Dear Members and Friends of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church and Preschool:
When we think of the festival of Pentecost in the Church year, maybe what first comes to mind are the outward signs of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture says, Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. A sound “like the blowing of a violent wind;” what seemed to be tongues of fire resting on each of them; speaking in other tongues; these are the amazing images that stand out when we explain this event to our preschool and Sunday School children.
Even more amazing, though, is the reason for these outward signs of the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t just some sort of divine magic show with a lot of flash, but no substance. Christ had been present in human flesh living among people for 33 years. The last three, He had spent speaking to individuals and some groups of people about the Kingdom of God. For some time before the day of Pentecost, He had told people that He would be leaving and sending The Counselor, or the Holy Spirit. Jesus said of Him: John 14:26 [He] will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Jesus even indicated that, though they would be sad about not having Him among them in the same way in which they had for the past three years (He would always be with them, though they couldn’t see Him), it would be better for them and for everybody to have the Holy Spirit among them in this special way.
So, what was so special about receiving the Holy Spirit in this way on Pentecost (besides the obvious visual excitement)? It became as if, where before there had been one Christ speaking the message of salvation to people, now, with the Holy Spirit’s presence among them, there were hundreds or thousands of “Christs” doing that work. The Spirit made all of these mere men into powerful speakers of God’s Word—even in languages they had never known before, and to people to whom they never could have spoken before.
The day of Pentecost when the Spirit came upon Christ’s apostles is often thought of as the beginning of the Christian Church because it was the beginning of the time in which God’s Word could be spread throughout the entire world in the mouths of speakers with God’s Spirit in them, driving them on with a fervor only possible with God Himself.
Their message has even reached your ears 2,000 years later, dear believers. That same Spirit is present with that same message that creates faith in people’s hearts to possess Christ’s righteousness as their own, and God’s forgiveness and salvation that come as the result. The Spirit in that Word is also what keeps the faith alive as we gather to hear it together on Sunday mornings. See you at church!
Sunday School Update
Our Sunday School participated in church on April 27 by singing the hymn “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” The students held up crosses every time they sang the words “With the cross of Jesus, going on before.” They also sang ‘Your Word” with the preschoolers and Pastor Dale. We ended the morning with an ice cream social, sponsored by the Evangelism committee. It Was delicious!
Our remaining Bible lessons focus on the work of the followers of Jesus after His ascension into heaven: Peter’s Sermon on Pentecost, Peter and John Are Arrested, Stephen, and Philip and the Man from Ethiopia. The Holy Spirit worked great faith in these brave men to preach the Gospel’ in many difficult situations.
The last day of Sunday School will be on May 25. There will be a joint Bible lesson and skit in the church sanctuary at 9:00 AM, with the students singing in the worship service. Following the service there will be recognition of all students and teachers, and distribution of good attendance certificates. We will end our year with a pizza party.
Although there is no Sunday School during the summer months, we hope to see the children in church regularly until August, when Sunday School resumes. “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God, and keep it” (Luke 11:28)
Will Mack has a May birthday. Happy Birthday!
