Traditionally people in churches wear red on Pentecost. It is a church celebration of when the flames of fire were seen on the heads of people. The winds blew and it was a day much different than others.
Pentecost (Pent = 5) is fifty days after Easter. It is also ten days after the ascension of Jesus into heaven. At that time Jesus told the disciples and followers to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to be sent to them. They did as he said and when the day arrived it was very unusual. The disciples were able to preach loudly, and boldly and people of different languages heard them in their language.
We often refer to this day as the “birth of the church”; I guess we have to have a beginning. But truthfully, the church was established with Jesus and the time he preached and taught among the people (which is the Gospel that means Good News). Jesus did say that he must leave so the Holy Spirit can come and aide and direct the church on earth. He is speaking about the spiritual life we all must seek and unite our lives with the God of our beginnings.
One of the most amazing happenings of the day of Pentecost is the fact that the timid and frightened followers of Jesus (remember how they hid in a closed room when Jesus was killed?) were able to come out and proclaim the Gospel and the resurrection to the people. These simple, mostly uneducated disciples were truly inspired by the Spirit of truth and certainly felt compelled to share it. This is the church! We should raise our spiritual awareness with the help of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Good News to everyone.
The church has lasted 2026 years and it will continue, no one can put the flames out! The church of today must, once again, regain its commitment to God with the help of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do it alone, that is why we have “congregation” but we must work harder at “coming out” and once again proclaim the Good News to everyone. After all, if were are a disciple of Christ we cannot fail!