Pentecost is a great festival marking the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost means "fiftieth day" and is celebrated fifty days after Easter.
What Happened on Pentecost?
Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the twelve apostles, Jesus' mother and family, and many other of His disciples gathered together in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival celebrated on the fiftieth day of Passover. While they were indoors praying, a sound like a rushing wind filled the house and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads.
This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-29). Suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ, the disciples went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival. By a miracle of the Holy Spirit, they spoke in the native languages of people gathered from all corners of the Roman Empire. This created a sensation. The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, resulting in 3000 baptisms that day. The Biblical account of the Church's Birthday on Pentecost is found in Acts 2:1-21.
How Can You Be Involved in Salem's Pentecost Celebration?
Come to worship, learn, pray, and celebrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit at any of Salem's three weekend services: 5pm Saturday, June 11, 8am or 10:30am Sunday, June 12.
Read Acts 2:1-21 in a foreign language for one of the worship services. A simultaneous reading of this story will give us a taste of what happened that day so long ago. Please sign up at the Welcome Center if you are willing to read.
Sing in Summer Choir for 10:30 worship. Singers of all ages will rehearse from 9:45-10:15 a.m. in the Choir Room to prepare a special Pentecost anthem.
Bring communion to one of our homebound members. Contact Judy Bergeson at Salem to volunteer (815-895-9171).
Wear red clothing, the liturgical color for the day. The color red symbolizes the tongues of flame descending on the first Pentecost, and honors the blood of martyrs, believers who hold true to faith even at the cost of their lives.
Bring a gift of red budding plants to decorate the church. These flowers will then be planted on the church grounds.
Listen to Pastor Janet at the 9:15 a.m. Hospitality Hour as she shares the work of the Holy Spirit in the church conflict training she is doing with the Mennonite Peace Center.
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