Happy belated Pentecost. There’s another powerfully significant holy-day that gets short shrift, especially when it falls on Mother’s Day. Did any of you learn anything about the Holy Spirit yesterday? As part of our continuing reflection on reclaiming holidays, how can we get back to the true meaning of Pentecost?
Pentecost
May 12th, 2008 | Holidays
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Mother’s Day is always interesting for pastors who stick to the church year and the readings of Scripture.
Our Pastor preached about the Holy Spirit and the means of grace - and how the Holy Spirit uses mothers to bring their children to baptism and the Word of God through which the Holy Spirit works.
I learned that the word “pentacost” means “fifty,” as in fifty days after passover.
I heard nothing in our PCA church about Pentecost. Grrrrrr… Our pastor preached from Ruth 2 for Mother’s Day. What theology I got was from listening to the cantatas J.S. Bach wrote for this day. Listening now to the music he wrote for the 2nd day of Pentecost.
Our Pastor preached a great deal about Pentecost.
It was wonderful.
Oh, and the Holy Spirit. Lots and lots about the good ‘ol HS.
Had a great sermon on Pentecost. Pastor found a terrific way to work into his sermon a caution about trying to change the Divine Service into entertainment. He did a nice job of explaining that being board with the service is more about us than it is about the power of God’s word and he challenged the thinking that the Holy Spirit needs our help to be relevant.
My family attended the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church of my beloved nephew, who was confirmed on this Pentecost day. The bulletin read, “The miracle of Pentecost is not the wind, the tongues of flame, or even the many languages. The miracle is the fulfillment of the Savior’s promise to send the Comforter. And the miracle continues as people dead in sin are made alive in Christ, as darkness turns to light, death to life, and slavery to freedom. All this happens as the Spirit, by the Gospel of the cross, fills our hearts.”
One of the confirmands sang, “Before the Throne of God Above,” an old hymn by Charitie Bancroft set to new music by Vikki Cook. It was beautiful and full of theology, and is now a favorite of mine.
It was a great day of family worship.
Our pastor used Pentecost as a means of delivering a really good and clear message about baptism (starting in Acts with the traditional Biblical Pentecost account but then delving into the Small Catechism). As a relatively new Lutheran, I have taken to most doctrinal points just fine but continue to struggle with what Lutherans believe about baptism. So this was a good, informative, and encouraging sermon (as usual, from our terrific young pastor).
We were reminded that Jesus was born to fulfill the law because He loves the Law. Pentecost came because God loves all nations. He wants all to hear His Word. My faith is based on what God has done for me in Christ–not any merit of my own.
Robert - let me tell you what I told my wife when she was new to Lutheranism, “when your at Bible study and you are not sure what the answer, just answer baptism. You will be right most of the time.”
At our LCMS church, we heard the last sermon of a six-part series on Max Lucado’s book 3:16. Our church is also using this book as our small groups.
Cynthia,
Probably reason enough to go see a movie instead of joining the small groups. And maybe even reason enough to check out some other churches.
@Joe (#6),
Any chance of finding that sermon online? I’d love to read/listen/watch it.
Max Lucado’s book–God help us. This is one reason I don’t attend our local LCMS church here in Arizona. The church’s web site promoted its Bible study group going through Rick Warren’s “Purpose-Driven Life” book. Yech.
Our pastor brough Pentecost and Mother’s Day together very well. Our mothers give birth to us giving us physical life, and in Baptism we are born again through the water and the Word giving us spiritual life.
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