Pentecost

Today is the celebration of Pentecost. I did not say that today is Pentecost although I am writing to say that that is probably more accurate than the former. I define Pentecost as the day the Holy Spirit was sent, poured out on the believers. The celebration of that day in Jerusalem is important. The power displayed that day was to introduce a power for the ages. The many languages spoken was important to show that this power was meant for the world not for a single place. I'm not trying to minimize the celebration aspect of Pentecost. In the church at times we do too much remembering of events, and not enough living of their continuing reality. It seems like we go Christmas check, Epiphany check, Ash Wednesday check, Lent check, Easter check and so on through the year. As events pass by we check them off and move on. Each of those events however are really continual. Their reality is present not past and they are every day realities not one day a year realities. Today is Pentecost you see but so is tomorrow and the next and all the others through the years. Pentecost has been the reality every day since that first Pentecost day. Easter has been every day since that first Easter. Christ has forever taken on human flesh since his incarnation that first Christmas. They may have happened chronologically in the life of Jesus but they happen eternally in ours. I see Pentecost moments almost every day, and I know that the days I don't see any is because of me not because the Holy Spirit has stopped acting trough human hands and hearts and minds. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow to say Happy Pentecost, it might help us and others to get the message.