On Sunday we will celebrate Pentecost… WEAR RED.
We are encouraged to wear red to church on Pentecost. Red is the liturgical color we use to celebrate Saints Days and Ordinations. By inviting everyone to wear red on Pentecost, we are inviting you to remember that each of us is a member of the Communion of Saints. Each of us is marked by The Spirit and called by God to live the love of Jesus in our lives every day inside and outside of the church.
At the first Pentecost, the Jewish people, who had been scattered across the nations amidst diasporas, were regathering in Jerusalem. This regathering was an act of hope in a hurting world. In response, God sent The Spirit down upon the disciples and gave them the gift of speaking in tongues. In this way, God’s message of hope could be heard by all the people in their own heart language. By speaking hope to the people in their native languages, God is saying to them I see your pain and feel your longing and I am marking you as my own.
Today, the anointing of the Spirit, reminds us who we are: God’s beloved children made in the image of the divine. God sees us in our sorrow and hope and meets us there. The Spirit descending upon us makes us each prophets. Imbuing our lived experience, personal history and culture, with the power of The Spirit. The Spirit gives our voice the prophetic power to speak God’s love into the world.
This Pentecost, you are called not just to wear red, but to burn brightly with the love of Christ, and offer hope and healing to a hurting world.
Rev. Josh Paget
Associate Rector for Pastoral Care and Community Development
