Pentecost daybook, 5: Declare his glory among the nations
My Pentecost daybook for these 8 days of celebrating (today through Trinity Sunday next week).
Join me, won't you? (see all Pentecost Daybook 2016 posts here)
look
Evening Star #6 by Georgia O'Keeffe - source
read
Psalm 96:
Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
all readings for the day: Psalm 96; 1 Kings 12:20-33; 2 Corinthians 5:11-17
pray
Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life
to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy
Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the
preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the
earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen. (source)
listen
Lord Most High - Shane Everett
My Pentecost playlist on Spotify.
do
At the Ascension Jesus gave us, his followers, a great task -- to go to all the world, proclaiming with our lives and words the Gospel to all people, everywhere. At Pentecost, He empowered with His own Spirit to accomplish this task. During Pentecost, we are reminded of the privilege and responsibility we have to act out, with our everyday lives, what the Holy Family embodied at Epiphany -- the good news that the gift of Christ is for all people. All of the longing, doubt, grief, and the sins of the world we held up in the dark nights of Advent and Lent, and all of the bright hope and relief that resurrected to life with the Risen Christ is channeled into this great movement of Spirit and Church at Pentecost.
And the movement is lit for outward projection, the great current of Spirit moves us toward all people, in every nation, everywhere. Some of us send, some of us go, and all of us move toward the peoples of all nations. This is it - our one task, our one job until we are reunited with Christ.
Consider with your friends and families how best to move toward the foreigner in your midst. For the rest of the week, I'll share a few ideas here (thanks to Jessica Snell for ideas shared in Let Us Keep the Feast: Living the Church Year at Home)
If your church is doing a Vacation Bible School this summer, find a way to include children of immigrants. Provide transportation, make welcome, invite the families to become friends.
Find a free class for English language learners in your area and ask what you can do to support their ministry, such as bringing a snack or providing childcare