A number of faith leaders came together this week, and decided that the last weekend in May, we would invite members of our various congregations to offer prayers of grief, of lament, of support for those who have died, for their loved ones and all who grieve, and for the healing of our nation and our world at this time. And so, in the last weekend of May, which is the weekend of Pentecost, I would invite us, as the Episcopal Church, and all of our congregations, in ways that are appropriate to our communities, to offer to join with Jews, Muslims, Christians who are Protestant, Catholic, and Evangelical, who have decided to come together to pray for those who have died, and for all of us who grieve, and to pray for the healing of our nation.

You can do this in any way that's appropriate, as part of the prayers of the people, very simple part of the prayers of the people, or in some other way that is appropriate and fitting for your community. But however you do it, let us pray to the Lord our God, that he may hear us, that he may hear our hurts, and that God may heal our land.

God love you, God bless you, and may God hold us all in those almighty hands of love.

We will include a new prayer composed by a team of Episcopalians and Lutherans in our worship. It is called "A Prayer for the Power of the Spirit Among the People of God."

In light of events of this week, I as we pray this prayer, we also pray for victims of violence, especially George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor and their families and lament the continuing inequalities and injustices that perpetuate such violence and spark devastating conflict. As we hear the sounds of different languages on Pentecost Sunday, as we consider the image of the tongues of the Spirit's fire resting on people from all lands may we renew our efforts to understand those who differ from us and be reminded of our baptismal vows to love God and neighbor and to respect the dignity of every human being.

For your personal reading and devotion this Sunday. 

READINGS:

Acts 2:1-21: The believers are filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and they start to praise God in various languages.

Psalm 104: 24-34.35b: The world and all its creatures depend on God for provision and breath - which leads the Psalmist to commit to praise God.

 

Pentecost has, all too often, been seen simply as a personal experience that moves the recipient into some sort of spiritual elite. The marks of Pentecost have all too often been seen as personal, supernatural experiences and the benefits of Pentecost have been understood as personal edification, personal euphoria and personal strengthening. Sometimes, the Pentecost experience has even been used as the basis for separation and division of one group from another, and as the justification for withdrawal from the world into a kind of spiritual wagon-circling. But, in every community, every neighbourhood and every church God's Spirit seeks to enable people to "speak one another's languages", to welcome and serve one another, and to work together to serve and empower those who most need help and compassion. This is the opposite of what we have often understood as being "filled with the Spirit". When God's Spirit fills us we find ourselves being "sent" to serve others. Rather than leading us out of the world, Pentecost drives us back into it to proclaim and live the prophetic message of God's reign, as Christ did. In what ways is your church community tempted to separate itself from the world around it? In what ways do you sense the Spirit driving you out to proclaim God's grace and glory to those who are different from you? In what ways are you being equipped and called by the Spirit to bring people together and to serve those who need to experience God's presence and activity through human hands?

Thumbprints and commentaries from:

sacredise.com