Penta-what?

This Sunday (19 May) the Western church celebrates the "birthday of the church."  The day when God's Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus' first followers.  From that moment on, they (and history) would never be the same.  

Jesus' followers boldly go forth into the world to tell others about Jesus.  They share God's radical love and forgiveness.  They heal and restore life to the dead.  A small group grows and grows with the help of God's Holy Spirit to strengthen and sustain them.

Pentecost has its roots in the Jewish tradition.  In the original context, the festival of weeks (as it is also called) is a harvest festival.  Fifty days after the Passover, by the Law of Moses, all Jewish persons were to be in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast (Leviticus 23:12-22).

The first of the crops would be presented at the Temple.  Thanks would be given as these first fruits were dedicated to God.  Then prayers would be offered to God asking blessings upon the rest of the harvest.  Very much like the origins of Thanksgiving in the United States.

The majority of Jesus' first followers were Jesus.  They observed the ancient festivals and traditions with their emerging understanding of Jesus.  Fifty days after Easter (penta meaning fifty), the students (disciples) became sent ones (apostles) and the church was born by God's Holy Spirit.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Financial Giving **sermon for 21 September 2024**

             Last week we talked about Witness, about sharing the great news of what God has done in and for us in Jesus Christ.   During the service 12 -16 cards were completed. 0 – 1 said they were not yet ready to commit. 0 – 1 indicated that we were not ready yet to witness, but maybe we would someday 0 – 3 of us said “not now, but we want to with all our heart” 5 – 6 responded that they will share their faith sometimes 7 – 6 said they will witness frequently 4 – 9 committed themselves to look for daily opportunities to share their faith daily 6 – 3 of us determined to make witness a priority in their lives, and that they would pray for those who are seeking and look for opportunities to invite others to join us in church Today we are going to talk about financial giving.   Financial giving is the fifth aspect of growing and dedicated followers of Jesus.   Pastor and author Bob Crossman believes that our check...
Read more

September 2024 Lion's Roar

 I pray that you had a wonderful summer with lots of fun and time with loved ones.  Hopefully we all come back to the school year routine all ready and refreshed. As things start to fall into a new pattern, it is also important to not get so busy that you and I do not take time out for what truly matters.   Spending time with family and friends.   Deepening our relationship with God and with others at St. Mark’s.   Loving our neighbors through CHOW, Canteen, and other outreach ministries. If it has been a while, we’d love to see you again at St. Mark’s this fall.   Nursery and Sunday School will start back up on September 8 th .   We’ll also have our monthly youth group gathering that afternoon from 4p-6p.   A new Bible study will begin on Tuesday, September 10 th with our friends at All Saints’.   Our women’s brunch bunch will also kick off on the 10 th at 8:30a in the Undercroft. If you have only been attending occasionally, this mi...
Read more

Bread, bread, and more bread.

The Revised Common Lectionary is in what my friend, the Reverend Tim Schenck, calls "breadtide."  That is to say that for the past few weeks, and for the next two weeks, the readings find us in John 6.  This is one of Jesus' extended "I am" dialogues in John's Gospel. Bread is a near universal. Almost every time and culture has some form of bread.  There is Greek Pita.  There is the Indian Naan bread.  There is First Nations fry bread.  There is Italian Scali bread.  And the list goes on and on and on.  Bread is a key part of the Western diet especially. The commonplaceness of bread makes it easy to visualize and to understand Jesus' words.  Jesus is telling us that He is as important and as nourishing to us as a slice of Wonder bread.  Wonder, however, can only take care of our physical needs.  Jesus, as the living and true bread, can also meet our spiritual need for belonging, healing, and forgiveness. Jesus promises that those wh...
Read more