Making Room for the Cross at Home: Pentecost Sunday Family Devotional
Written by the Hobbit and Elf on 5/29/2020
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Pentecost- What is It?
Known as a celebration in the Old and New Testaments as a recognition of the start of the harvest season, Pentecost at home, now looks a lot different. Now it’s more of a wrap up to the Easter season and a celebration of the Holy Spirit falling on the church (Acts 2). Many consider this to be the origin of the official church movement with Peter preaching and over 3,000 people repenting and being baptized. It is celebrated on the 7th Sunday after Easter. 9 days after Ascension Day is celebrated (the day recognizing Jesus’ ascent into Heaven). And I’m finding that it is especially relevant in this season.
The Story:
What a whirlwind the disciples had been through! Hiding, despairing, afraid for the lives. Then amazement and incredible wonder. For forty days Jesus had been among them, seen, as Paul records, by more than 500 people after His ressurection! Then Jesus goes away a last time, and instructs them to wait in Jerusalem. What did they think (or hope) they were waiting for? Ten days earlier they had asked Jesus if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel, and the response was to wait for the Holy Spirit. What would happen then? How would it relate to restoring the kingdom?
Ten days later they found out. God showed up in a way that I am pretty sure none of them expected. A rushing wind? Tongues of flames over everyone’s heads? I suspect most of them were thinking of something a little more tangible. Flaming swords? An angelic army? That would be more in line with anticipations of how power from the Spirit would operate. What actually happened is not anything that I would have expected – it sounds like a fantasy story.
But God, throughout the story of the Bible, has had a history of showing up in unexpected ways. Pentecost is another example.
And it was not just the disciples that were there when the tongues of fire and God’s Spirit were poured out! Jews from all over the place, gentiles, people of different nationalities, different languages, different social status- all together. AND YET, even after God showed up and the spirit was poured out there were those in the crowd that did not believe what they had just witnessed- more than that, they sneered at. Saying that there were too many dumb drunk people around. (Acts 2:13)
Then Peter starts preaching. God’s Spirit is here for ALL of you to SEE and HEAR that Jesus died for our sins. So that you may repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and go tell others. Jews, gentiles, young, old, enslaved, free, women, men, children, elderly, everyyyy nationality. After hearing and receiving the Gospel message, they went on and LIVED it. Taking care of each other and adding to the number of believers. So, central to Pentecost is equality and community care. How incredibly fitting in this season where community and equality are uncomfortable. The painful cracks being exposed like never before in our lifetime.
Try reading this Scripture together out loud and talking about what stood out to you.
Acts 2:1-7, 46-47 VOICE translation
When the holy day of Pentecost came 50 days after Passover, they were gathered together in one place. 2 Picture yourself among the disciples:
A sound roars from the sky without warning, the roar of a violent wind, and the whole house where you are gathered reverberates with the sound. 3 Then a flame appears, dividing into smaller flames and spreading from one person to the next. 4 All the people present are filled with the Holy Spirit and begin speaking in languages they’ve never spoken, as the Spirit empowers them. 5 Because of the holy festival, there are devout Jews staying as pilgrims in Jerusalem from every nation under the sun. 6 They hear the sound, and a crowd gathers. They are amazed because each of them can hear the group speaking in their native languages. 7 They are shocked and amazed by this …
46 They were unified as they worshiped at the temple day after day. In homes, they broke bread and shared meals with glad and generous hearts. 47 The new disciples praised God, and they enjoyed the goodwill of all the people of the city. Day after day the Lord added to their number everyone who was experiencing liberation.
Reflection:
We have readers from multiple religious traditions, who have differing views on God, culture and COVID-19. While we respect these, we want to be clear that none of us at Down The Hobbit Hole Blog believe that God caused COVID-19. But we do see many amazing things happening as a result, as the Spirit of God has worked in the world, and among the people of God. That in the midst of a pandemic God has been showing up, and doing so in ways we did not expect.
We want to encourage you, as we remember the Spirit being poured out on believers that first Pentecost, in a way that no one was expecting or looking for, to look for the ways God is working. And to find the ways you can participate in that work. We all have a tendency to put God in a box, to think that we have Him figured out. But there is no box. We have been painfully reminded of just how little control we have.
My favorite thing that I’ve seen in this season of crisis is believers remembering and learning how to be the hands and feet of Jesus while church buildings are closed. Caring about relationships and taking care of people in new ways, may we go forth and continue to do so.
Now, on this weekend of Pentecost may the hearts of believers be comforted by the reminder of the awe inspiring love of God for every person. And inspired in new ways about how we should be reflecting that. The lives of every person of every color matters, yes, but right now let us be champions for our black neighbors. Let us care about what happens to poor and immigrant populations in the wake of this pandemic. Care about each other and do our best to take care of our communities. Social distance, but connect. Cry with those who are mourning. Rejoice in the small and big victories of others. Be excited about a historic rocket launch. Let this ‘dawn of a new age’ (NASA) translate to us as well. And continue to champion the overwhelming, awe inspiring love of Jesus. His love is awe inspiring and it’s moving in this tension.
Pentecost at Home Discussion Questions:
1) How do you maintain our sense of wonder?
2) How have you been nudged or overwhelmed by God’s spirit during the past two months?
3) How might your scope of who Jesus loves and came for need to be widened? How can we learn more about own racial and gender biases?
4) How have you seen God move through other people during this pandemic season?
5) How can you share the love of Christ with someone by helping to meet physical needs this week?
6) God did not deliver the people how they were hoping and praying. How does this relate to our current circumstances? How does this affect our prayers?
Pentecost at Home Prayer
(Family friendly version for young children from Presbyterian Mission.)
Lord God,
through Christ you have given us peace
that the world cannot give.
Let your Spirit of truth abide with us
so that we may live in hope,
grow in faith,
and keep your commandments of love;
in the name of Jesus Christ we pray.
John 14:8-17, 25-27
Here are some other prayers, laments and articles that we’ve found helpful this weekend.
–The Holy Spirit and Equality
–Lament
–A Pentecost Prayer for White Christians Who Want to Do Better
-Prayer in the Ordinary At Home
We hope that you feel loved and inspired on this strange, pain filled, Pentecost Sunday. And that you make the opportunity to share that love with others.
If you liked out Pentecost at Home blog, check out these other posts:
-Our most recent devotional thought on leading our children
-A Bible study to go along with the free show, The Chosen
-Review and discussion guide for the Bethany Hamilton movie, Unstoppable.
-Even Mother Theresa struggled with impostor syndrome; What is it and how do we counter it?
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