Pentecost 2024 Arrives Soon!
The joy, power, and creativity of the Spirit is promised to us and nothing can break that promise.
Pentecost is this Sunday. Plan to wear red (or orange or yellow) to join in the celebration. Wear red if you are going to be in person or on Zoom. Red is the liturgical color for the day, the liturgical color for the Spirit. Worship will be lively and fun.
Please also bring something with you that symbolizes the Spirit for you – an object, a photo, a piece of art, a flower. Whatever it is, bring it with you and place it on the altar. If you are on Zoom, try to place your object within view of your camera. If not, you’ll be invited to hold them up to share during worship.
By now, you all know how much I love Pentecost. People often question why Pentecost is my favorite Christian holiday. In part, it’s because the holiday hasn’t been commercialized. The other part is because it is a day of promise.
Yes, it is often referred to as “the birthday of the Church” and that isn’t necessarily wrong. However, it is more about the promise of the Spirit’s presence. Wherever we go, whatever shape church takes, the Spirit is with us – Always.
For me, there is comfort in this promise of the Spirit’s presence. She remains waiting for us when we forget that we are the Bodymind of Christ. She remains waiting for us when we get lost along the way. She rejoices with us when we manage to be the church, the embodiment of God’s love.
The Spirit’s wisdom is available to all who seek it. Her joy, her power, her creativity is promised to us and nothing can break that promise. We can, of course, fail to recognize the Spirit in our midst. However, our inability to perceive her presence, doesn’t me the Spirit isn’t there.
In these troubling times, the presence of the Holy Spirit provides hope, at least to me. Maybe for you as well…
In the spirit of Pentecost, perhaps you will share some glimpses of the Spirit’s presence from your week. We can remind each other of the power the Spirit has to uplift and unite us all.
About Rachael Keefe
Rev. Dr. Rachael Keefe is the pastor of Living Table United Church of Christ. She was called to Living Table in 2015 after serving in many varied ministry settings since her ordination in 1992. She holds graduate degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and Andover Newton Seminary at Yale (formerly Andover Newton Theological School). Her ministry and leadership often center around advocacy and accessibility. Her writing has been published by Chalice Press, The Christian Century, Red Letter Christians, Working Preacher, RevGalBlogPals, and others. She is grateful to be in ministry with Living Table today.
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