PEAKLAND BAPTIST CHURCH, LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA
April 30, 2008
Wear Red on Pentecost Sunday – May 11
Sunday, May 11 will be another Festival Day at Peakland Baptist Church! In the unfolding of the Christian Year, May 11 is Pentecost Sunday, the fiftieth day after Easter when the indwelling Holy Spirit first became a part of Christian experience.
All Christians know that Christmas is when we celebrate the entry of Jesus the Christ into our world. But many Christians seem to have forgotten that at Pentecost we celebrate the entry of the Holy Spirit into the lives of those who follow Jesus. Red is the color for this Festival Day; therefore, I encourage you to wear red in observance of Pentecost. Since I do not have a red suit, I may be satisfied with a red stole or a red tie . . . it all depends on how bold the Spirit makes me that day.
Those who know Pentecost not only as a day on the church calendar but as a formative part of their own spiritual experience understand that prayer is the best way to prepare for Pentecost. “Come, Holy Spirit” is the simple prayer which opens the door to the experience of the indwelling Holy Spirit who fills our lives with grace and power, rearranges our agendas, and (at times) sets us on fire. Ever since my “Walk to Emmaus” experience in 2001, as Pentecost draws near I offer this simple but profound invocation of the Holy Spirit:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in us the fire of your love.
O Lord, send forth your Spirit and make me
a new creation.
Send forth your Spirit and renew your church.
Send forth your Spirit and refresh the face of the earth. Amen.
As we prepare to celebrate the Festival of Pentecost on May 11, would you join me daily in offering this prayer? As we earnestly and with one accord offer our prayers to God, we prepare the way for what God will do among us and with us as we enter into the Season of His Indwelling Spirit.
In the anticipation of Pentecost,
Steve
Last Update 05/01/2008
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