Pentecost

The Spirit of Trouble: A sermon for Pentecost, Acts 2:1-21

/ Stephanie / Leave a comment

Romans 8:22-27
Acts 2:1-21

Recently I was talking to a colleague who has stepped in to be the temporary pastor for a congregation that whose pastor is on maternity leave. As soon as she started at this church a couple of weeks ago, she learned that they had scheduled Youth Sunday for this week, which is Pentecost. The youth were told they didn’t have to follow the liturgical calendar, and they aren’t, so as my friend jokingly described it, “the church had cancelled Pentecost.” 

I wonder if there was a point in the apostles’ observance of the festival at which they wished they could cancel Pentecost. Did they wonder “could we trade this one in for just a normal holiday?”

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Ministry Snapshot – Your mess is mine

/ Stephanie / 3 Comments

I walked in my office this morning to find this:Pentecost mess

It should not have been a surprise since that’s exactly what it looked like when I walked out the door on Sunday after worship and fellowship.  These are what my mom calls “little ones out of big ones” – the scraps left over from the flames my daughter was diligently cutting out to help me get ready for an activity we were doing in worship.  It’s a mess, and a mess that needs to be cleaned up, but it is by no means the biggest mess in my office right now.  It also isn’t the mess that got my first attention today. Continue reading →

Top Ten – a sermon for Pentecost on Acts 2:1-13

/ Stephanie / 2 Comments

Acts 2:1-13

Last week was the final episode of The Late Show with David Letterman, and like many TV viewers I watched with curiosity to see what he would do with his final Top Ten list.  On the TV show the Top Ten list comes with all sorts of fanfare and anticipation.  There’s this big dramatic build up with an animated introduction. Dave waves his cards around triumphantly, “I have here in my hand tonight’s Top Ten list!” Even if you’re not really a late night person you can usually stay awake for the mock excitement of the Top Ten list.
top_ten
Well, Pentecost was real excitement, not mock excitement. Continue reading →