We need a Pentecost

From Christian Century-

As a child, my favorite story to recite was the narrative of Pentecost in the book of Acts. My love for this narrative was not surprising, as I was the child of a Pentecostal pastor. Each year, the most dramatically staged biblical story in our church was always the story of Pentecost. We loved entering the sacred terrain of retelling Pentecost, particularly reciting these words: “And they were gathered together in one accord.” That line communicated what was held as sacred within our community: our togetherness, our unbreakable bond of living with and loving each other. We were in one accord. The joy of community was the gift of the Spirit.

My church community also understood what made Pentecost a joyous occasion. Pentecost was about the miracle of community, the community across differences that was made possible through the work of the Spirit. Miracles sit at the center of this Acts narrative.

Just imagine, the disciples gather in the upper room, waiting to receive the Holy Spirit. Remember that they have been instructed by the resurrected Christ to wait until the Holy Spirit comes upon them. So they go to Jeru­salem. But something happens that they do not expect or even desire. Jews from around the world are gathered and suddenly hear the disciples in their own native languages and are stupefied. They ask, “What does this mean?” Is the im­possible actually transpiring? Jews from around the world cannot deny what they hear, that something that is impossible has become possible.

More here-

https://www.christiancentury.org/article/critical-essay/we-need-pentecost

‘God’s Breath’ allows us to give back, to heal

Fro Utah-

Spirit is an interesting word in Hebrew. In addition on meaning spirit, it can also mean breath, or wind. Michael Curry is well known Episcopal preacher, who is presently the Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and he tells the story of being chastised by his father when he was a teenager. Apparently he was complaining about something trivial and his father blurted out, “You know, the Lord didn’t put you here just to consume oxygen.” I don’t know if his father intended this to be taken theologically, but for Reverend Curry it became a theological truth. The theological truth was this. Although we do need to breathe oxygen in order to live and God did put us here intending that we consume oxygen, there is more to breathing than mere consumption. If we are to survive, we also have to exhale. In fact, Exhaling carbon dioxide is as important as inhaling (consuming) oxygen.

More here-

http://www.thespectrum.com/story/life/faith/2016/07/08/gods-breath-allows-us-give-back-heal/86865190/

DUIN: 'Baptism in the Holy Spirit'

From The Washington Times-

Nearly 50 years ago, an Episcopal priest shocked his listeners during a Palm Sunday sermon at St. Mark's Church in Van Nuys, Calif. On April 3, 1960, the Rev. Dennis Bennett announced he had received a personal Pentecost or "baptism in the Holy Spirit;" an infusion of spiritual power that brought with it the gift of speaking in tongues.

His congregation took the news calmly but some of his fellow clergy and vestry members did not, and Mr. Bennett resigned that very day. His story hit the local media, then Time and Newsweek, then national TV. A sympathetic Episcopal bishop invited him to pastor a dying church in the Seattle suburb of Ballard and in short order St. Luke's/Ballard was turned around, eventually attracting guests from around the world to its famous Friday night meetings.

Modern-day Pentecostalism had been around since 1901, but Mr. Bennett was the grandfather of the charismatic renewal, which brought Pentecostal practices into mainline Protestantism and the Roman Catholic Church. Today, about 500 million Christians are pentecostal or charismatic worldwide.

More here-

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/04/baptism-in-the-holy-spirit/?feat=home_columns