Pentecost is one of my favorite days on the Church calendar. On Pentecost we remember the story of the birth of the Church, when the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus with a mighty wind and in tongues of fire, and when, having been filled with the Spirit, those same disciples went out into Jerusalem to preach with power in a variety of languages, most of which were unfamiliar to those bringing the message.
Pentecost reminds us that ours is a global faith, and Pentecost assures us that we can be filled with God’s spirit and we can be made bold even when we feel timid. I love Pentecost for its message of hope, for the ways it inspires us to recognize spiritual connections that cross boundaries of race, ethnicity, nationality and language, and because—and this is rare for a Church holy day—it has yet to be commercialized.
The MPC staff has been working together to create a wonderful celebration on Pentecost, and I hope you will join us on Sunday. I’m looking forward to it.
Meanwhile—because I’m a Calvin nerd—here’s a link to a video of the Pentecost service at Geneva’s St. Pierre cathedral that marked Calvin’s 500th birthday. The service—which starts roughly four minutes into the video—is mostly in French, but even if you don’t speak French it’s worth watching the first couple of minutes of the video so that you can see the amazing liturgical art. Also, you can see the pulpit from which Calvin preached (if, like me, you’re that kind of nerd), and you get extra points if you recognize anyone in the congregation.
Ben