Pentecost Sunday is a special occasion on the Christian liturgical calendar that marks the anniversary of when the Holy Spirit descended upon the early church, as documented in Acts 2:1-13. The Christian Submit spoke with Evangelical clergy concerning the significance of celebrating the occasion throughout worship companies for Pentecost Sunday.
The Holy Spirit coming all the way down to the Apostles led them to talk in numerous languages whereas tongues of fireplace had been mentioned to be above them, in line with the biblical account.
Often known as “the birthday of the Church,” Pentecost takes place 50 days after Easter, and, like Easter, it does not have a set date on the calendar. This 12 months, it falls on June 8.
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Many church buildings that adhere to extra conventional worship practices will have fun the event with particular parts, reminiscent of sporting crimson and confirming new members.
Nonetheless, some church buildings from much less liturgically-centered denominations, together with non-denominational Evangelical congregations, have a tendency to not maintain a particular worship service or occasions for Pentecost.
In a 2011 interview with The Christian Submit, Michigan Evangelical Pastor Ron Benson mentioned that “most free-wheeling Evangelicals don’t follow the church calendar at all, except for Christmas and Easter.”
Benson additionally believed that many non-denominational church buildings that do not have fun Pentecost refuse to take action due to a discomfort related to charismatic worship.
“Ironically, a second reason we don’t pay much attention to Pentecost Sunday is that we’re afraid of the edgy displays of Holy Ghost-ism,” Benson defined on the time.
“It’s sad, but the more outrageous expressions of Pentecostalism and Charismatics make a celebration of Pentecost a little risky.”
Nonetheless, some non-denominational congregations do make an effort to at the least acknowledge the importance of the biblical occasion that Pentecost celebrates.
Matty Hupp, affiliate pastor at Life Metropolis Church Pickerington, Ohio, advised CP that whereas his congregation might not do something overtly particular for Pentecost, they do not ignore it, both.
“On Pentecost Sunday, we typically preach from Acts 2, where the Holy Spirit empowered the believers, and they began to witness in power,” he defined.
“If Acts 2 isn’t the main passage we preach from on Pentecost, then it is most definitely referenced as a supporting scripture for the passage that is being preached from.”
Hupp advised CP that whereas “we don’t put the same planning efforts and advertising campaign into Pentecost that we put into Christmas or Easter, this isn’t to minimize the importance of what happened to the Church on Pentecost.”
Theologically talking, Life Metropolis Church leans towards Pentecostal and Renewal Theology, in line with Hupp, so the congregation focuses each Sunday on three issues: “the life of Jesus,” “the cross and resurrection,” and “the power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through the believer.”
“We may not celebrate in a ‘major special way’ on Pentecost Sunday, but that’s because we celebrate Pentecost Sunday in how we live daily,” he continued. “If we only celebrate Pentecost (or Christmas and Easter, for that matter) as a memorial on a Sunday once a year but miss the significance of what that historical event actually means in the life of the believer and the hope for the world — then we’ve terribly missed the mark.”
Whereas believing that “churches can acknowledge Pentecost Sunday each year if they want,” Hupp mentioned he felt that it was “of the utmost importance that churches and believers would live a life based on what God did on Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday and Pentecost Sunday.”
“In other words, it’s good to celebrate Pentecost, but it’s absolutely essential to live a life of Holy Spirit empowerment,” he added.
Against this, Galen Carey, vice chairman of presidency relations for the Nationwide Affiliation of Evangelicals, belongs to a congregation affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America.
ACNA was initially fashioned in 2009 by congregations searching for to depart The Episcopal Church in response to that denomination’s elevated theological liberalism, and maintains a better church model of worship and hierarchy.
In consequence, Carey advised CP his church “has special prayers, hymns and readings on Pentecost Sunday.” The observance “also frames the worship and witness of the church over the next six months.”
“Like Christmas and Easter, Pentecost Sunday marks a foundational event in church history: the coming of the Holy Spirit, as described in Acts 2,” mentioned Carey. “Church traditions vary in how Pentecost is remembered.”
“What is important is not the mode of celebration, but that churches are helping their members to live Spirit-filled lives that manifest both the gifts and the fruit that the Holy Spirit brings. In the power of the Spirit, the church demonstrates and proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ.”
Carey additionally advised CP that he believed “many Evangelical churches are recovering an appreciation for the rhythms of the Church calendar, and so are giving more thought to how Pentecost is celebrated.”
“Of course, for the many Evangelical churches in the Pentecostal tradition, every Sunday is a celebration of Pentecost and the ministry of the Holy Spirit,” he added.
“Well bless their hearts.”
