Unity, Acceptance, & Equality from Pentecost to Pride and beyond

Greetings to all, in the name of Christ our Redeemer!  This coming Sunday we will be celebrating the festival of Pentecost. The term "Pentecost" is derived from a Greek word that means "fiftieth" and marks the fiftieth day after Easter and the Resurrection. It was a moment of transition between the Ascension of Christ and the shocking and unexpected outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a very diverse early Christian community.
  
There is a poetry in Scripture that was probably well understood in the early Church. Though the Fall of Humankind in the Garden of Eden was initiated by our symbolic mother Eve, the redemption of the world was made possible through the actions and obedience of our spiritual mother Mary. And so it is with Pentecost. A few weeks ago, Rev. Cam Burton spoke to us about the story of the Tower of Babel. In that story God responds to humanity's hubris by confounding their speech so that they could not understand each other. In the story of Pentecost the opposite happens. God as Holy Spirit descends on people who speak many languages and makes it so that they can understand what each other is saying. In this act I invite you to see the seeds of unity, acceptance, and equality.  

So, what should you expect this Sunday at UCC?  First off, come to church wearing fiery-colored clothing. Red is the official color of Pentecost. Pastor Carl will be preaching, and if you feel moved to officially join our church on this festival day, you will be invited to move to the front of the sanctuary and go through a short liturgy with Linda Laurence, our Community Connections Team Lead. We will end the service with a neat worship moment by circling the sanctuary with candles and singing  "This Little Light of Mine"  like we do "Silent Night" on Christmas Eve. The children will be invited to come back into the service for this if they'd like to join, and those who join us online are encouraged to participate as well. 

This is a wonderful, exciting time at our church and we hope you will be able to join us this Sunday and beyond. June will be off to a big start at UCC with Pride Celebration Sunday on June 4, VBS running from June 5-9 , and VBS Celebration Sunday on June 11. 

See you in church!

Clark Thompson 
Worship Team Lead