Happy Pentecost Sunday! I really enjoyed the eldercare church services this week because we talked about the day that God sent his Spirit to the very first Christ-believers. I created a new service for Pentecost Sunday, which is now uploaded on the site.

Beyond words

It’s interesting to note how the writer of Acts 2 seems to be searching around for words to describe God’s Spirit: a sound like a mighty rushing wind, divided tongues as of fire. You can tell that the writer is struggling to put words to the indescribable. Once again, I found myself grateful for the Bible’s accessibility, even to those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. These dear elders readily described what wind (or breath) and fire are like: uncontrollable, powerful, sometimes strong, sometimes gentle, necessary for life, always moving things, always changing things. Apt descriptions indeed for the Spirit of God.

We also laughed at the part of the Acts story where people think the disciples, who are speaking in numerous languages, are merely “filled with new wine.” Peter sets them straight by saying, “Um, come on people; it’s only the third hour of the day!” (That is, 9:00 a.m.)

Taste and see

As I was reading about Pentecost this week in preparation, one book had the bright idea to enjoy sliced strawberries, which look like – you guessed it – tongues of flame. Brilliant! So as part of today’s service (and those I led at other residences on Friday), I passed out sliced strawberries – a simple, tangible, and even tasty way to commemorate this profound moment in the life of the church.

Peace be with you,