This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost—one of the most exciting days in the Church Year. This day, fifty days after Easter, marks the moment the Holy Spirit enlivened the hearts and lives of the disciples, famously causing them to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in many different languages on the streets of Jerusalem. Because of this, Pentecost is often referred to as the “birthday” of the Church. To celebrate this festive day there are a few things we’re going to do:
- We’ll all be wearing RED! Red is the traditional color of the Holy Spirit. So, reach into your closet and find some red to wear on Sunday to help us celebrate the Spirit!
- To help us capture the experience of sharing the message of God’s saving love in new and various ways, we’ll be using a couple of different translations for our readings than what we’re used to.
- Within the first reading there will come a moment when we will need you, the congregation, to show off your foreign language skills. Our bulletin will include a bible verse translated into many different languages. At the appointed time, pick one of those languages and read it out for all to hear. It should be a joyous cacophony–that’s the point!
- In honor of the broadening of communication that is the hallmark of this day, our musical selections will also seek to capture some of the breadth of musical expressions our Church has to offer.
And just for good measure, we’ll have a baptism at the 10:15am service and a renewal of baptismal vows at the 8am!
And then make a point to join us for a special, new service on Sunday afternoon at 3pm at the West Point Cemetery in Norfolk where we will honor Memorial Day weekend by hosting a service of prayer and song at the burial ground for African-American Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The idea for this service was planted by Fr. Joe Green, and we look forward to following through on his vision and honoring this group of soldiers for whom the Spirit of freedom was deeply felt and bravely pursued.
So be with us for a day of celebration and Spirit this Sunday. Come, Holy Spirit, come!
