Pentecost ! ! !

            This Sunday, June 9th, is “Pentecost” on the church calendar.  The word, “Pentecost,” refers to the “fiftieth day.”  For Christians, “Pentecost” refers to the 50 days following the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.  It is the date which Christians have traditionally identified as marking the birthdate, or origination, of the Christian Church.

            In the latter stages of his earthly ministry, Jesus promised his followers that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, after Jesus himself had ascended into heaven.  Jesus told them,   “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you” (John 14: 26).  This Holy Spirit will be present to the first Christians—both individually and collectively as the new Christian Church. 

            After his resurrection, and at the time of his Ascension into heaven, Jesus told his followers to remain in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 1: 4-5).  Then, Jesus promised:  “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

            So, the disciples and other followers of Jesus waited in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit.  On Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’ first resurrection appearances on Easter, they experienced the Holy Spirit as it fell upon them.  Inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter preached the first Christian sermon and a reported 3,000 persons became Christians that day (Acts 2:41).  The Christian Church was born.

            After that first Pentecost Day, the early Christian Church settled into a pattern of life in Jerusalem.  They formed a close community of faith, initially led by the original disciples—excluding Judas, who betrayed him.  Here’s how Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, describes this new faith community and their practices:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)

The model of community depicted at the end of Acts 2 is one defined by four core characteristics:

1.      They took care of one another.  Luke writes that they “had all things in common…and [would] distribute…to all, as any had need.”  Luke’s words focus more on how the first Christians took care of another’s physical needs, such as having sufficient food, clothing, and shelter.  However, it seems implicitly clear that the first Christians cared for one another’s other dimensions as well; they cared for each other spiritually, emotionally, and socially.  In other words, they were fully focused on caring for each other’s complete wellbeing.

2.      They sought to worship God and grow spiritually, together.  Luke records that the first Christians “spent much time together in the temple.”  For the Jewish community, the temple was their place to worship, but it was also a place to engage in study of the Tanakh (scriptures) and other sacred texts.  So, the first Christians spent much time worshipping God and seeking to grow in their understanding of faith.

3.      They shared friendship and fellowship with one another. Luke observes that the first Christians shared common meals and fellowship in each other’s homes, savoring this time together with great joy and gratitude. 

4.      They helped non-Christians and shared the good news about Christ.  I’m inferring that they helped even those who were not Christians because they earned the goodwill of those around them.  They also shared the story—the Good News—of Jesus Christ, resulting in more and more persons deciding to join their faith community and become Christians.

On Pentecost Sunday 2019, I will suggest that this example of the first Christians in Jerusalem provides a model of the type of churches we are called to become in the twenty-first century. 

Come, join us this Sunday, June 9th, at Christ United Methodist Church, as we celebrate Pentecost and reflect upon what it means to be a faithful Christian Church in the twenty-first century.  Christ United Methodist Church is located at 4530 A Street in Lincoln, Nebraska.  We have three worship services on Sunday mornings at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00. 

Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.