Post Pentecost Letdown?

In Sunday's sermon, our guest preacher pointed out how little emphasis we put on Pentecost. And she is right. It comes 50 days after Easter, after Easter Season in the year of the church. There is no build up to it like Christmas and Easter. You don't go buy cards, candies or gifts to hand out as part of Pentecost celebration. Can you imagine what it would be like if Hallmark/WalMart got a hold of it? Its bad enough that this year, Pentecost and Mother's day were on the same day. Lost again behind Mother's day in the midst of a consumer world. How is the church to celebrate Pentecost then? What does it matter? We are more likely to refer to the period of time after Pentecost Sunday as Ordinary time than Season of Pentecost. It is true though our lives are more lived in ordinary time and ordinary ways and ordinary moments. Not every day is a high, every moment a high moment, or every way a high way. Truthfully though we live in a culture that keeps looking for the high, the next high moment, high time, high way, high of some sorts.

While the Day of Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit, the remaining weeks call the Church to focus on the Spirit's power and to make Christ known through its life and mission, carrying out Jesus' mandate to "go to the people of all nations" (Matthew 28:19,20). The post-Pentecost Church is a Spirit-led pilgrim church, embarking on its journey in mission.

So here we are as Preachers and worship leaders to help the members of our church experience God during this season of Pentecost and Ordinary time. How can we do this? What is it we are called to preach? How will we worship God during these times?

art by Nora Kelly