Pentecost Sunday

This Sunday, June 8, is Pentecost, one of the great feast days of the Church. Fifty days after Easter, Pentecost recalls the moment the Holy Spirit descended upon the first followers of Jesus. The Book of Acts tells us the Spirit came like the rush of a violent wind and appeared like tongues of fire resting on each of them. Suddenly, their fear gave way to courage; they spoke in new languages, they preached with boldness, and the Church was born.

It was noisy. It was wild. It was holy. And at St. John’s, we try to embody a bit of that joyful chaos.

As we read from Acts, you’ll hear the story told in multiple languages, as a beautiful reminder that from the very beginning, the Good News was meant for people of all languages. The followers of Jesus didn’t stay inside. They went out and spoke to people in every tongue, carrying the message of God’s love to far corners of the world.

One of our recent Pentecost traditions at the Cathedral is welcoming a fire breather. As we process out of the service, he’ll breathe flames high into the sanctuary, reminding us of the holy fire that once fell on the heads of Christ’s followers and still burns in hearts today.

Even more exciting: this Sunday, we will baptize, confirm, receive, and reaffirm nearly 25 people, each one making a public commitment to follow Jesus. These are moments of transformation, filled with the same Spirit that moved at Pentecost.

So come ready to celebrate. Come ready to be inspired. And don’t forget to wear red.

In Christ,
Mark+