Meditations on the Passion

Iain McKillop

Pentecost - the cry of release
this painting is used subject to the artist's copyright

(The artist has poems to acompany his work)

Seeking the Spirit (Pentecost A)

Seeking the Spirit: A/G Pentecost Day Emphasis

The day of Pentecost is huge for us. Not just some festival day on the church calendar, this is a day of promise, a day so linked with our distinctive doctrines that, along with Christmas and Easter, is one of the only days of the church year that all our churches observe.

For us, Joel's prophesy continues to this day, as Peter says later in his sermon,

"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

And the pattern of Acts indicates that the initial physical evidence of the Baptism is speaking in tongues.

Moses looked forward to a day when all would be prophets, that day has come. With the dawning of Pentecost the Spirit has so gripped the church and given his people gifts to build one another up.

John gives and abbreviated look at the Pentecost experience and likens it to rivers of water gushing from the believer's heart. I often think of my own experience with the baptism with those images-the cool unstoppable bubbling of a fountain. Pretty.

Beautiful and awesome are all God's creations, and yet, the psalmist sings,

"When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground."