Day of Pentecost *

Healing and Reconciliation Sunday

The Spirit of Truth

 

1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes 11Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 
17  ‘In the last days it will be,God declares, 
     that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, 
          and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 
     and your young men shall see visions, 
          and your old men shall dream dreams. 
18  Even upon my slaves, both men and women, 
          in those days I will pour out my Spirit; 
               and they shall prophesy. 
19  And I will show portents in the heaven above 
          and signs on the earth below, 
               blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 
20  The sun shall be turned to darkness 
          and the moon to blood, 
               before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 
21  Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

Acts 2:1-21

 

 

Holy Spirit Coming

He Qi

21st century

Oil on canvas

China

 

https://artandtheology.org/tag/he-qi/

 

See an interesting bio about He Qi's life:

http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/art-architecture/2011/04/27/From-Mao-to-Minnesota-Chinese-artist-He-Qi-persevered/stories/201104270211

 

 

 

 

 

Truth is still truth, no matter how many people doubt it.

I may deny the law of gravity, but that does not change gravity.

And just because we break God’s laws, that does not invalidate them.

A lie doesn’t become a truth and wrong doesn’t become right

and evil doesn’t become good just because it’s popular.

~ Rick Warren

 

 

 

 

 

We don't accomplish anything

in this world alone ...

and whatever happens is the result

of the whole tapestry of one's life

and all the weavings of individual threads

from one to another that creates something.

 ~ Sandra Day O'Connor

                                                       

 

 

 

My neighbor’s hummingbird feeder has been VERY busy!

(Photo by Johna McLean)

 

 

Harley’s ‘Cone of Shame’ is finally gone.

Now he is a very bedraggled pup!

 

Eric Gill, Carolyn Alexander

At Rotary

 

 

Harold and Deborah Linke are visiting from Seattle and our former Wednesday Breakfast Club met for a reunion.  The club was started many years ago for birders and/or artists by Bill and Sylvia Brockner.

 

 

Some of our former Wednesday Breakfast group (on Friday)

 

 

A few of us were present at the the interment of the last of Sylvia’s ashes.

She died in 2021 at the age of 102.

1919-2021

 

Evergreen Cemetery

 

 

Her ashes now rest next to her husband, Bill.

 

 

Carolyn Alexander, Loie Evans, Laura Mehmert, Kathi LaTourette

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 *  The Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ’s disciples.

 

 

26"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

16:4b"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer;11about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LECTIONARY

Acts 2:1–21 or Ezekiel 37:1–14 

Psalm 104:24–34, 35b 

Romans 8:22–27 or Acts 2:1–21 

John 15:26–27; 16:4b–15

 

Summary

The falling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is the seal of the Paschal mystery, and the trailhead for the church’s present mission. 

Some key points to keep in mind is that Pentecost (the fiftieth day after Easter) is mapped over the Jewish Feast of Weeks which celebrated both the harvest and the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. Likewise, Christians celebrate the ripe harvest of souls and the giving of the law of the New Covenant, the law of love written on people’s hearts.

This year, the emphasis lies on Jesus naming the Spirit of Truth. The Spirit convicts the world of sin, not human beings. 

https://www.preachingtoday.com/lectionary/

 

THE WORD:

Pentecost was the Jewish festival of the harvest (also called the Feast of Weeks), celebrated 50 days after Passover, when the first fruits of the corn harvest were offered to the Lord.  A feast of pilgrimage (hence the presence in Jerusalem of so many “devout Jews of every nation”), Pentecost also commemorated Moses’ receiving the Law on Mount Sinai.  For the new Israel, Pentecost becomes the celebration of the Spirit of God’s compassion, peace and forgiveness – the Spirit that transcends the Law and becomes the point of departure for the young Church’s universal mission (the planting of a new harvest?).

https://connectionsmediaworks.com/sundaygospel.html#may19

 

 

11Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.”

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

24  O LORD, how manifold are your works! 
          In wisdom you have made them all; 
          the earth is full of your creatures. 
25  Yonder is the sea, great and wide, 
          creeping things innumerable are there, 
          living things both small and great. 
26  There go the ships, 
          and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

27  These all look to you 
          to give them their food in due season; 
28  when you give to them, they gather it up; 
          when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 
29  When you hide your face, they are dismayed; 
          when you take away their breath, they die 
          and return to their dust. 
30  When you send forth your spirit, they are created; 
          and you renew the face of the ground.

31  May the glory of the LORD endure forever; 
          may the LORD rejoice in his works — 
32  who looks on the earth and it trembles, 
          who touches the mountains and they smoke. 
33  I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; 
          I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 
34  May my meditation be pleasing to him, 
          for I rejoice in the LORD. 
35b Bless the LORD, O my soul. 
     Praise the LORD!

Second Reading Romans 8:22-27

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Or alternate Second Reading Acts 2:1-21

1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes 11Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 
17  ‘In the last days it will be,God declares, 
     that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, 
          and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 
     and your young men shall see visions, 
          and your old men shall dream dreams. 
18  Even upon my slaves, both men and women, 
          in those days I will pour out my Spirit; 
               and they shall prophesy. 
19  And I will show portents in the heaven above 
          and signs on the earth below, 
               blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 
20  The sun shall be turned to darkness 
          and the moon to blood, 
               before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 
21  Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

Gospel John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

26"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

16:4b"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer;11about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

12"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."