PENTECOST
W hitsun , or Pentecost brings with it a lot of questions . It is the Cinderella among the church festivals . Outsiders always wonder what it is that Christians are celebrating . Easter and Christmas can be easily explained , but even those who have heard about the Holy Spirit find it difficult to explain the meaning of this festival . How can one talk about one ’ s faith , how do I know if my words lead to something good or bad ? How can I talk about God ’ s love in public , how can someone know about a living word and not know about the two ‘ split tongues ’ – the one of Babylon after the Tower was built and people went their different ways , and the one at Pentecost , when God sent out simple people who had the same dialect and could speak to people of different languages from all over the world ? They talked about Jesus Christ who became man for the love of mankind .
These days Whitsun has even been replaced by a Bank Holiday in Britain , but the festival really is fifty days after Easter , ‘ Pentecost ’ coming from the Greek word for fifty . On the fiftieth day after Easter , God went into action . The disciples had been together constantly talking about their sadness and their joy , having been promised that God would send them the Spirit of Truth , but now it happened , and they went out of their closet , full of enthusiasm talking to the public about Jesus , that people thought they were drunk , but so convincingly that 3000 listeners came forward for baptism that very day . This was the birthday of the church , and Christianity spread out over all the world until today , and even persecution and indifference can ’ t stop it .
Where the Holy Spirit touches people , memories are stirred , old hymns are being remembered , old texts , people are comforted and stirred to enthusiasm , even today .
Norbert Roth , a vicar from Munich and director of an organisation called ‘ Jesus Freaks ’, told of his own experience that he was preaching on a Whitsunday morning to his parishioners , when suddenly the door was pushed open and a rather rough looking man entered , beer bottle in hand . This person joined in with the Offertory Hymn and watched the priest at the altar preparing for the Eucharist . “ The Eucharist at Whitsun is special , it takes the story of Jesus , his message and his love , his passion and his resurrection out of the prison of history ” Norbert Roth says , “ you can talk about that and can meditate about it , but the Spirit has to come to give these memories ‘ Divine Breath ’, to bring Jesus alive in those taking part in the ‘ take and eat ’, that they can be Christians that are alive and loving , so they can all hear the message , that God has visited his people to bring Salvation to all .”
Norbert Roth continued his story of Michael , the drunkard , who answered the question put to the congregation : “ Do you believe that Jesus has risen for you and that his forgiveness makes it possible for you to have a new and eternal life , then answer with ‘ yes ’? – with a resounding “ Yes !” And he continued with a “ Thank you ” which stirred up the whole congregation . And they shared a
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