Pentecost*

(Fiftieth day following Easter Sunday)

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 2:1-21

Pentecost

RESTOUT, Jean II

1732
Oil on canvas, 465 x 778 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/r/restout/pentecos.html

 

 

Here and there and now and then,
I find a new being within me …
sometimes hidden, sometimes manifest.

                                                      ~ Frederick Buechner

 

 

 

We are not human beings
having a spiritual experience.

We are spiritual beings

having a human experience

                                                      ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

 

 

 

 

 

About twenty of our Wednesday Breakfast group went to the Silver Plume Tea Room.

 

Lynne, Peggy

 

Beth, Deborah

 

Gail with her latest creation.

 

Nancy Knudsen with one of her birds at our afternoon book club.

 

Our Thursday Evening book club had Greg Dobbs speak to us about his book, Life in the Wrong Lane.

Greg’s travels, first for ABC News and now for HDNet Television, have taken him to many troubled corners of the country and the world.

 

On Saturday, I helped man the Art for the Mountain Community booth.
Each year, we/they place about 14 sculptures around Evergreen for one year.
In two weeks, last year’s sculptures will be removed and new ones installed.

This sculpture is Bad Ear Day, by Marcia Christensen, one of this year’s sculptures.

 

 

 

 

A sedentary life is the real sin against the Holy Spirit.
Only those thoughts that come by walking have any value.

                                                      ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 23, 2010    Pentecost

Previous OPQs may be found at:      

     http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

 

*Red symbolizes both the fire of Pentecost as well as the apostles and early followers of Jesus who were gathered in the Upper Room for the empowerment from God to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world.

For Christians, Pentecost Sunday is a day to celebrate hope, a hope evoked by the knowledge that God through His Holy Spirit is at work among His people. It is a celebration of newness, of recreation, of renewal of purpose, mission, and calling as God’s people. It is a celebration of God’s ongoing work in the world. Yet, it is also a recognition that His work is done through His people as He pours out His presence upon them.

 

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

John 14:8-17

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

 

 

Pentecost

SHREVE, Chris

Oil on wood

contemporary

http://www.chrisshreve.com/pentecost.html

 

 

 

Acts 2:1-21 or  Genesis 11:1-9
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21
John 14:8-17 [25-27]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHURCH!

PENTECOST

 

MODERN DAY PARABLE BY ANN WEEMS:  “Happy Birthday, Church!”[i]

 

                There was once a church that had only party rooms:  the Church Council Party Room, the Music Party Room, the Feasting Party Room, the Do Justice Party Room, the Love Mercy Party Room, the Touch Lepers Party Room.  In the center of the building was  a large round room with an altar and a cross:  God’s Party Room.

                There was in the church an air of festivity and brightness that could not be denied.  The people outside the church pointed their fingers and shook their heads:  “Something should be done about that church.”  They were especially upset when they saw that the members wore party hats and smiles both inside and outside the church.

                Other congregations came to take a look and were shocked when they saw this church having so much fun during a worship service, snapping their fingers and dancing, and singing at the top of their lungs.

                “Sacrilegious,” screamed the crowd.  But the people in the church just smiled at them and went right on doing things like taking people in wheelchairs to the park and playing ball with them.

                When everybody else was collecting canned goods for the poor, this church bought pizza and marched right into dingy, dirty, paint-peeling apartments and sat down to eat with the tenants.

                They held picnics for the old folks home, and old men ran races while the congregation stamped their feet in applause.  It was at one of these picnics that some of the members climbed up on the roof and shouted:  “Good news!”

                “Now we can get them for disturbing the peace,” said one of the outsiders.  The police arrived with sirens, ready for the arrest…and came out two hours later wearing party hats and smiles.

                One Sunday afternoon, the entire congregation met at the jail and passed out flowers to the prisoners.  The following week after bread and cup and much laughter at the Lord ’s Table, the people went to the hospital and asked to see the dying patients.  They held their hands and mopped their brows and spoke to them about Life.

                “Disgraceful!” shouted the crowd.  “They must be stopped.”  So the crowd appealed to the governing body of the denomination…and they sent a committee of respected church people to see for themselves.

                “Do you deny the charges of heresy?”  asked the committee.  “Do you deny that you’ve mocked the church and the Lord?”  The people of the church looked into the stern red faces and smiled at them.  They held out their hands to the committee and led them to the Birthday Cake Party Room.  There on a table sat a large cake decorated beautifully in doves descending and red flames and words that read:  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHURCH!  The people began cutting cake and blowing up balloons and handing out party hats to the committee members.

                “Wait! Wait!” cried the chairperson.  “Can’t you take anything seriously?”

                “Yes,” said the people.  “We take our commitment to the Lord very seriously indeed.”

                “You don’t take it seriously at all,” interrupted the chairperson in loud voice and red face.  “You have parties and wear silly hats and blow up balloons and sing and dance and have fun.  Do you call THAT commitment?”

The people smiled at the chairperson and asked him if he’d like to drink from the cup.  The chairperson hit his fist on the table.  “I don’t want to drink, and I don’t want birthday cake.  We’re here to reprimand you.  We’re here to show you that you’re wrong.  Can’t you be serious?”

“We are,” said the people.  “We’re asking you take communion with us.”

“With birthday cake?” screamed the chairperson.  “Outrageous!”

“Outrageous?  We ask you to sit at the table and sup with us.  God gave the Holy Spirit to believers, and that is something to celebrate!  It’s an occasion for a party.  We are celebrants of the gift of Life.  We are community.  We are God’s church.  Why are your faces red when we are trying to do justice and love mercy?  Why do you shake your fists at us when we are trying to discover the hurting and begin the healing?  We are overjoyed that we can be the church, a community of people, who are many, yet one—who are different, but who walk together and welcome any who would walk with us.  When we weep there is someone to weep with us and to affirm us and take us to a party.  When we see injustices, we must be about God’s business of freeing the oppressed.  When we are faithless, we have God’s promise of forgiveness.  Isn’t it remarkable that we can be God’s good news?  Is it any wonder we have a church full of party rooms?  There is so much love to celebrate!”

The committee stared at the people, and the people moved closer to them and put their arms around them.  The committee chairperson stepped up to the table and sliced a piece of birthday cake, took a bite, and laughed out loud.  He began slicing and passing it out.

When the cup was poured and the hands were held, the chairperson raised his glass and said:  “There is so much Love to celebrate!  Happy Birthday, Church!  Happy Birthday!”

 

 

[1] Adapted from Reaching for Rainbows.  Ann Weems, Westminster Press:  Philadelphia, 1980,  pp. 41-43.