May 19 was Pentecost Sunday by Kevin E. Dayhoff May
22, 2013 http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=5790
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Shrinking Church
Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday; the 50 day after Easter
and the birthday of the church. Along with Easter and Christmas, Pentecost is
one of the three most important holidays in the church. It’s time to renew the
spirit of Pentecost in our daily lives. Here’s why.
Pentecost has many meanings, which are, in essence, really
only different parts of the same elephant. The English word ‘Pentecost’ is
actually a transliteration of the Greek word ‘pentekostos,’ which means
‘fifty.’
It is one of the oldest holidays in the church. Its roots
may be traced to the Jewish Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, (as is referred to in
Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:10,) which is celebrated 50 days after God passed
down the Torah, which included the Ten Commandments to the assembled nation of
Israel at Mount Sinai. This year Shavuot took place May 14 – May 16, 2013.
There are those who believe that the Jewish faith borrowed
the holiday from ancient pagan rituals which celebrated the death of winter and
a spirit of (spring) renewal.
In the Bible, Pentecost is mentioned in St. Paul's letter to
a troubled church, the First Letter to the Corinthians 16:8. “But I will stay
in Ephesus until Pentecost…”
On my recent trip to Greece, I had the honor of standing in
the marketplace at the very spot where it is believed Paul spoke to the
turbulent crowds in Corinth. Thousands of years later, we must redouble our
efforts to carry the example of Paul forward to address our troubled times.
Pentecost is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in
Chapter 20, verse 16: “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he
might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem,
if possible, on the day of Pentecost.”
Pentecost Sunday marks the end of the Easter season on the
Christian calendar. Pentecost Monday – the first Monday after the celebration
of Pentecost is celebrated as a holiday in many countries, most notably, in
England.
The story of the first Pentecost is told by Acts 2; when
people had gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish festival, the Feast of Weeks.
It was during Pentecost Sunday, 10 days after the ascension
of Christ, when the Holy Spirit descended
upon the Twelve Disciples and followers of Jesus. Today, Pentecost is the
important celebration of that fateful day when the Apostles were bestowed the
gifts to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all peoples and nations.
According to Acts 2: 2-4: “… please click here to read more:
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May 23, 2013
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Many believe that the current decline in church attendance
directly contributes to the erosion of our quality of life, the deterioration
of our sense of community and lack of confidence in the future.
May 22, 2013
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday; the 50 day after Easter
and the birthday of the church. Along with Easter and Christmas, Pentecost is
one of the three most important holidays in the church. It’s time to renew the
spirit of Pentecost in our daily lives. Here’s why.
May 15, 2013
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff is an artist - and a columnist for:
Patuxent Publishing Co., The Carroll Eagle: www.explorecarroll.com: http://www.explorecarroll.com/search/?s=Dayhoff&action=GO
The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com http://www.thetentacle.com/author.cfm?MyAuthor=41
The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com http://www.thetentacle.com/author.cfm?MyAuthor=41
Westminster Patch: http://westminster.patch.com/search?keywords=Dayhoff
Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoffTwitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net
Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/
E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
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Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net
Tumblr: Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems www.kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Smurfs: http://babylonfluckjudd.blogspot.com/
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/
E-mail: kevindayhoff(at)gmail.com
My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/
+++++++++++++++
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/) http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff
Scribd Kevin Dayhoff: http://www.scribd.com/kdayhoff
Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff's YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kevindayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/
Gizmo's: http://www.gizmosart.com/dayhoff.html
Google profile: https://profiles.google.com/kevindayhoff/ “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
