Quick
– when is the official birthday of the Christian church? Some
might say
”
Christmas, Dec. 25,
”
but that is the date chosen to mark the birth of Jesus of
Nazareth.
Â
Quick – when is the official birthday of the Christian church? Some might say “Christmas, Dec. 25,” but that is the date chosen to mark the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. For the “church,” the body of believers stretching back to the first century A.D., the answer is “Pentecost,” which this year is June 4 for Western Christians. (It’s June 11 for Eastern Orthodox Christians, who use a different calendar.)
Two local churches invite South County residents to join them in special celebrations of this important day:
– Morgan Hill’s Advent Lutheran Church, 16870 Murphy Ave., will hold a Taize worship service at 7pm on June 3. This is a “vigil” service, a nighttime liturgy in anticipation of a major feast day. Taize is an ecumenical prayer service featuring singing of simple chants, darkness, candlelight and prayer. Many have found this time of “solitude in community” to be a most meaningful and refreshing worship experience. Call (408) 779-3551 for more information.
– Gilroy’s St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 651 Broadway, will hold a “birthday party for the Church” at noon on June 4. Members of the 10am and noon congregations will hold a combined bilingual service at 10am, followed by a picnic in the courtyard. Visitors are invited to join the celebration and enjoy the lunch, which will include a birthday cake to mark the 1,973rd anniversary of Christianity. Call (408) 842-4415 for more information.
Pentecost is the Greek word for “50th,” and the feast always occurs 50 days after Easter. Pentecost is also the name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks, falling 50 days after Passover. It was during the Feast of Weeks that the first fruits of the new grain crop were offered in gratitude for the harvest.
The story behind this holy day is found in the second chapter of the New Testament book of Acts. After the execution of Jesus, his followers were dispirited and hiding in Jerusalem, afraid of capture by the authorities.
Then, one day, an amazing thing happened at about 9am. They heard a rushing wind, saw flames drop from the sky and suddenly became able to speak in many different languages. Peter took this occasion to preach to a crowd of people from many nations who were in Jerusalem for the Jewish holiday. About 3,000 were baptized. The new religion of Christianity began its spread into all the known world, fueled by the incredible burst of enthusiasm ignited on that day.
The rushing wind and tongues of fire experienced by the Apostles have become traditional symbols of the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that it was the gift of the Holy Spirit that empowered that small group to accomplish the monumental task before them, the conversion of the world to Christianity.
The feast is often known as “Whitsunday” in the United Kingdom, supposedly referring to the white garments traditionally worn by those receiving the sacrament of baptism on that day.
Pentecost services are often rich in symbolism:
– Red, the color of the tongues of fire described in Acts, is always the color of vestments and linens used that day, and worshippers often wear red clothing to mark the occasion.
– Sometimes, rose petals are dropped from church ceilings, symbolizing the fire experienced by the Apostles. Other times, red balloons are released into the sky.
– Often, churches arrange to have the day’s Scripture passages and prayers read by several different speakers of languages other than English n a reference to the Apostles’ preaching at the first Pentecost.
Pentecost is the final day of the Easter Season, but not a season itself. Liturgical calendars refer to the following Sundays as “after Pentecost” or “in ordinary time,” until Advent Season comes in late fall and begins a new church year with the preparation for Christmas.
