“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” – Acts 2:1-4, NRSVUE
At the Greater Delaware Valley Association Annual Meeting on April 28, I was introduced to a couple from India who were recently baptized and became members of the First Asian Baptist Church of Haddonfield. Both of them put their hands together like they were praying and bowed their heads slightly to greet me, saying, “Namaste.” They spoke Hindi, which is the national language spoken in India. I had often associated the greeting “Namaste,” as spoken by those who lead yoga classes, and I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with that word by a Christian couple from South India. I replied in English, saying, “Hello, how are you?” They smiled but didn’t say anything. However, when I started singing the first two lines of a Telegu Christian song and another Song in Urdu (both regional languages in India), their faces lit up and they laughed and began to speak to me (in English of course) with more enthusiasm. Hearing languages they could understand and were close to their hearts made them pay more attention to what I had to say. I told them I am not “speaking in tongues,” like what happened during Pentecost in Acts 2. I was just recalling songs that I learned from my friends in India who I met at a peace-making conference in Indonesia in the early 1990’s.
This May, we will celebrate Pentecost Sunday on the 19th after celebrating Mother’s Day on the 12th. Both celebrations have something in common. Mother’s Day is not a Christian holiday, but it celebrates the gift of motherhood. Pentecost, which is a Christian holiday, commemorates the birthing of the Church, that sometimes is referred to as the Mother, because she is the Bride of Christ. “Pentecost or Pentēkostē, “the fiftieth” is the Greek name for Shavuot (Hebrew: תועובש, lit. “Weeks”), the Feast of Weeks, a prominent feast in the calendar of ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law to Moses at Sinai. Pentecost is celebrated fifty days after Easter Day, counting inclusively (including both the first and last days), i.e. seven weeks after Easter Day. It falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday (which itself is 40 days after Easter).” In the New Testament, Pentecost was the occasion of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the Acts of the Apostles 2:1–31. Thus, in the Christian liturgical year it became a feast commemorating this occasion. For this reason, Pentecost is described by some Christians as the “Birthday of the Church.” The Pentecostal movement of Christianity derives its name from this New Testament event, as the movement emphasizes direct personal experience with God, akin to the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.” (Source: Wikipedia)
The Pentecostal movement within Christianity eventually became organized groups of churches (Assemblies of God, Foursquare Church, Holiness and Pentecostal churches). These are Christian churches that emphasize the personal experience of the Holy Spirit thru speaking of tongues, which is different from the speaking of foreign languages that Jesus’ disciples spoke when they first received the gift of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts. The speaking in tongues in Pentecostal churches refer to a heavenly language that helps a person pray but cannot be understood unless it is interpreted by another person as led by the Spirit of God. Both Pentecost and Pentecostal have something to do with the work of the Holy Spirit.
May we be committed to spend more time in prayer and be open to God’s presence in our lives. Without the Holy Spirit filling us and giving us the power to discern and carry out God’s purpose and plan for our lives, we will not be able to speak the language of love and compassion towards others. I invite you to pray every day for the Holy Spirit to revive and renew our church and the worldwide church where Jesus is lifted and worshipped as Lord and Savior. And in the power of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to reach our community, nation and the world that many will know and receive God’s gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ.
HAVE A JOYFUL AND MEANINGFUL PENTECOST! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor CarlaRemembering Sue Meyer
This past Sunday, April 28, our sister in Christ, Sue Meyer, passed on to eternal life and is now resting in the dwelling place Jesus has prepared for her, as one who has been a dedicated Christian and CBC member. I remember Sue with gratitude and love, as I do all of our CBC family members who have gone ahead of us to receive a “crown of righteousness,” that God gives to all those who had put their trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. As we mourn her passing and celebrate her life, love and legacy, may God’s peace and strength be with Sue’s family, loved ones and friends.
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