Three "mega-festivals" commemorate the Christian calendar.  The first is Christmas which is God's wonderful gift of His one and only Son. The second is Easter. It's Christ's triumph over the power of sin and death. The third is Pentecost and Christ's triumph over sin and death would be of no benefit to us if the Holy Spirit did not give us the gift of faith.  The Holy Spirit gives us the power to believe and trust in Christ as our Savior.  This precious gift of faith is the reason Pentecost is the third "mega-festival" of the church and why we should celebrate it with such joy and Thanksgiving.

To celebrate it, let's understand it a little more fully. As seen in our scripture reading this morning, Pentecost is the great festival that marks the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Much like the Pentagon in our nation's capital denotes the number five, Pentecost means "fiftieth day" and is celebrated fifty days after Easter

In our Christian tradition, which as our soon-to-be blessed confirmation class will tell you dates back to the Mayflower Compact being a guide to how we run our present-day UCC church, Pentecost Sunday occurs 50 days following Easter Sunday.  Pentecost is the seventh Sunday after Easter (7 weeks times 7 days = 49 days, plus Pentecost Sunday). That math brings us to this day, Pentecost Sunday.

This day is this celebration of the birth of the Christian church, and is designed to be both fun and spirited. Think of it: a marshmallow peep extravaganza, an 'Elvis in the building' moment, and all you ride at the Harford Fair Day with no lines, an all you can eat donut day where every glazed, sugary treat you eat, oddly enough, is calorie free. The awakening and the arrival of the Holy Spirit among us is a party. It's not just vital, it's crucial.

Yet let me quote what Dennis Bratcher, who writes for an ecumenical online source known as CRI Voice Institute, has to say about the present-day practice of this third mega-festival Christian holiday. Bratcher writes that "some church traditions use caution concerning "Pentecostal" theology and styles of worship. The association of "Pentecostal" with its charismatic movement continues to foster suspicion, in spite of several church traditions that carry the name "Pentecostal" that are far from "radical."  This caution sometimes leads to downplaying the role of Pentecost in the church year."

What did happen on the day of Pentecost that some opt to downplay or almost discredit this day on our Christian calendar? To find that answer, let's take a closer look at what did happen on that day according to our scripture lesson today.

Here's some background info. Pentecost was originally an Old Testament agricultural festival that included celebrating the "first fruits" of the early spring harvest. Here in Harford Township, if this were the Old Testament times, we'd consider an early spring harvest to be—yeah, a spring harvest here in Susquehanna County—well, not much would come from the gardens many put in last weekend; the first cutting of hay has at least a few more weeks to go, so maybe dandelions? At this time of the year, sure, we always have a bumper crop of those—and we can't beat 'em, so why not celebrate?

By the early New Testament period, however, the original intent of Pentecost gradually lost its association with agriculture in general and no doubt dandelions in particular. Instead, it became associated with the celebration of God's creation of His people. Yes, people of tradition then, like people of tradition today, can change, and they can change successfully because those people then, like our congregation today, can follow God. Here's how the people changed then. After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the festival moved from celebrating harvest grains and other crops to a focus exclusively on God's gracious gift of Torah (which, as we know is the "Law") on Mount Sinai. They moved intentionally from the secular to the sacred, just as we can do today in this church.

Let's focus this scripture reading and our understanding of it further. Ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles, Jesus' mother and family, and many other disciples gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival that was celebrated on the fiftieth day of Passover.  With others who gathered in the temple for the holiday, they were celebrating the Torah, the gift of the written word.

 While they were indoors praying, a sound like that of a rushing wind filled the house of God and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads.  This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel in Joel chapter two, verses 28-29.  The disciples were suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ.  They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival.  Not only did the disciples preach with boldness and with vigor, but by a miracle of the Holy Spirit they spoke in the native languages of the people present, many who had come from all corners of the Roman Empire.  This created a wild and wonderful sensation.  The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins.  The result was that about three thousand converts were baptized that day.

This was a wild and wonderful sensation. Let's get back to that because this wild and definitely wonderful sensation is happening here at First Congregational. See, this wonderful sensation is here because like those who moved from the secular to the sacred, we're on the climb toward a new awakening, one many has said they haven't experienced in this church either in their lifetime, or at least in many, many years. We are on a climb that cannot be denied. One individual I spoke with said this about our church, and I quote, "This place just seems happier than it ever has been. People are generally and sincerely happy to be together, and happy to be in church."

Why? Why this happiness? Because, as the people in worship then kept their focus on God, we, too, are keeping our focus on God, and, as such, the Holy Spirit is here.

I've shared this sentence many times this year. The sentence fits in many sermons for many, many different reasons and applications, but it's this: take a look around you. Take a look around you today.  My God, the spirit is here! The spirit is here!

To a great extent, we still aren't plugging in as we should. To a great extent, the Holy Spirit that may look like flames or tongues of fire (as we read in verse 3 of our scripture lesson today), is still something we're confused by, or choose to ignore or downplay.  But we are God's, and, as God's people, we are built in his image and designed to reflect not our selfish but His perfect love.

Remember, this is what has happened in that worship time. The people are in the temple. Perhaps soon after the acolytes lit the candles or maybe during holy humor which then, like now, was probably appreciated laughter, a mighty windstorm from heaven swept through the sanctuary. Fire followed. People caught the Spirit burning within them and started speaking with tongues of fire. After this happened, this is what happened. Read it aloud with me and see how, to some extent, it still applies to churches today. It is verse twelve, the last verse in our lesson.  Again, it's verse 12. Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What can this mean?"

They all witnessed this event and skeptics then like skeptics now would say with conviction that the event was just a severe gust of wind. Others might say that maybe this text exaggerates what really happened. Oh, sure, a breeze might have blown through; it may have even been powerful; and maybe, when excited, some folks were talking gibberish, but this event is essentially hyped.

No matter where you are—be it in doubt or in devotion (and that's a decision you have to make)—as one chosen by God, and you are chosen by God as our recent scripture lessons confirm this, here are two take-home questions. What does this spirit-led invasion mean to this church? And, specifically, what does this spirit-led invasion mean to you?

Let's find your answer in the text. What does this mean? Some assembly is required. That's what it means. Take a look near the top of our morning scripture sheets. Find verse one. What does it say? When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

The mark of a healthy church is that people here don't rush out the doors and leave right away. We stay. We talk. We listen. We uphold what Paul writes in Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 25 which says, And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.

Some assembly required means we gather, we assemble, we encourage and support one another. We hold ourselves accountable to God by holding ourselves accountable to one another. Catch this today. Hear Calvin theology in that we are fallen creatures and, as the fallen, we need each other.

Some assembly is required.

Be amazed, yes. Be perplexed. No. Assemble. Be in community with one another, and yes, oh yes, open your eyes so that you WILL see.