Pentecost

— More than a day!

The Evangelist St. Luke describes the Pentecost experience of the Apostles and those in the tavern below as an amazing event – sounds of rushing winds, seeing tongues as of fire descend upon the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles, those eating breakfast or starting day-drinking heard the Apostles preaching about the mighty acts of God in their own language! It truly was an amazing thing to hear about.

Our problem is that we put Pentecost on a date on a calendar and we think it is just meant for that day, and the farther and farther we move away from that day or that event the less and less we tend to worry about it. Hallmark and stores have done little to help this mindset – as soon as a particular holiday end they look to the next one, never truly enjoying, experiencing, living into the holiday that just passed. The Church, however, loves spending time in major holidays: Christmas, Easter and Pentecost all have Octaves (8 days) after them, where the Church is called upon to worship in the same manner for the 8 days that follow a holy day just like it was that day all over again. Those three also have “Weeks after” that we take time to live into and explore the mystery of the holy day we celebrated. Christmas is 4ish weeks, Easter is 7 weeks and Pentecost is 30-something weeks! You tell me which has more to unpack?

This time of summer that we start our “Weeks after” are usually filled with vacations and patriotic holidays (Memorial Day and the 4th of July). They also contain Pride month for our LBGTQ+ communities and Juneteenth. While we “celebrate” we also must realize that Union our Founding Fathers established isn’t perfect yet – just like this world we live in isn’t perfect…yet. As we celebrate the newness of Pentecost we must never forget the fundamental act of Pentecost is going out…sharing and spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.

This time after Pentecost that we are in now isn’t a time to look at Pentecost and think, “Boy wasn’t that nice?” It is meant for us to live into, to grow into and to minister into. That event, which spurred an Octave and “Weeks after” is meant for us to grow into – recalling those mighty acts and following those mighty acts of spreading and sharing the loving message of Jesus Christ to the world (and if you have read this far than know in a small way, we as a church, are living into this event right now by you reading this).

In mighty power of the Holy Spirit,

Fr. Seth Wymer | Rector