Go, Church!

Lectionary Reflection

Day of Pentecost, June 12, 2011

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Acts 2:1-4

It’s here once again–that day of the year when we celebrate the birthday of the Church and the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower believers and call them to action. What happens in your congregation? Do folks show up in their best and most festive red attire? Do they purchase red geraniums in memory or in honor of loved ones? Will there be a baptism? Perhaps several youth will celebrate their Affirmation of Baptism, completing a course of Confirmation studies that culminates with white robes, red carnations, and cards filled with gifts. Of course, the pastors serving these congregations are praying the youngsters will be back next Sunday.

It comes and it goes with relatively little fanfare, this liturgical feast day known as Pentecost. Its Vigil is even less well known and more infrequently celebrated. Pentecost is one of the “big three” festivals of the church year, the other two being Christmas and Easter. Sadly, this important festival gets the short shrift when it comes to celebration and understanding. There are no Holy Spirit presents or Spirit chocolates dispensed. Unless one is a member of the family or a friend of a confirmand there are no special celebratory receptions or meals to attend. So what is a faithful worshiping community and its leaders to do?

First of all, make a bigger deal of it! Educate people about the history and meaning of the festival. Too often we assume people remember and understand the import of church history and theological basics. Remember, if folks are having trouble finding the book of Deuteronomy do you really expect them to remember that the celebration of “WhitSunday” began as early as the first century and has its roots in the ancient Jewish festival called the “feast of weeks?” Do as much “pre-work” as possible to prepare community members to properly understand and celebrate this day.

Secondly, put the festival into a context they will understand. Where do big crowds gather today? If you said concerts and sporting events, you would be spot on. Imagine the surprise and confusion that would result if the Holy Spirit descended with tongues of flame on the crowd at a Vikings game! What if the crowd suddenly began to speak about God in ways that would suddenly make sense to all kinds of people? Can you envision the confusion, excitement, and incredulity registering on the faces of the crowd? What if all these Viking fans left the stadium as card-toting “Viking for Christ” ready to go out and live as faithful disciples? Hard to imagine? Oh, ye of little faith!

Be sensitive to the contexts and experiences of those in the pew and those in the community who have no clue what goes on in a church building. Maybe we could use a few “liturgical cheerleaders” and a few “Spirit sparklers.” If not something that radical, then how about injecting an extra measure of excitement and a fresh approach? What might you do to help folks experience the wind of the Spirit rushing in? Have an industrial fan or two? How about having the children make tissue paper tongues of flame to hang from the narthex ceiling or from the balcony? Maybe you can have the youngest ones process in with ribbon banners in various shades of red. Think outside the box and give the Holy Spirit a little wiggle room to do some amazing work.

If you have some great ideas already in place, please share them here in the comments section. We all benefit from each other’s work and experience. Let those creative juices flow! Blessings on your preaching, teaching, and worship leadership. Oh, yes, and one more thing–“Go, Church!” Go right on out the door and into the world to share the Good News. Get “fired” up! Amen.

Photos by andycoan,  bsabarnowl, gesicka22 and wesleyfryer used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!