Sunday, May 30, the congregation of Gilroy’s St. Stephen’s
Episcopal Church (651 Broadway) invites local residents to join
them for their annual potluck picnic which celebrates the
traditional birthday of the Christian Church.
Sunday, May 30, the congregation of Gilroy’s St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (651 Broadway) invites local residents to join them for their annual potluck picnic which celebrates the traditional birthday of the Christian Church.
Visitors are welcome to attend the 10 a.m. Worship Service and stay for the party, which will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m.
There is no charge to participate, but guests are encouraged to wear red. Call 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 an amazing thing happened about 9 o’clock one morning.
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 gathered crowd of people from many nations who were in Jerusalem for the Jewish holiday, and 3,000 were baptized. The new religion of Christianity thus 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 which empowered that small group to accomplish the monumental task before them, the conversion of the world to Christianity.
Both Eastern and Western churches celebrate Pentecost on the same date this year as they take this occasion to continue to emphasize the actions of the Holy Spirit. 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.
• 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 – 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.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School. Write him c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, CA 95021.
