Church Seasons: Pentecost

So far, we have waited/anticipated/prepared for Christ's birth in Advent and Christmas.  We celebrated God's in-breaking and incarnation at Christmas.  We observed Epiphany, the Wise One's bringing gifts and being saturated in the light of God's presence.  We look at the time in-between Epiphany and Lent as another moment God moves in our midst.  We explored Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter as diving deep into God's promise to meet us, even in moments of desertion and betrayal and death.  We looked at the day after, how it takes time for the promise of resurrection to take hold.  There are actually fifty days after Easter.  For a time LONGER than Lent we try to find ways for the empty tomb to take hold fully of our lives.  And then, we arrive at Pentecost, fifty days after Easter.  Usually Pentecost is seen as the birthday of the church.  The story is that as the disciples met in the upper room day after day trying to wrap their minds, hearts, souls, and lives around the promise of Resurrection eventually the Spirit stirred.  Just as the Spirit stirred over the chaos in creation.  Just as the Spirit led the people wandering through the wilderness.  Just as the Spirit stirred the day Jesus was baptized in the Jordan.  The Spirit swirls in amazing ways and the people of God again caught wind of the new things God is doing in our midst.

One beautiful part of the church seasons is the rhythm of sensing God in different ways.  Another mysterious part is the ways past, present, and future all culminate, collapse and collide in any and all of the above seasons.  You see, we celebrate Christmas not only as an event back then in our history, but as a present reality of Emmanuel, God with us NOW.  We look for the star light of Epiphany both as an event that happened and is happening.  We see the trials of Lent both as something Jesus went through and we go through in our lives with Christ.  Time is bendy within the church seasons.  We need these seasons to keep us open to that Pentecost spirit of new life breathing in every Sunday.  

So, we have gone through these seasons: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, In-Between, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, the Day after, and now Pentecost, where do you find yourself?  Is there a season you connect deeply within your own soul?

I pray that you have found the reflections on seasons meaningful.  BUT more importantly, I pray that as we have just started on another cycle of the church seasons with the First Sunday of Advent today, you will participate in the seasons this year.  I find more than a trace of God's grace in these church seasons.  I find a routine and rhythm that helps me make sense of my life.  May God's love move in your midst and you will sense God stirring in life giving ways.

Blessings ~