Day of Pentecost
On the fiftieth day of Easter we celebrate the Holy Spirit
On the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, the church celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit and the mission of God extending to the whole human family.
Principal Themes
- The Holy Spirit
- The formation of the Church
- Christ as the light of the world
- The mission of God to all nations
Color of the Day
- Red, a color associated with the festivals of the church and the Holy Spirit.
Planning the Liturgy
- The festival of the Pentecost concludes the church's 50-day season of celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- This is the last Sunday to proclaim, "Alleluia! Christ is risen. Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!"
- Symbols abound on the day of Pentecost and provide ample opportunity to emphasize the festivity of the day: flames, rushing wind, and birds are symbols for the Holy Spirit.
- Have the children participate in the festival of Pentecost by including them in the procession in and out of the church holding red banners.
- Use the Nicene Creed, a creed that proclaims the faith of the church.
- Use the proper preface for the Vigil and Day of Pentecost that can be found in the Leader's Edition of Evangelical Lutheran Worship on page 189.
What are congregations doing to celebrate?
- Abiding Peace Lutheran Church in Budd Lake, New Jersey includes liturgical dance in their Pentecost celebration. Watch the video.
Resources
- Sundays and Seasons online or in print at Augsburg Fortress.
- See the list of Pentecost resources at the worship website of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.
- See Pentecost on Wikipedia.