When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
Every Sunday is Pentecost.
These words came to me as I reflected on the first verse of Acts chapter 2: “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.” Since Jesus’ ascension into heaven ten days earlier, the Eleven apostles, along “with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers,” had been gathering together (Acts 1:12-14). When they gathered, they prayed, read Scriptures, revisited Jesus’ words, worshiped…and waited for the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise. And then they experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, filling them and ushering them outside to tell “the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:4-11).
That sounds a lot like a Sunday service at Immanuel. We come together each week to worship, pray, listen to God’s words, encounter Jesus anew…and receive again the fulfillment of his promise. And then we are ushered out into our communities to tell others in word and deed what God has done and is doing in our world through Jesus.
The original Pentecost, of course, is unique. That specific day is the day the Father first responds to the request of his Son to give to his church the “Helper, the Holy Spirit…who will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:16-17, 26). On that same day, Peter declares, “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 one-time event of Pentecost becomes an ongoing opportunity for all who come to Jesus.
And so every Sunday is Pentecost. Let’s come together to Jesus to receive his Spirit. Many of us have that same Pentecostal Spirit already dwelling within us. Some of us need to receive it for the first time. All of us need to be filled anew.
Your Pastor in Christ,
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