Pentecost, 2025

The liturgical color of Pentecost is red,
symbolic of the Holy Spirit's "tongues of fire"

Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2:

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.

Pentecost is often called the church's birthday, when the Holy Spirit came to Earth.

Will the church be around for its 4,000th birthday? Will humanity even exist? I like to think that by then we'll not only have survived but will inhabit other planets and that Christianity will have adapted its theology to accommodate that reality. Deo volente.

Pentecost 2024

In contrast to the sparse attendance of last year, this year's Pentecost was a well-attended, joyous affair.

Half the congregation was dressed in red, symbolic of the spiritual fire that swept through the early Church, and a children's choir and guest soprano enlivened the music.

Four readers took turns reading the passage from Acts 2 in English, Cantonese, French, and Spanish:

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples 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.

It's wishful thinking, but I'm hopeful we're on the verge of another Great Awakening.

Pentecost 2023

Pentecost (“Whitsunday”) is the third great feast of Christianity after Christmas and Easter. It commemorates the Holy Spirit coming into the world on “tongues of fire.” From the second chapter of Acts:

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The liturgical color is red, symbolic of the spiritual fire that swept through that long-ago assembly.

It was the new rector's first Pentecost, and the calendar wasn't helping. Pentecost Sunday 2023 fell in the middle of the Memorial Day weekend, and attendance was sparse.

The lack of numbers did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of those who were present. Perhaps they took comfort from Matthew 18:

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Ordinary Time

In the liturgical calendar this is the Second Sunday after Pentecost, which means it's the green season:

the season after Pentecost can be considered ordinary time. It may be referred to as the "green season," because green is the usual liturgical color for this period of the church year.

The color green represents the growth of the church after Pentecost. There won't be a major event on the liturgical calendar until Advent, November 28th.

This period is also known as the season of Trinity, but I like another term, Ordinary Time. After an extra-ordinary year and a half, we deserve a breather.

Pentecost, 2021

The altar, the priest's vestments, and the worshippers' clothes were red, symbolic of the tongues of fire that visited the Apostles two millennia ago. It seemed like a normal Pentecost, although it was anything but.

Across the Bay Area Episcopal churches had their first in-person service in 14 months.

Masks were required of everyone, and communion was limited to the host (bread).

I'm not entirely sure why music was restricted to pre-recorded songs with no singing (extraneous exhalation?) while voicing the Creed and prayers was permitted. Nevertheless, everyone was happy to go along.

I didn't get pledge envelopes for this year.
Last year's, unused, will do just as well.

There was no coffee hour per se, but most parishioners lingered outdoors, catching up with each other in the sunshine.

There was some confusion and hesitancy at various points, but live worship will get better, judging by the improvement from the first streaming services that started a year ago. See you next week, said the priest. Amen to that.

Pentecost, 2020

Red, the liturgical color of Pentecost, doesn't show
as brightly during a streaming church service

It's easy to get riled up, whichever side you're on. If you want to be outraged about racial injustice and police brutality, go for it, you'll be outraged for the rest of your life. If you're angry about the double standard of ordering you to practice social distancing at the beach but not if you're rioting, stop being so deplorable--certain groups are allowed to break windows, but sorry, not yours.

So take a breath, masked or not, and make sure that you tend to yourself, your loved ones, and your property. Then turn on the tube if you must and get riled up by the actions of people who are very likely far, far from your neighborhood.

Speaking of breath, today is Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to earth and breathed life into the church.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.-----Acts 2:1-4

Pentecost 2019

"In Western Churches, Pentecost is usually represented with
the color red, which symbolizes the fire of the Holy Spirit."
(From 10 Things You Should Know About Pentecost Sunday)

I wore a red shirt, which, despite the color's ominous implications in Star Trek, has a meaning that predates sci-fi by millennia.

According to Acts 2 the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples with tongues of fire. And so it is that the church celebrates its birth at Pentecost, the most important Christian holiday after Christmas and Easter.

Being the hottest day so far this year, the priest told the usher (that's me) to leave the doors closed to keep the air-conditioning in. After the service I spent the rest of the day doing chores indoors.

It's a fiery day, but let's keep it metaphorical.

Pentecost, 2018

Blessing the seminarian as he departs for the summer.

On Pentecost Sunday half the congregation remembered to wear red. Less familiar than Christmas and Easter, Pentecost (“Whitsunday”) is the third great feast of Christianity and commemorates the Holy Spirit coming into the world on “tongues of fire, (Acts 2:1-4)” hence the red garb.

Red has been on our minds lately--the red death of yet another school shooting and the red lava against which nothing can stand.

Ancient Christians embraced the notion of an eternal Spirit as a symbol of hope for a life that was nasty, brutish, and short. While our lives are undoubtedly better than in Hobbes' 17th century, there are still many things that we do not control, and physical death, though postponed, still claims us all.

Come down, O Love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn,
till earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
and let thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight, and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

Whit Red Sunday

On Pentecost Sunday most people remembered to wear red, which symbolizes the fire of the Holy Spirit.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. [Acts 2]

"Violent wind", "tongues of fire", and the Crucifixion itself are just a few examples of the savage images that permeate the New Testament. Jesus' message is one of Peace, but both the world in which we live and the inner world of our mind are anything but peaceful.

Image from today's Rangers-Blue Jays game (Guardian photo)

Tempus Per Annum

The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green, a sign of hope.

Between Pentecost (May 24, 2015) and Advent (November 29, 2015) lies the longest season of the church year: ordinary time.

Rather than meaning “common” or “mundane,” this term comes from the word “ordinal,” which simply means “counted time,” because we number the Sundays from here on out in order from the First Sunday after Pentecost, all the way up to the Last Sunday after Pentecost...

this is the usual time in the church, the time that is not marked by a constant stream of high points and low points, ups and downs, but is instead the normal, day-in, day-out life of the church. This time is a time to grapple with the nuts and bolts of our faith, not coasting on the joy and elation of Christmas, or wallowing in the penitential feel of Lent.

No joy, elation, wallowing or other mood extremes as we head off to summer vacation. The church calendar does seem to be thoughtfully and Intelligently Designed.

Pentecost, 2015

"In Western Churches, Pentecost is usually represented with the color red, which symbolizes
the fire of the Holy Spirit." (From 10 Things You Should Know About Pentecost Sunday)

Spiritual Concepts

Damon Lindelof, writer and producer of Lost, on the spiritual concepts that inspire his TV projects [bold added]:

The idea that was so pervasive and strong in The Leftovers [Tom Perrotta's tale about the 98% who are left behind after the Rapture] for me was exploring the wake of what one would call a spiritual event, or some higher power essentially saying, "I declare that I exist, but I offer no explanation or instructions beyond this."

I liken it to one of my favorite shows as a kid. It was called The Greatest American Hero, and the crux was he's a high school teacher and he finds this suit, this uniform with a cape, and he puts it on, and it gives him strength and he can fly around, except the instruction manual is gone. So he doesn't fly particularly well, and he doesn't know how to use the suit.

I'm sort of like, "Is there any better metaphor for religion, which is like, 'I'm just going to leave you this book, but I'm not going to make myself available to answer any follow-up questions that you may have about the wild inconsistencies in this book nor will I allow you to amend it.'"

Something inexplicable happens, then human beings have to figure out what to do about it. One such event, commemorated by Christians today, is the Feast of Pentecost , when the Holy Spirit descended like "tongues of fire" upon Jesus' disciples. The people asked,

“Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. [Acts 2: 37-47]

Damon Lindelof laments the lack of an instruction manual. Another explanation is that the manual does exist, but no one wants to follow its instructions.

During Pentecost the altar is draped in red.

Draped in Red

On the day of Pentecost the altar is draped in red, symbolic of the tongues of flame that visited the disciples ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven. Unlike Christmas and Easter, Christianity's third great feast is little known outside the church; Pentecost has no symbols like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny that have captured the secular imagination. While important activities are not necessarily popular or fun, we did have the church picnic today, and the hamburgers were tasty.

The Truth is Out There

From yesterday's post: our taste for sweets is unhealthy. But that doesn't mean all food cravings should be resisted. They can also be triggered by the human body's lacking a certain vitamin or mineral. Physical cravings for an orange, for example, may signal a need for Vitamin C.  A desire for chocolate may be attributable to the body's need for antioxidants (at least that's my excuse).

Listening to one's own body is an ancient source of truth. Socrates said that the purpose of life was to "know thyself". We who live in first world countries enjoy material comfort beyond Socrates' imaginings and---I am sure he would say---should devote ourselves to philosophy and other lofty pursuits. But the same society that defeated hunger and childhood disease is filled with distractions, a cornucopia of entertainment and experiences that divert us from the still, small voice.

This Sunday we celebrated Pentecost, one of the three great feasts of the Christian faith. Truth did not reveal itself silently to the apostles gathered in the room. The Holy Spirit came to them on tongues of fire, just as it bowled over Paul as he traveled on the Road to Damascus.  Truth came quietly from within to Socrates and loudly, from without, to the followers of Jesus.

Appropriately, the color of Pentecost is red.

Pentecost

Yesterday the altar was draped in red, the color of Pentecost. Less familiar than Christmas and Easter, Pentecost (“Whitsunday”) is the third great feast of Christianity and commemorates the Holy Spirit coming into the world on “tongues of fire.” From the second chapter of Acts:

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Christians date the birth of the church to this event, when the Holy Spirit filled the disciples with an irrepressible urge to preach the Gospel. Today few in the staid Episcopal Church exhibit such missionary zeal. Most prefer to devote their energy toward good works, a commendable inclination to be sure, but not very useful in filling the pews over the long haul.

An altruistic individual doesn’t have to worship to help the homeless and the hungry. There are many effective non-religious organizations that are better at targeting specific social needs. The philanthropist can channel her charitable impulses elsewhere, so there needs to be something more.

The coffee hour, the youth program, or even how the buildings looked may have attracted her in the first place, but what keeps her coming back is the hope that she will find answers to life’s biggest questions, such as: why do terrible things happen to good people, why should I do the right thing when I might be hated for it—in fact how do I find out what the right thing is—and of course the big one, what if anything will happen to me after I die?

We often ask these questions in moments of suffering. Our plans and preconceptions meet the universe, and the universe wins. During our greatest vulnerability the Holy Comforter (another name for the Holy Spirit) comes to us and receives the pain that we cannot bear alone.

These words don’t resonate as I sip my coffee and get ready to leave the house on a Monday full of busy-ness. But the Spirit is patient and will be there when I need Him, and that is a source of comfort to me as I walk out the door. © 2010 Stephen Yuen