Pentecost

Seven weeks after Easter Day is Pentecost which celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is often thought of as the birthday of the Christian Church. The Jewish festival which takes place on this day is the Feast of Weeks (Shavuoth) a harvest festival which falls a week of weeks (7x7 days) after Passover and which also celebrates the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. In the action of the Holy Spirit on this particular Pentecost a new order was brought in, not just for Israel but also for the world. The rest of the book of Acts shows how the faith is taken to the centre of the then known world to. Rome.

The name "Pentecost" comes from the Greek for "fifty" from the dating of. the festival fifty days after Passover/Easter. Its alternative name "Whitsunday " or "White Sunday" comes from the ancient tradition of baptising new believers on this day; they would wear white for the ceremony.

The Story of Pentecost

Acts chp 2

On the first Day of Pentecost the disciples of Jesus (with Matthias having replaced Judas Iscariot) were gathered together when they experienced what they later described as a rushing wind and darting flames. Compelled by a tremendous urge to pour out their gratitude to God they rushed out into the street. The pilgrims gathered for the Festival of Shavuoth saw

their excitable behaviour and assumed they were drunk; they then began to realise that the disciples were speaking in several different languages. Finally Peter addressed the crowd and proclaimed the message of Jesus; his words had a tremendous effect on his hearers and many new believers joined the disciples. The spread of the church had begun. This event is described as the coming of the Holy Spirit.

In both the Old and New Testaments the "Spirit of God is a way of explaining God's power at work in the world. It is the Spirit or power of God which moves around the primeval waters in the Creation story of Genesis chp 1. When people place themselves in the hands of God they are infused with His Spirit (Isaiah chp 11 vs 2, chp 61 vss 1-3). Because the same word is used for both wind and spirit in Hebrew (ruach) and Greek (pneuma) the Spirit has long been identified with the power of the wind. Fire is also one of the basic elements; it was identified with God in the Exodus story when God's presence with the Hebrews was denoted by a pillar of fire (Numbers chp 9 vs 15f). Consequently, it is no surprise that when Luke recorded the empowering of the disciples by the Spirit of God he should use the metaphors of wind and fire ("a noise..which sounded like a strong wind blowing         what looked like tongues of
fire" Acts chp 2 vss 2f Good News Bible). It is always difficult to explain the nature and work of the Holy Spirit. Like its symbol the wind we see the result of the Spirit's presence but cannot grasp Him; like fire He is a great and uncontrollable power.

The reference in chp 2 vss 6-7 to the disciples speaking in foreign languages is an interesting one. The phenomenon of "speaking in tongues" was well known in the early church and has continued through to this day e.g. in Pentecostal Christianity.

However, "speaking in tongues" does not mean speaking in foreign languages, but  making sounds (a "heavenly" language) the performance of mystery plays. which are not immediately intelligible to the ordinary: hearer. In fact the disciples would not have needed to speak` . many languages to be understood by the crowd; undoubtedly the majority of Jewish pilgrims present would have been able to speak basic Greek which was then the universal language of the eastern Roman Empire. (The charge of drunkenness perhaps implies a speaking in tongues rather than in recognisable languages.) It is probable that Luke (the accepted author of Acts) is using these verses to emphasise the universal nature of the new church:        

We can only give limited answers to the question of what actually happened on that day, but the effects were amazing: simple disciples became effective teachers" and preachers with the powers to heal; many joined their community and sold all their possessions to help the poor; believers faced martyrdom gladly. People were changed!

The effects of the coming of the Holy Spirit were not restricted to one day or to those present on the day; today the Christian Church has an estimated membership of 1,800,000,000 worldwide,. and this is a direct result of the day of Pentecost. Christians today may still experience the coming of God's Spirit in'. dramatic ways, but others will say' that they know God's spirit is working within them although they may not be able to point to an exact moment of dramatic conversion as described here.

Celebrating Pentecost

Three main concepts usually dominate RE work on Pentecost in the Primary School; the two key symbols of wind and fire, and the idea of the birthday of the Christian community. With the younger pupils there is often little explicit religious content in this work as they are encouraged to think of the properties and effects of wind and fire, the joy of birthday celebrations or belonging to communities. The suggestions which follow are for Key Stage Two and build upon this earlier work.

Pentecost has- not been-secularised in the same way as Christmas and Easter, and now the "Spring Bank Holiday" no longer falls on Whit Monday many pupils will be unaware of the festival.

Researching Pentecost

Read the story of Pentecost and find out how it is celebrated by Christians today. This may lead you into several different routes;

• The liturgical colour for Pentecost is red. Visit the church to see the vestments and furnishings. Are they covered in particular symbols? Why? Design your own Pentecost altar cloth.
• White Sunday was the main occasion when baptisms took place; the candidates wore white as a symbol of their purified state before God. Undertake a project on baptism including both infant and adult baptism.

c)Pentecost was the beginning of the spread of the Church; find out which countries are Christian today or where there are Christian missionaries working. If possible interview a missionary on furlough or a retired missionary from your local congregation. Alternatively, invite the Church Army or the Salvation Army to talk about their work in this country.

d) Processions of Witness and Sunday School outings will tie into work on the Victorians and can be compared to similar events today.          -

The Holy Spirit transforms people - Peter

The story of Peter can be traced through the gospels and Acts:

The call of the disciples Luke chp 5 vss 1-11.

Peter's wavering faith Matthew chp 14 vss 22-32 - - Peter denies Jesus Luke chp 22 vss 54-62 .Peter proclaims his faith in Jesus before a large crowd Acts chp 2 vss 14-42

What brought about the changes in Peter were the events of the Day of Pentecost. He-was-also-preparedto die for his faith in the end (pupils may research this from a Dictionary of Saints). The story could be recorded as a diary or a series of display panels. Why not bring your investigations up to the minute by interviewing local Christians about the difference faith makes to their lives?

Laying on of Hands

Bishops have been ordained by other bishops going. back, it is believed, to Christ's apostles who received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Bishops lay hands on believers at Confirmation and on new priests in ordination to symbolise the ongoing ministry of the church. Priests will lay hands on the sick or dying as part of the sacrament of extreme unction and both ministers and lay people may lay hands on people for whom they are praying. These ideas may form the basis of an investigation of what it means to belong to a community (eg groups the children have joined such as brownies or cub-scouts) and the demands belonging to such groups, including the Church, makes upon its members. Alternatively the class could follow -through a theme on the symbolism of hands in Christianity including prayer, blessing, shaking hands (passing the peace). How can hands be used for good or ill?

In Galatians chp 5 vs 22 Paul writes about "fruits" which are the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. Pupils may like to devise a series of plays portraying these qualities.