Pentecost

Good morning,

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Ascension Day, which is the day that commemorates Jesus ascending into heaven (Acts 1:8-9).  That day is notable in our area primarily because it is a holiday for our Amish friends and neighbors.  This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday.  It is a commemoration and celebration of the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the early church.

Before Jesus ascended, He told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for God to send them the Holy Spirit.  After Jesus’ ascension to heaven, the disciples did what Jesus had instructed them.  They seem to have spent the days after the ascension together, praying and worshipping constantly.  They also selected Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot. 

The events of the Day of Pentecost are found in Acts 2:1-13.  The sound of a violent wind filled the house and tongues of fire came to rest on each of them.  Just as Jesus had promised, everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit.  As if that wasn’t amazing enough, the disciples were also given the power to speak in different languages, which they immediately used to praise God.

The coming of the Holy Spirit must have made a loud sound, because a crowd quickly formed at the place where the disciples were gathered.  Hearing all of the languages being spoken amazed the crowd, although some thought the disciples were drunk. 

Peter uses the occasion to preach the Gospel, and 3000 people became Christians.  The Church had begun.

Today many churches that are in denominations that are more liturgical (formal or scripted) in their worship celebrate Pentecost by decorating the sanctuary with the color red and reading passages and singing songs about the Holy Spirit.  The people typically wear red as well.   However, as with Ascension Day, there isn’t a Biblical mandate to celebrate Pentecost.

Of course, in our area Pentecost is followed by Whit Monday.  It is also called Pentecost Monday.  Whit Monday actually gets its name from “Whitsunday,” which is the Old English name for Pentecost Sunday.  In the Church of England (Anglican Church) Pentecost was the day that people were baptized into the church, and those folks wore white gowns as they were being baptized. Everyone else who had already been baptized wore red.  So the day was “White Sunday,” which ended up being contracted to “Whitsunday.” 

Since Sunday was already a day off of work, the holiday became Whit Monday.  Here in Pennsylvania Dutch Country Whit Monday was a BIG holiday for many people up until the Civil War era, but now it is mainly just the Amish and more conservative Mennonites who observe it.

Here's what’s happening:

1. SUNDAY -  Double Nickels Luncheon

2. NEXT THURSDAY – Youth Group meets in the schoolhouse at 6:30 pm.

3. NEXT THURSDAY – MCC Quilt Knotting in the church lobby at 6:30 pm.

4. The Dating Workshop that was planned for 6/8 has been postponed due to a scheduling conflict at Waterway Church.  We hope to have it later this year.

5. 6/14 – Witness Festival

6. 6/25 – The Missions Trip team is hosting a Chicken BBQ fundraiser at the church.  Details and an order sheet are on the bulletin board near the church entrance.  They will need some help on the day of the BBQ preparing the meals.  Please see Thomas if you are able to help.

7. If you would like to give directly to the missions trip, please do so over the next few weeks so the team can start finalizing the numbers.  You can use the special giving envelopes by the offering box.  Gifts are tax-deductible.

8. We will be taking our annual “summer break” from Sunday School in July and August and have a coffee fellowship time from 9:30 until 10 each Sunday morning. There is a sign-up sheet to provide the snack on the bulletin board near the church entrance.

9. Baptism Sunday is set for 8/24.  This year we are having it in the evening at the Mark and Andrea Hoover farm.  The Hoover’s have a renovated “swimming pond” that we will be using.  Please let me know if you would like to be baptized.

This Sunday we will be concluding our journey through 1 Thessalonians by looking at Paul’s final instructions to the church.  God's desire is for every church to thrive.  That's a challenge because all churches have people in them!  We will be looking at Paul’s challenging words regarding how we can thrive together.

See you on Sunday,

Scott