Washington National Cathedral from May 9 – 11, 2008.

John 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

I love Pentecost. At church it is a celebration. A party where we all dress up in red and sometimes the church sanctuary is full of balloons and bursting with enthusiasm. It is a wonderful time of reflection after Easter, a much needed reminder that there is still something to celebrate, something to be excited and enthused about, and there is still work in the church to be done.

That is why I love Pentecost. It is only a short distance from Easter on the calendar, but even in a Christian heart we recognize we fall short. I need spiritual reminders as much as I need a post card reminder to tune the car or a timer to buzz so I’ll turn off the oven. I am so glad that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit and that Pentecost has become the perfect reminder of his love weeks after we celebrated the awesome love of Easter.

We read about the return of Jesus in John 20:19-23. He comes back to us offering the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the essence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit that allows us to be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. By not utilizing these gifts Galatians 5:23 tells us there is no law.

Think about it; picture a world without the fruits of the Spirit. I imagine it would be like driving on the roads without traffic lights, designated lanes and signs. There would be noise, confusion, much road rage. No one would feel safe and we’d fear every other car out there. No love, no joy, no peace, no patience, no kindness, no goodness, no faithfulness, no gentleness and no self-control. It sounds sad doesn’t it?

Well we don’t have to be sad because Jesus said “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And now Jesus is sending us.

Related Posts:

Pentecost, Birthday of the Christian Church
Podcast: The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

I remembered my mother’s copy of Poems of Childhood by Eugene Field. It was probably the most used in a set of classics that she kept. She would read them and then I would read them and I was so happy recently when she presented me with the copy of his verse.

A few years ago I was asked to present a Mother’s Day sermon for church and I of course spoke of my mom and life with my two sisters and sharing parenting with my mom as she now raises my two younger brothers.

During my sermon I of course included some verse by Eugene Field. Here are both of them: Good-Children Street and Pittypat and Tippytoe.

You can find (and download a pdf copy of) his poems at PoemHunter.com.

I hope the poetic works of Eugene Field bring you much enjoyment as a mother and child of God. Have a Happy Mother’s Day.

I will end this post with a podcast of the poem This Is Your Day by Louis Untermeyer.

The Mother’s Day Proclamation of 1870 was intended to be the start of a celebration of mothers by Julia Ward Howe. Julia Ward Howe was an abolitionist poet who was accomplished in many arenas and while she may be known for writing The Battle Hymn of the Republic, her efforts to begin a Mother’s Day failed to catch on.

Christian Ann Reeves Jarvis took up the baton and in another effort worked on a program called “Mother’s Work Days,” which succeeded her and was passed on to her daughter, Anna. Anna honored her mother and three years later, on Sunday May 10, 1908, was the next attempt to start a tradition and this time it stuck after a church service was held for mothers.

Both these Christian women were part of different movements that supported men during the Civil War in one way or another in a selfless Christian act. The Mother’s Work Day Clubs founded by Ann Reeves Jarvis supported both Union and Confederate soldiers while Julia Ward Howe penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic to help further the cause of the Union soldiers fighting against slavery.

It is a beautiful tribute that Mother’s Day has continued on till this day. I will take a few days to honor the sacred history of this day that we don’t hear much about any more.

If you’re a Christian woman you probably have a good network of friends. Maybe your church has a group that brings Christian women together. Most denominations have women organizations that encourage us coming together on a regular basis to strengthen our faith. They even send publications to their members on women’s topics.As a Christian woman, you may wonder if it is important that all your friends be Christian women. While it is good to surround yourself with Christian women, it is not necessary for all your women friends to be Christian. As Christians we hope to share our faith, so setting an example of how your life has changed for the better through Christ’s love is something you hope to share with your friends.However, sometimes we become Christians so we can get rid of some of the baggage we’ve carried around that hold us back from leading a good life. Unfortunately that might equate to losing some of our friends. So, if you’re a Christian woman, it is only natural that at some point in your life, hopefully sooner than later, that you establish a network of good Christian women who will help you to grow in Christ.Where do you find like minded Christian women?Church. Always start at your church. Hopefully if you’ve taken a good amount of time to select the right church, you know that the people in that church are like-minded.Community Organizations. Other churches in the area sometimes have groups not offered in your own church. This is a great way to expand your horizons and meet more Christian women. Some churches even share events and Bible studies together.Online. Yes, the internet has its good points. Check out your denominations web page, they may link you to other organizations in your area. Look for Christian women board. Many women, and work at home boards have a forum set up by religion so Christian women can get together on their boards. If you are a member of another forum poke around and see if they have a Christian women’s board. If not suggest one.

If we look back in time, God is there. If we examine our present, we find that God is here. Has He thoroughly handled our past and present, only to leave us victims of the great not-yet?
(from The Words of Christ with Devotions by Calvin Miller)

Worry, the big W. It’s wrong, it’s wasteful, it’s whiney; and many of us are guilty of it. I worry all the time. I probably scare my kids with what could happen to them if they don’t stop jumping on the bed or stop running through the house. What if they tripped and did a quadruple somersault and landed upside down into the fish tank? And don’t say I didn’t tell them so.

To moms worry is the wrong side of wonder; a side to keep in check. Three big wonders in my life are my greatest gifts, after Darren; each coming with their own set of wonders for mommy.

Sometimes my wonder was worry and other times I needed the calm to wonder instead of worry. The night I left tiny early baby Cristina in the hospital I trusted she’d be okay no matter how long it took. From the doctor’s mouth to God’s ears I would trust. I would “wonder” when she’d come home, not “worry” if she would come home. She was a blessing and we would celebrate. It was her time.

Well, God brought her home, in time; and when Darren was out of town and Patricia was coming early…but not as early; God brought him home, in time.

My youngest Elise turned two recently. Another celebration of the true wonder that God got her here on time. Not early, not late, but in time.

Dear God; I will not worry about my life for who of us by worrying can add a single hour to our life? Help me to remember to be in wonder and awe of the present; to remember that everything is on time, Your time.

Is there more wonder or worry in your life? What defines your worry moments? How do you turn them around into works of wonder?

I know it has just passed, but with spring on the coat-tails of Easter, I still can talk about it. Easter should be celebrated every day anyways. So, my favorite holiday is Easter. Besides the profound meaning of Easter to Christianity, I find that it is the easiest to plan and there is no strict requirement for the day. Easter can easily be celebrated at home and no travel is expected from family really so you can celebrate the day at your own pace.

The best part of celebrating Easter is the diversity of the food that I can choose from to share with my family. You really don’t have to have a turkey, or ham, you can easily create new or borrow old traditions and no one would think the less of it.

For instance, I’ve loved exploring the cultural traditions of Europe and the Mediterranean for Easter. Read the rest of this entry »

That is a question that I would readily say no to. No, it is not really hard to be a Christian.

Ask yourself, how could it be hard to love God? Even with Job moments, which we will all have even as Christians. And how could it be hard to Worship God?

As a Christian loving your neighbor is not hard, no matter how many differences we have with our neighbors sometimes, love is the easy part.

And what could be easier than saying, “God, I have this problem here you see, and I don’t know what to do about it, could You carry it around for a while and get back to me on how I should handle it?” And He never, not ever, says no. That would be my favorite part of being a Christian. I got a house out of that one once. Read the rest of this entry »