Pentecost (also known as Whitsunday)- John 14:26

 Pentecost is a great Christian celebration based on Scriptural accounts of the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). The name comes from the Greek word "fifty." This title was first applied to the Jewish "Feast of Weeks" that occurs fifty days after Passover. Later, the Church applied the name to the fiftieth day after Easter. (Another English name for this day is "Whitsunday," and it comes from the northern European custom of administering Baptism to white-robed candidates at this time.) 

The Gospel for Pentecost Sunday contains the verse John 14:26:"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsover I have said unto you." This verse provides important guidance for Christ's followers about the work of the Holy Spirit. The verse can be summarized in three points. 

1) The Holy Ghost comes from the Father in Christ's name: The work of the Spirit is inseparable from the saving work of the Father and the Son. Although distinct, the redemptive work of the three persons of the Holy Trinity must not be separated. The Holy Spirit comes to enliven the eternal truth already contained in Scripture.

2) Although the work of the Holy Spirit often touches human emotions, it is not primarily emotional. Our verse indicates that the work of the Spirit is primarily instructional; that is, the Spirit mainly comes to teach Christ's disciples. The true teaching of the Holy Spirit among Christians is not separated from previous divine revelation. It continues to witness to and apply Scriptural truth.

3) As the Holy Spirit teaches Christians, it does not bring a new message. Instead, the Spirit brings to remembrance what has already been revealed in the words of Jesus. Thus, if Christians "feel" that the Holy Spirit is telling them something, they need to examine their feelings in light of the truth of the whole Biblical revelation, especially in light of Christ's words in the Gospels. In other words, anything that is truly spiritual must be consistent with what Scripture already teaches us about the Father and the Son.

Pentecost and the Church- Acts 2:41-42

Traditional calendars emphasize the importance of Pentecost by providing propers for Monday and Tuesday of Pentecost week as well as including the early summer Ember Days on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. In thinking about Pentecost, many have called this feast "the birthday of the Church." Although one might trace the birth of the Christian Church to the beginnings of  Jesus' ministry and the calling of the Twelve, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples really marks a new beginning. We see this in the first verses of Acts 2 read at the Communion service on Pentecost. 

Unfortunately, we sometimes forget or ignore the rest of the story as it continues in Acts 2. There we see that Pentecost has specific and tangible results, not just for individuals but also for the community of believers, the Church. Peter as spokesman for the apostles and other disciples preaches a sermon. He proclaims the gospel of the crucified, risen, and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. He calls for repentance, faith, and baptism. The responses to this sermon are individual, but the results are manifested in the believing community. In Acts 2:41-42, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Thus, we see several basic characteristics of the Church, characteristics which have continued and will continue through history. These characteristics are preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Christian Baptism, apostolic teaching and fellowship, the Eucharistic meal, and basic and daily prayers. In these verses and the characteristics they describe, we really have a basic Christian catechism. We see the concrete results of the descent and the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. We see what the Church is and what it does. Of course, there is much to contemplate, and there are innumerable applications. There are many sermons, discussions, written volumes, and personal developments, but the basics are clear. So during this week, let us recall the basic workings of the Holy Spirit and renew our dedication to be open to them!

Pentecost or Whitsunday- John 14:26

 This Sunday is the fiftieth day after Easter and the tenth day after Ascension Day. The biblical name is Pentecost, and on this day Christians think about the coming of God the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and other disciples. Some Anglicans also call the day by the nickname “Whitsunday.” Apparently, this name arose in northern Europe from the white gowns worn at Baptisms on this day.  After all, in northern climes, the temperatures were likely to be better for baptisms than they were seven weeks earlier.

In Christian doctrine, the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit is the invisible or hidden person, nature, and power of God, especially as it is at work in the world and in human lives. But sometimes it’s hard for us humans to deal with invisible things like a spirit; so we like to visualize spirits having forms. The Bible itself gives us some concrete ways to think about the Holy Spirit. At Jesus’ Baptism (Matthew 3:16), we are told that the Spirit came down like a dove- a peaceful and innocent bird. In Acts 2, the Spirit comes like an invisible but powerful wind. It is also full of energy and movement like flames of fire.

At Pentecost, we remember the descent of the Holy Spirit in a powerful new way upon Christ’s followers fifty days after Easter. Besides the account in the Acts of the Apostles, the Gospels, especially the Gospel according to St. John, also promise the blessing of the Spirit.  In John 14:26 (KJV), Jesus teaches, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

By these words, Jesus teaches us about the basic work of the Holy Spirit among Christians. The Spirit has done, is doing, and will do many things, but the central work of the Spirit is related to the message of Jesus Christ. The work of the Spirit of Truth is to inspire believers. The Spirit of Truth is to remind, motivate, and help the disciples apply the Truth they have already heard from Jesus. Although the Holy Spirit certainly brings new life and new insight, He never brings some sort of new gospel. The Spirit does not and will not change the core message. The Divine Spirit’s chief work is to help us apply the Word incarnate in Jesus in new contexts. The Spirit gives new life to the Gospel and to the Church, but the Spirit always works with and through the message revealed in the Scriptures (especially in the incarnate Word Jesus Christ), summarized in the Creeds, and applied to us through the Sacraments. So today let us recall that basic message and give thanks for it!

Pentecost and the Church- Acts 2

Pentecost Sunday is one of the oldest Christian celebrations. It is rooted in the first-century Jewish calendar where the Greek word Pentecost (meaning "fifty") was applied to the Feast of Weeks. This Jewish feast had associations with the spring grain harvest and with the giving of the Law. This celebration provided the background for the reading from the Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11. The first disciples were gathered in Jerusalem for the feast as they awaited Christ's promised Comforter. In this Christian context, Pentecost received a new meaning when the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples in a new way and empowered them to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to Jews gathered from across the world. This key event has been called "the birthday of the Church."

Acts 2 provides a guide for our understanding of the coming of the Holy Ghost. While the divine Spirit does work in many and diverse ways, the emphasis in Acts is upon His work through the community of disciples; that is, the emphasis is on the Spirit's work in the Church. The central gift of the Holy Spirit is to transform a group of ordinary individuals into a bold community of faith with a mission to the whole world. Although the disciples already believed in Christ's Resurrection and Ascension, they needed to receive the heavenly power of the Spirit in order to speak about the Faith.

As Pentecost is a recurring feast, so is the work of the Holy Spirit on and through the Church. Our individual spiritual experiences have their value, but the central issue is the work of the Spirit in the whole Christian community. Christ does not promise the Comforter just to make individual believers feel good; the Spirit comes primarily to strengthen the disciples as the Christian Church who continue the proclamation of the Gospel in the world.  So, as we reflect on the spiritual blessing of Pentecost, let us focus on its significance for the central mission of the whole Christian Church.

Pentecost (sometimes called Whitsunday)- John 14: 16-17

To start, let us consider the early Christian name for this day, Pentecost. The name comes from the Greek word "fifty." Among Greek-speaking Jews, this title was already applied to the Jewish "Feast of Weeks" which began fifty days after Passover. At this feast, weeks after Jesus's Resurrection, the Holy Spirit descended upon the hesitant disciples and transformed them into the living Church (Acts 2:1-21). This makes Pentecost one of the ancient and great feasts of the Church based on Scripture.  Later, as Christians developed a calendar, the Church set this commemoration for the fiftieth day after Easter. 

We know that the world is filled with many confused and confusing opinions on the Holy Spirit and spiritual matters. And the best way to avoid unsound teachings is to focus on the teachings of Jesus Christ about the Holy Spirit. In today's gospel from John 14:16-17 Jesus says, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (KJV)

In these words of our Lord, we are reminded of the origins of the Spirit's work among believers. The Holy Spirit comes among Christ's followers as a gift from God the Father at the intercession of Jesus Christ. Although Scripture speaks of many functions and gift of the Spirit, here our Lord stresses two chief characteristics. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, helper, and guide in appreciating and applying divine truth. And the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit shares the holy nature of the Father and the Son, and He must be distinguished from the spirits of the surrounding world.

The Holy Spirit comes from the Father in Christ's name. His work is inseparable from the saving work of the Father and the Son. As the Holy Spirit guides us, He does not bring a new revelation. Instead, the Spirit helps us apply what has already been revealed in the words of Jesus. So Christians must be prudent in their spirituality. The true guidance of the Holy Spirit will always be consistent with the truth of the whole Biblical revelation, especially with Christ's words in the Gospels.

Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday- John 14:26

This Sunday is Pentecost or Whitsunday. the fiftieth day after Easter, This Christian feast commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples in a powerful new way, and it has sometimes been called the birthday of the Christian Church. There are many things that we can say about the Holy Spirit, but today I would like to focus on one verse from the Gospel of John. In John 14:26, Jesus tells the disciples, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

As Jesus looks toward the end of His earthly ministry with His approaching death, resurrection, and ascension, He promises His followers that divine aid will continue. God the heavenly Father will send the Paraclete, Comforter, or Helper to the disciples in Christ's name. Christians will still need teaching. In particular, they will continue to need reminding in a lively way of the teachings that Christ has already given. In other words, the central work of the Holy Spirit among Christians is to help them remember and apply the Gospel.

Unfortunately, through the centuries and into our time, many people have misunderstood and distorted this main work of the Holy Spirit among believers. Some have gone to emotional and imaginative extremes. Some have neglected Scripture and Christ's Sacraments in favor of some nebulous "spirituality." However, true spirituality inspired by the Holy Ghost must never be separated from the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other Gospel that can save souls. So the Holy Spirit never contradicts the revelation in Christ. Rather the Holy Spirit recalls the Scriptural message, makes it alive, and helps us apply it in our situations! 

Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday- John 14: 15-31

Pentecost is one of the great feasts of the Church based on Scriptural accounts of the descent of the Holy Spirit. The name comes from the Greek word "fifty." This title was applied to the Jewish "Feast of Weeks" which is the fiftieth day after Passover. Later, the Church assigned the commemoration to the fiftieth day after Easter. (The other English name for this day means "White Sunday," and it comes from the northern European custom of administering Baptism to white-robed candidates on this feast.) 

The Gospel for Pentecost (St. John 14: 15-31) continues the series of selections from Christ's Farewell Discourses. A key verse in the selection is John 14:26:"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsover I have said unto you.". In view of  the diverse opinions that some Christians have about the Spirit over the centuries, this verse provides important guidance. 

This guidance can be summarized in three points. 1) The Holy Ghost comes from the Father in Christ's name: The work of the Spirit is inseparable from the saving work of the Father and the Son. Although distinct, the persons of the Holy Trinity must not be separated.

2) While the work of the Holy Spirit often touches human emotions, it is not primarily emotional. Our verse indicates that the work of the Spirit is primarily instructional; that is, the Spirit mainly comes to teach Christ's disciples. The true teaching of the Holy Spirit is a continuation of the teaching of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word.

3) As the Holy Spirit teaches, it does not bring a separate new revelation. Instead, the Spirit brings to remembrance what has already been revealed in the words of Jesus. Thus, if Christians "feel" that the Holy Spirit is telling them something, they need to examine their feelings in light of the truth of the whole Biblical revelation, especially in light of Christ's words in the Gospels. In other words, anything that is truly spiritual must be consistent with what Scripture teaches us about Jesus Christ.

Pentecost 2019

People have said and keep saying many things about the Holy Spirit.  The best way to make a sound statement on the Holy Spirit is to focus on the teachings of Jesus Christ. In today's gospel from John 14:16-17, Jesus says, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you."

In these words of our Lord, we are reminded of the origins of the Spirit's work among believers. The Holy Spirit comes among Christ's followers as a gift from God the Father at the intercession of Jesus Christ. Although Scripture speaks of many functions and gifts of the Spirit, here our Lord stresses two chief characteristics. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter or Helper and our guide in appreciating and applying divine truth. And the Holy Spirit must be distinguished from the spirits of the surrounding world. For the Holy Spirit who comes from the Father and the Son reflects their holy nature with us and in us.

Pentecost and Preaching the Gospel

The traditional BCP lesson appointed for the Epistle on Pentecost is from Acts 2:1- 11. It concludes, "we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." What are these Galilean Apostles proclaiming? Although inspired by the Holy Spirit, and although Peter cites Isaiah about pouring out the Spirit, the core message is not about the Holy Spirit; the heart of the proclamation is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

A few verses later, Peter makes this clear. In Acts 2: 22-24, he preaches, "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." This is the heart of the Gospel, the Christ-centered core of the Christian proclamation.

The same basic proclamation is also alluded to in the Prayer Book Gospel for Ascension Sunday. In St. John 15:26, Christ tells the Apostles, "When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." The whole point about Pentecost is not about the mechanics of inspiration. And although we honor the coming of the Holy Spirit in a new way, Pentecost is not about the Spirit alone. The point is that the Holy Spirit testifies about and for the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Truth enables Christ's followers to be faithful witnesses to and proclaimers of the Gospel of salvation. How the Spirit came and the variety of gifts bestowed are of interest, but the main issue is that the presence of the Holy Spirit brings faith in and witness to the saving work of Jesus Christ, the divine Word, God the Son.

Pentecost 2017

Over the years, I have commented on Pentecost or Whitsun week in a variety of ways. The readings and liturgical resources from the Prayer Book are rich. All remind us of the special work of God the Holy Spirit that began among the disciples fifty days after Christ's Resurrection and ten days after His Ascension. This year, I would like to focus on the work of the Holy Spirit by juxtaposing two contrasting passages from the Gospel of John.

The first verse is John 3:8 -"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” These words of our Lord stress the mystery and the freedom associated with the work of God the Holy Spirit. It is not tangible and not always predictable. It goes beyond our normal human categories and expectations.

The other passage is John 16:13-14 - "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you" (ESV). These words of our Lord emphasize the truth and continuity of divine revelation. Although Pentecost marks a new phase in the work of God the Holy Spirit, the Spirit continues the work of God the Son, Jesus Christ. Despite the mystery and sometimes unexpected details, the truth is the same. The Spirit is free but orderly and not chaotic. If we want to understand the Holy Spirit's work in the Church and in our lives, we must always relate it to those things revealed in the life and work of Jesus Christ.

Thus, we Christians need balance in our responses to the work of the Holy Spirit. We need to be open to some new and surprising applications, but we also need to maintain a sense of continuity. There are three divine Persons but only one God and one divine revelation.

Pentecost, commonly called Whitsunday

Pentecost is one of the great feasts of the Church based on Scriptural accounts of the descent of the Holy Spirit. The name comes from the Greek word "fifty." This title was applied to the Jewish "Feast of Weeks" which is the fiftieth day after Passover. Later, the Church assigned the commemoration to the fiftieth day after Easter. The other name, meaning "White Sunday," comes from the northern European custom of administering Baptism to white-robed candidates on this feast.

The Gospel for Pentecost (St. John 14: 15-31) continues the recent series from Christ's Farewell Discourses. For me, a key verse in the selection is this: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsover I have said unto you (St. John 14: 26). In view of all the strange things that some Christians have attributed to the Spirit over the centuries, this verse provides important guidance. 1) The Holy Ghost comes from the Father in Christ's name: His work is inseparable from the saving work of the Father and the Son. 2) The work of the Spirit is not primarily emotional; the Spirit mainly comes to teach Christ's disciples. 3) As the Spirit teaches, there is not a distinct new revelation. Rather the Spirit brings to remembrance what has already been revealed in the words of Jesus. Thus, if Christians "feel" that the Holy Spirit is leading them in a certain direction, they need to examine their feelings in light of the truth of the whole Biblical revelation, especially in light of Christ's words in the Gospels.