# Pentecost Sunday



## Warrigal (May 29, 2020)

Also known as Whit Sunday, this day celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem. Pentecost coincides with  the Jewish Holiday of Shavuot which  is one of the three biblically based pilgrimage holidays known as the shalosh regalim. It is associated with the grain harvest in the Torah.

The word Pentecost refers to the number 50 and it is held 50 days after Easter (7th Sunday)

In the Pentecost account in the book of Acts the Spirit manifested as a wind in a closed room and tongues of fire on the heads of those present in the room.

How do we celebrate Pentecost online? I am not sure what tomorrows service will look like, or what the message focusses on, but members of the congregation have been asked to contribute photos of ourselves wearing our most colourful outfits to be displayed in the service.

Not having looked at my emails early enough, I missed the deadline but my photo was happily received as this will be an ongoing project.

So, for what it worth, here I am in our back yard, with the Japanese maple tree dressed in its Autumn foliage and me in the most colourful and most exotic outfit I could cobble together. This, I assure you, is a long way from my usual rather sober appearance and also quite different from the English Protestant tradition of wearing white for Whit Sunday. Still, I think some colour is a good idea during this time of social isolation and social distancing.





May Pentecost Sunday this year be a time of new beginnings for us all as we struggle with the ongoing effects of COVID-19


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## CinnamonSugar (May 29, 2020)

Warrigal said:


> Also known as Whit Sunday, this day celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem. Pentecost coincides with  the Jewish Holiday of Shavuot which  is one of the three biblically based pilgrimage holidays known as the shalosh regalim. It is associated with the grain harvest in the Torah.
> 
> The word Pentecost refers to the number 50 and it is held 50 days after Easter (7th Sunday)
> 
> ...



What a great pic, Warrigal!  Happy Pentecost!


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## Aunt Bea (May 30, 2020)




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## Meanderer (May 30, 2020)

Happy Pentecost!





Ann Lewin has a little poem we might pray:

_Flame-dancing Spirit, come,
Sweep us off our feet and
Dance us through our days.
surprise us with your rhythms,
Dare us to try new steps, explore
New patterns and new partnerships.
Release us from old routines,
To swing in abandoned joy
And fearful adventure.
And in the intervals,
Rest us,
In your still centre._


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## RadishRose (May 30, 2020)




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## Capt Lightning (May 30, 2020)

Warrigal - love the style.  Good for you.

Never used the term 'Pentecost' - it was always 'Whit'  to us and never gave a thought as to it's origin. Now it's just the 'Late May  bank holiday'.


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## Warrigal (May 30, 2020)

Captain Cook named a string of islands off the coast of north Queensland The Whit Sunday Islands and the inner passage between the coast and the Great Barrier Reef the Whit Sunday Passage because he arrived there on Whit Sunday in 1770. 

Sounds a lot better than the Pentecostals and the Pentecostal Passage, doesn't it?


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## Butterfly (Jun 1, 2020)

Warri, you are certainly very colorful in the great pic you posted!


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## Damaged Goods (Jun 2, 2020)

Our church reopened this Pentecost (actually Sat. evening 5/30) after having been off limits since March due to the pandemic.  It was the 1st church in the archdiocese to reopen.

They practiced strict social distancing which meant that the church could carry max 1/3 capacity.  In actuality, there was less than that.  (Masses the next day may have had larger attendance.)  Face masks required and no singing.  No collections in the pews but you could drop contribution envelopes in a box or donate online.  The missals with the readings, etc. were removed.  After mass, all applicable surfaces were re-sanitized by volunteers, and folks were dismissed in order via strict social distancing.


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## CinnamonSugar (Jun 2, 2020)

Damaged Goods said:


> Our church reopened this Pentecost (actually Sat. evening 5/30) after having been off limits since March due to the pandemic.  It was the 1st church in the archdiocese to reopen.
> 
> They practiced strict social distancing which meant that the church could carry max 1/3 capacity.



same here.. it was good to be back in church


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