Sunday, June 12, 2011 was Pentecost. Fr. Lance. the priest at All Saints Anglican, arranged a grand celebration. For nine days we prayed and then on Sunday we wore red and had our heads anointed with oil.
13 years ago all I understood about Pentecost was that it appeared on church bulletins. There was the First Sunday after Pentecost, the Second Sunday after Pentecost and so on. Despite my ignorance I put it on the preliminary worship calendar of Foxboro Universalist Church. At a seminar for worship chairs at the Sharon Unitarian Universalist Church we were told to put every secular and religious holiday on a preliminary worship schedule. So I added Pentecost to the worship calendar and sent it to Rev. Glessner, our minister, for his review. I assumed he would modify it and send it back to me. Instead he banded together with two other parishioners and sent a letter to the entire congregation accusing me of wanting to move the church towards Christian orthodoxy. He used as evidence my listing Pentecost and Trinity Sunday on the worship calendar. What he didn’t tell them, was other holidays from other faiths were also listed and that whoever was doing the service for a particular Sunday could choose to ignore a particular holiday if they wanted to.
After receiving Rev. Glessner’s letter I looked up Pentecost. I learned it was part of the Jewish harvest festival, Shavuot. For Christians it symbolized the Holy Spirit or as I understood it then, the spirit of God. Why would Rev. Glessner, a congregational minister, be alarmed by its inclusion on a proposed worship calendar? Was he purposely manipulating parishioners’ ignorance and fear of Christianity in order to maintain his power and control? Or was he frightened by the Holy Spirit? Why couldn’t a Unitarian Universalist minister or lay leader create a service explaining what Unitarian Universalists believed about the Holy Spirit? On Christmas and Easter they reinterpret Christ’s birth and resurrection. Why not reinterpret Pentecost, also? Why were UUs afraid of that?
I will never know Rev. Glessner’s motivations. After I was pushed out of Foxboro I joined a Lutheran Church. There during a Bible study on Acts, I learned that on the Jewish Pentecost, the Apostles were visited by the Holy Spirit in the upper room where they were hiding. I also learned to wear red on Pentecost Sunday. Red being my favorite color I was happy to conform even though I didn’t understand why.
This year during Bible study, Sunday Gospel readings and Fr. Lance’s sermons I learned that Jesus promised not to leave His apostles orphaned. He would send the Holy Spirit to them. Pentecost is a celebration of the fulfillment of that promise.
In Not of My Making I recount at least two instances where the Holy Spirit moved and comforted me. I don’t identify it as such but given my new understanding of Pentecost, I believe it was the Holy Spirit who let me know there truly was a God and during my morning prayers and meditation guided my recovery from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
I am comforted knowing God promised not to abandon those who had accepted Christ. I am His by adoption and, unlike my fickle church friends, He would never abandon me. I take shelter in the shadow of God’s wings. Amen.
How awesome to be able to look back and see G-d’s hand on your life…even before you understood it was Him! I believe there are many such instances in people’s lives…if they could but recognize them. Mayhaps…in time…they will!
People often don’t see God’s hand in theit life because they are blinded by their disbelief or attribute those experiences to other factors. Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Why it is given to some and not others, is a question only God can answer.
I agree that people are blinded. As for faith…it says that each one is given a measure. I think it is like the parable of the talents. A lot depends upon what you do with what you were given. Even if you are given a small measure, if you do something with it…act upon it…it will be multiplied. If you ignore it…you run the risk of losing what little you have.
Hmm… where does it say each is given a measure of faith? Why would God give some a lot and others a little? Or is the lack of faith the result of Satan? I’m thinking that I turned away from God because of the abuse I suffered. Evil acts undermined my faith. When it was restored, it was restored as a result of prayer and the action of the Holy Spirit in my life.
I believe that G-d gives us each what we need. I look at the following verses:
The second book of Peter is very interesting. I think this verse, in particular, addresses the issue:
seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2Pe 1:3 NASB)
We have been given all we need. I do believe that our faith/trust is impacted by the things we experience and what goes on around us. However, we HAVE been given what we need. I believe He will work through things to bring us back around.
This verse talks about each of us being given a measure of faith:
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (Rom 12:3 NASB)
and this verse talks of our faith growing:
not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you,
(2Co 10:15 NASB)
Of course, I am pulling these verses out…something I hate to do. Reading in context is so important, as I know you are well aware of. It is no different than pulling something someone said out of context. Context helps us to supply the whole meaning.
Hope that helps.
One Survivor, To whom was Peter talking? I assume it was to other Christians and not to non-believers.
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
(2Pe 1:1 NASB)
If Peter was addressing other Christians then isn’t the gift of faith given to believers and not non-believers? Gifts of the spirit are given to believers. But how does one move from non-belief to belief? I think one has to invite the Holy Spirit in to become a believer. God does not impose it on anyone.
Perhaps, G-d gives each of us a measure of faith. However, like in the parable of the talents, we need to use it. Those who keep turning FROM G-d will eventually be away from Him forever. Those who turn TOWARD G-d will invite the Holy Spirit in and they will come to know G-d. Make sense?
I agree that He will not impose acceptance. I also know that, at some point, every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess. But He will not force them to accept Him into their lives.
I think you are right. If you seek God you will find Him. If you stop looking and turn away you will sink deeper into the abyss. And when Christ returns, every knee will bow, even those who have rejected Him.
It is a day to look forward to with joy…and yet with grief, too. I want the pain of this world to be over, yet I do not wish anyone to be separated from G-d forever. Yet…it is their own choice. How very sad!