Do You Know The Date When The Church Has It's Birthday?

As you do know, after several years of teaching,shepherding and encouraging his disciples, Jesus departed from the disciples.  But, he had given his disciples some encouragement.  "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever ---- the Spirit of Truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you."  (John 14: 16 - 18)

Soon after Jesus' ascension to heaven, the Jewish world (centered in Jerusalem) celebrated their annual celebration of Shavuot.  Because it was the end of the winter wheat season, it was their long-standing tradition now to thank God for a good harvest.

Perhaps more importantly, however, Shavuot also commemorated God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus.  This celebration has also been a long-standing Jewish tradition. 

Shavuot was one of three annual feasts celebrated in Jerusalem ---- Passover, Tabernacles and Shavuot (later called Pentecost by Christians).  Every Jewish male was required to participate in these three festivals.  More than a million Jews from all parts of the world were said to stream into Jerusalem to celebrate and worship in the magnificent marble Temple.  The city was filled to capacity and throngs of celebrants filled the streets.  

Suddenly, during the Temple service of Shavuot, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came and filled the house where the disciples were gathered.  The disciples were filled with a new spirit ---- the Holy Spirit.  Tongues of fire seemed to rest on each of them, and they spoke in other languages.  Immediately, bewildered people "from every nation under heaven" gathered around them.  The people marveled that they could understand the disciples as they spoke and preached.  The disciples were thus empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ.  They went into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival of Shavuot.

Although some people mocked, about three thousand others believed and were baptized.  Christ had promised his Apostles that he would send a counselor as his replacement, and on Pentecost they were granted the "gift of the Spirit." 

(Acts 2:1 - 4)

At Central Presbyterian Church we celebrate Pentecost each year.  In 2014, we celebrate Pentecost on Sunday, June 8.  "Pentecost" means "fiftieth day" and is celebrated fifty days after Easter.

What Christians saw on the day of Pentecost, was God giving his power to the people.  The Holy Spirit, who was thought by the Jews to reside only in the Temple, now had moved into a new temple ---- the "temple" of individual Christian believers.  God was demonstrating that he was beginning a new age, an age rooted in his people.

These people were like you and me, but they were suddenly inviting Christ into their lives.  Thus they were allowing God's spirit to fill them and to empower them to do his will.  In an important sense, this was the birth of our church, because it was actually the birth of a community of believers.

Whereas in the era of the Old Testament, the Spirit was poured out almost exclusively on prophets, priests, and kings, in the age of the New Testament, the Spirit would be given to "all people."  All would be empowered to minister regardless of their gender, age, or social position.  The church of Jesus Christ would be a place where every single person matters, where every member contributes to the health and mission of the church.

Each Christian needs to ask: Am I serving God through the power of the Spirit?  Am I exercising the gifts of the Spirit in my life, both in the gathered church and as I live for God in the world?  Pentecost is a time to ask God to fill us afresh with the Spirit so that we might join in the ministry of Christ with gusto.

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These thoughts are brought to you by CPC's Adult Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage you to pursue some personal growth this year at CPC.

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