Fri, Aug 29 2008
|
|
Published May 12, 2008 11:11 am - Most Americans spend this Sunday giving flowers or other special gifts to their mothers, and taking them out for lunch. Pentecost still important to Christians By BETTY SMITH Press special writer TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — Most Americans spend this Sunday giving flowers or other special gifts to their mothers, and taking them out for lunch.
But for Christians, this year mother’s day also coincides with Pentecost. While not one of the church’s major holidays, it is an important one in the church calendar because it marks the occasion when the holy spirit descended on the disciples after Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. “The main reason I believe that it’s an important occasion is that Jesus came back to us as the holy spirit after he went away,” said the Rev. Jerry Capps of Keys Church of God, a Pentecostal church. “The holy spirit is to comfort us and to guide us.” According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Pentecost falls on the 49th day, or the seventh Sunday, after Easter. The date varies annually because the date of Easter also is not fixed. It also comes 10 days after Ascension Thursday. The Bible tells that a group of disciples gathered in an upper room on Pentecost when suddenly they heard a great rushing wind. This was followed by the appearance of tongues of fire above them, and the people in the room began speaking in different tongues. Pentecost was known as early as the first century, although not observed with the emphasis of Easter, the encyclopedia states. In Italy, sometimes rose petals are scattered from the ceiling of the church to symbolize the tongues of flame. In France, a trumpet is blown to symbolize the sound of the rushing wind. The Russians sometimes carry flowers and green branches. In England, where Pentecost is known as Whitsun, the observance can be somewhat different – horse racing and merrymaking, according to the encyclopedia. For Eastern Christians, such as the Greek Orthodox church, Easter is observed later and so is Pentecost, which they will observe June 15 this year. In Cherokee County, Capps will culminate a series of sermons on Pentecost this Sunday. “Through the spirit we get our Christian strength,” he said. “The holy spirit is there as a comforter, to comfort us through need and discouragement. It’s not all just in the speaking in tongues. In our day, we need him more than ever. The holy spirit is our guide.” Capps said since it’s mother’s day, he also will incorporate that special day into his sermon. He will discuss the mother of Moses, who he said was “a great mother blessed by God.” “I wanted to talk about a woman also, because it’s mother’s day,” he said. “I’m going to talk about the church rejoicing in Pentecost. We need to rejoice in Pentecost,” he said. Pentecost and the presence of the holy spirit should be an ongoing experience for Christians, not just an outlet for emotions. Pentecost means “God in us,” Capps said. “We know that one day Jesus is coming, and that will be the final result,” he said. Capps said he also will discuss Acts 2 and 4. He said many Christians get “stuck on the elevator” between those two chapters and he will talk about that. Two red banners at the front of the sanctuary will greet worshipers at First United Methodist Church this morning. The banner on their left depicts a dove, the emblem of the holy spirit. The one on the rights depicts flames, the tongues of fire that descended on the disciples. 
•
Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
More from the Features section
Cherokee educator's views evolved |
Print this story
E-mail this story
Post to del.icio.us
Discuss this story
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
© 2007, Tahlequah Daily Press 106 W. Second Street; Tahlequah, OK 74464 (918) 456-8833 or Email Tips & Feedback |
Popular Business directory links - Tahlequah Apartments | Tahlequah Attorneys | Tahlequah Auto Dealers | Tahlequah Auto Parts | Tahlequah Auto Repair | Tahlequah Beauty Salons | Tahlequah Car Rental | Tahlequah Dentists | Tahlequah Doctors | Tahlequah Flowers | Tahlequah Hotels | Tahlequah Insurance | Tahlequah Loans | Tahlequah Mortgages | Tahlequah Movers | Tahlequah Pizza | Tahlequah Realtors | Tahlequah Restaurants | Tahlequah Storage | Tahlequah Tax Preparation | Tahlequah Travel | Tahlequah Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |