SERVICES FOR SUNDAY THE 19TH MAY 2013 (THE FESTIVAL OF PENTECOST)

OUR SERVICES THIS WEEK ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Hawkesdale, 9.00am       Service of the Word
Warrnambool 10.30am    Service with Holy Communion
Ayrford 11.30am             Service of the Word

Readings:
Genesis 11:1-9  "The tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues"
Acts 2:1-21       "The coming of the Holy Spirit"
John 14:8-17     "Jesus promises the Holy Spirit"

During the service at Warrnambool, four young people will be confirmed.


BACKGROUND OF PENTECOST

(the following material is provided by the Worship Commission of the Lutheran Church of Australia)

The Jewish festival 'Pentecost' came fifty days after the Passover. According to the Acts account, this was the day that the Holy Spirit was given to the church. In the earliest period of the church, Pentecost was a double celebration of both the ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. It was only late in the fourth century that the ascension came to be celebrated separately on its chronological date 40 days after Easter. At the same time, the term 'Pentecost' often referred to the whole 50 day period, not just the final Sunday. Despite the fact that the Acts chronology has received a liturgical imprimatur, Luke's gospel seems to place Jesus' ascension on the same day as his resurrection, and John's gospel also places the giving of the Holy Spirit on Easter day. So it can be seen that the themes of Christ's resurrection and ascension, together with the coming of the Holy Spirit, form not separate celebrations, but one celebration in the church.