Pentecost.... The Birth Of Church?

Pentecost, was celebrated fifty days after Passover, but it had already been an important ancient harvest festival marked by the peoples of the region. Like many popular customs, it became part of Judaism, and crowds of people would travel from all over the Middle East to the Jerusalem Temple to celebrate the feast.

The followers of Jesus had seen him on numerous occasions after his resurrection from the dead....

From that very first intimate encounter with Mary the Magdalene in the garden outside the Tomb, then during the Breaking of Bread on the road to Emmaus, and finally his appearances to the whole assembly in the Upper Room.

They finally witnessed his Ascension or return to Heaven, having quizzed him yet again, as to when he would take his earthly throne and start to build the kingdom....

(Many of them still did not understand.... and expected to be part of some type of political reform).

In response Jesus tells them....

"You will receive Power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.

And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—

in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We know that his followers remained in Jerusalem, as instructed.... when something amazing occurred on the Feast of Pentecost.

The whole assembly of followers, gathered in the Upper Room, suddenly experienced a violent wind and what seemed like tongues of fire descended from above and rested on each of them.

There was a sudden, immediate transforming experience deep inside each individual....

and for the first time since they had scattered, hiding in fear after his arrest and were subsequently left broken by the spectacle of his death on the cross, these people were now filled with a tremendous sense of great joy, self-confidence, and an enthusiastic drive to go out and preach the Good News!!.

They have finally understood!..... The Kingdom is not of this world!

This sudden Baptism of The Holy Spirit causes a metamorphism, not only in their understanding of his teachings, but which affects their entire outlook on absolutely everything!

The subsequent events recorded in The Acts of the Apostles, go on to show a body of people filled with courage and united in the Gifts of the Spirit.

Paul, who had a similar life-changing experience on the road to Damascus,

later wrote in his letter to the believers in Corinth, that the Gifts of the Spirit included

Wisdom, Knowledge, Healing, Miraculous Powers and Prophecy, and that such gifts should be used positively, not for the promotion of oneself, but for the Common Good.

He also used the image of a human body as a way to point out how a "church" should work together for the good of all its members. Writing for example, that it was no good if the body was only an eye because it would no longer be able to hear. Alternatively, if the whole body was an ear it would be no good either because it wouldn’t be able to smell.

Like a body. we are called to accept the difference of the individual parts and their unique contribution to make up the whole.

The only way for "church" to function, therefore, was by celebrating that each individual brings our own unique gifts to the group and by uniting together, as equals, we form "The Body of Christ".

Perhaps not "church" as we now understand the definition of the word, with such attributes as hierarchy, patriarchy, misogyny,and homophobia, but rather, a group of believers, sharing the Gifts of The Spirit, who initially became known as "The Way"which united as a body to become his witnesses, telling people about him everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.....