“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.”
One of my favorite days of worship during the calendar year is coming up during the month of May. PENTECOST!
Our church showcases such incredible energy of joyful worship on Pentecost!! We come to church wearing red shirts, our red Pentecost caps, and some even wear red shoes!! So, on Sunday May 24th I will be looking forward to seeing a church filled with red clothed friends energetically ready to shout HE IS RISEN INDEED while worshiping with huge smiles on every face!
We will be remembering and celebrating the birth of the Christian Church that occurred when Peter, the apostles, and thousands of people gathered together in Jerusalem for an annual holiday that celebrated the harvest, ‘’The Feast of Weeks.” The first Easter was over, Jesus had ascended into heaven to be with God. Suddenly there was a rush of wind from heaven, and the Holy Spirit filled the room resulting in people of faith having the ability to understand each other leading to an understanding of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ.
A leading 21st century theologian describes Pentecost as “a foundational moment in the Christian church; an invitation to open our hearts to the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering us to live out our faith with meaning, purpose, and conviction.”
As I began thinking about Pentecost, I thought about those who wear Pentecost caps in Philadelphia, I found a photo from the 1800s that clearly showed that a transformation had not occurred yet, but by the early 1900s men were wearing Pentecost caps across the river in Philadelphia. The picture above is of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander wearing his Pentecost cap and shirt!
This year’s Lenten theme was focused on getting closer to God by reading the Gospels. Easter was a celebration of God’s love through Jesus Christ. Eastertide has been a reminder that we should never forget God’s hope that we remain connected through faith, knowing that God is ready to forgive our sins while offering us a home in heaven one day.
Pentecost is our celebration of the Christian Church’s birthday! Make sure that you have Red Pentecost caps to wear and find the red clothes in your wardrobe! We are going to party like it’s 50 days after Easter … because it will be! We will be ready to again open our hearts, our minds, and our very souls to God so that our lives will be dedicated to shining Christ’s light in everything we do!