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Holy Week resources and reflections

Why I love Pentecost

YES, I KNOW IT WAS NEARLY 3 MONTHS AGO, BUT… hands down, my favorite liturgical holy day is Pentecost. Though I rarely wear a black clerical robe any more, I always loved sportin’ my red stole the best – although my fondness for Pentecost runs deeper than clerical swag.

I love that at Pentecost the fledgling church was “all together in one place.” Pentecost happened not just to a single individual, but in community. Show up folks, or you might miss out!

I love that “they all were filled with the Holy Spirit.” All means all: Men and women and children. Poor and rich. Educated and non-literate. I just love this tendency of the Holy Spirit to be so non-discriminating!

I love that Pentecost is not subtle; it’s so in-your-face. The roaring wind of the Spirit breathing life into this new body; the tongues of fire resting on each one like life-sized candle flames. Everybody gets fired up!

I love that “there were pious Jews from every nation under heaven” present – meaning from every people or language-group, representing the whole then-known-world.

I love that some were likely immigrants, multicultural Greek-speaking citizens of the Roman Empire living in Jerusalem, not just visitors or pilgrims passing through.

I love that each one hears the good news in his and her own language. This is not the glossolalia (individual prayer language) of 1 Corinthians 12. The focus is more on the hearers, who understand what’s being said.

Neither is Pentecost simply the undoing of Babel (which took one language, and dispersed/divided people into many languages). There is not one unifying language at Pentecost. But there is one voice, one uniting story – the gospel – that is heard in multiple culturally distinct ways. Everyone is included. Did I mention I love the non-discriminating tendency of the Holy Spirit?

I love that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus, who though absent in body is still and forever God-with-us and for us, which means no matter how bleak it looks at any given time, the coming of Christ’s “kin-dom” (not a typo) cannot be stopped.

And I love that the gender of the Greek noun for Spirit is feminine. She not only ruffles some feathers, afflicting the comfortable, but as “another Paraclete” (Jesus being the first), she comes alongside to comfort the afflicted, as Advocate, Helper, Companion and Friend.

In the Gospel of John, near the end of Jesus’ life, when the disciples are confused and can’t handle one. more.word from Jesus, Jesus doesn’t go ballistic, but gently assures them that help is on the way – that the “Spirit of truth” will come “to guide you into all truth” and the Spirit “will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 14:13-14). When Jesus is absent the Spirit is present, and the Spirit doesn’t change what Jesus revealed. This means the Spirit is a conserving influence, taking us back, helping us remember what Jesus said. But the Spirit also is a creative influence, revealing the Jesus way for people who live in very different circumstances.

The challenge is that the Spirit’s creativity is not always easily discerned. Sometimes we find ourselves drawn to less messy approaches (e.g. “The Bible says it; I believe it; that settles it.”). But what we get is the Spirit, who guides us into all truth. The mind of Christ is discerned in community by receptive hearts humbled in prayer and led by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit opens up the Jesus way providing greater clarity, fuller understanding and deeper conviction for the church – then and now.

I love Pentecost because it reminds us that the church is not pastor- or personality-dependent; not 3-year-plan or written-mission-vision-values dependent; not big num- bers-, or program-, or gothic building-driven; but, Spirit- dependent, Spirit-created, -led and -sustained.

So c’mon Presbyterians – a little less handwringing! Help.Is.Here! Let’s get our Pentecost on, and keep it on!

Heidi H Armstrong NarrowHEIDI HUSTED ARMSTRONG serves as an interim pastor in the Pacific Northwest.

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