The Message, May 24, 2026, Pentecost: "Every Time I Feel the Spirit," Acts 2:1-21
Author: Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
May 26, 2026
“Every Time I Feel the Spirit”
A Message by Rev. Scott W. Cousineau
Acts 2:1-21
For
years now, I have felt that Pentecost deserves more of a celebration, more
pageantry. Christmas is a whole hoopty-doo with four weeks of Advent leading up
to it. Which makes perfect sense since it celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.
Of
course, just celebrated Easter with the sanctuary festooned with lilies and all
of the ‘Glory Hallelujahs!’ And Easter has its own season leading up to and
setting the stage for that celebration. And again, it makes perfect sense
because it celebrates the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Easter reminds us that all of the promises of God, and the power of God are
true! Glory Hallelujah!
And
then there is Pentecost. Huzzah! Pentecost might get a cupcake with a candle in
it. “Happy birthday, Church!” Pentecost might see a few people wearing red to
mark the occasion. While some churches barely make any mention of it. Think
back on the scripture passage that you just heard. Think of the power, and the
drama. Think about all of the possibilities of a Pentecost pageant!!
Of course, part of that could be due to the
fact that the celebration of Pentecost has become associated with
Pentecostalism. Some people associate Pentecost with ecstatic worship services
that include twirling and dancing, speaking in tongues and even the handling of
snakes. To be certain, Pentecost IS dynamic and it IS dramatic, but it has
nothing to do with snakes or speaking in tongues. However, there is the
possibility that it includes some dancing.
So
then … what is Pentecost?
We
do celebrate it as the birthday of the Christian church, but it actually has
ancient roots in the Jewish worship tradition. There were three great
pilgrimage festivals in Jewish tradition. The first is Passover; that
celebration of God’s power and provision when the Hebrew people escaped from
their bondage in Egypt. God instructed Moses to tell the people to mark their
doorframes so that the tenth plague would pass over their homes and they would
be set free from Pharoah’s bondage.
The
third festival was Sukkot, the Festival of Booths. It was an agricultural
festival that celebrated the autumn harvest.
The
second pilgrimage festival was Shavuot, The Festival of Weeks. Pentecost. It
was also an agricultural harvest that celebrated the spring harvest, the
harvest of first fruits. The festival took place fifty days after Passover …
seven weeks of seven days. Pentecost, or Shavuot was a festival during which
the farmers brought their first sheaf of wheat to give thanks to God, and also
to appeal to God for the rest of the harvest.
As
a pilgrimage festival, the Law required that all adult males that lived within
twenty miles of Jerusalem travel to the Holy City, to the Temple, for the
festival.
Why
is this important? Because it sets the scene for us. Just like we heard in the
lead up to Easter, the city of Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims. The city was
energized. The spirit was celebratory … joyful. The pilgrims traveled for days,
perhaps even weeks to get there to give their thanks and praise to God. You may
recall in the passage that “there were devout Jews from every people under
heaven living in Jerusalem.” (Acts 2:5) The Law required that people that
lived within twenty miles make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but as we heard
people had traveled from all over the known world. Many people in the streets
of Jerusalem had traveled a great distance to be there.
The
ancient celebration of Pentecost had a unique distinction. The Law also
required that on that day no servile work should be done. (Leviticus 23:21;
Numbers 28:26) It was a holiday for ALL people. This distinction would have
meant that the crowds in the streets might have been even bigger.
Into
that scene, into that energy, into that joyous festival the Holy Spirit of God
descended. “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a
violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were
sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue
rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” (Acts
2:2-4)
Last
Sunday, we focused upon the Ascension of Jesus. We heard Jesus tell his
disciples, “… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.” Then, after Jesus had said this
to them, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (Acts
1:8-9)
Last
Sunday Jesus promised his disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit
right before he ascended into a cloud. Today we heard about the arrival of that
Spirit. Today we are reminded once more about the faithfulness of God. Today we
learned that Pentecost had been celebrated as an agricultural festival, but it
became something more.
The
truth is that we do not know exactly what happened on that day. There is no
possible way to know for certain. As with other supernatural events, those who
were there cannot describe with words what happened. ‘There came a sound like
that of rushing wind!’ ‘There were divided tongues like those of fire.’ But we
do know that the Spirit came with power.
The
Holy Spirit came with power. The story of Pentecost is the story of God; it is
the story of the Holy Spirit. It is about a power that transforms.
But
you may wonder, what does this story mean for us? What does that which came in
with a sound like rushing wind mean for me? What does ‘divided tongues as of
flames’ mean for me? None of that has ever happened to me?
At
Pentecost, the power of God that was made manifest at the resurrection and
ascension of Jesus Christ, is bestowed upon the People of God. This event was
strange and wonderful. It was beyond the bounds of human imagination or
comprehension. It was miraculous, fantastic, glorious! No words can describe it
fully because everyone that was gathered there that day experienced it in their
own unique and personal way. Just as the Galileans spoke in languages that
people could understand in their native tongues, the Holy Spirit of God spoke
to people in uniquely personal ways.
That
is to say that the Holy Spirit comes to each of us in uniquely personal ways.
One must not think any less of themselves or of the power of their faith
because they have not had a powerful “Pentecost” experience. Likewise, we
should not feel as though we are in a position to judge anyone else’s
experiences of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Spirit comes in big, and loud,
and powerful ways. And sometimes the Spirit comes in small, and quiet, and
gentle ways.
The
point is this, throughout biblical history God raised up a prophet here, a
judge there, a leader or a king over there. But on that Day of Pentecost, ALL
that were gathered there experienced the power of the Holy Spirit of God. It
was not for a select few. EVERYONE received it. On that day EVERYONE
experienced the Holy Spirit in a new way.
The
work of God is wonderfully inclusive. It includes people of every race, every
gender, every age, every social class. All of those who call on the name of God
will experience new life.
As
we gather here this morning, we should simply open ourselves and allow the
story of Pentecost to wash over us … and fill us … and have its way with us. We
should listen for the Voice of God in the story and allow it to speak to us …
to move us. And then we should be willing to allow the story to create a new
reality for us.
Spirit
of the Living God, fall afresh on us.
Melt
us, mold us, use us to do your will.
Spirit
of the Living God, fall afresh on us.
Amen.
BACK