I have been wanting to write somethin=
g about our chapel and the worship experiences here. I guess the foundi=
ng of the Church — Pentecost Sunday — is a good time to do that. … <=
/p>
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/a>
From the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, we read:
When the day of Pentecost came, th=
ey were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of =
a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they we=
re sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated an=
d came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Sp=
irit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every na=
tion under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in =
bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Ut=
terly amazed, they asked: =E2=80=9CAren=E2=80=99t all these who are spea=
king Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native =
language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea=
and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the p=
arts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to=
Judaism); Cretans and Arabs=E2=80=94we hear them declaring the wonders =
of God in our own tongues!=E2=80=9D Amazed and perplexed, they asked one=
another, =E2=80=9CWhat does this mean?=E2=80=9D
(Acts 2:1-12 NIV)
You must know that, as y=
ou are in a worship service during which you have already heard songs su=
ng in two languages, one of which you partly know and one you have no cl=
ue what they are saying … well in such a case the miraculous understan=
ding of other languages takes on new meaning.
Of course, here t=
he flowers grow naturally so those who decorate the altar for worship ha=
ve a real advantage. For Pentecost there is no lack of choices among tr=
opical flowers for the color red.
And, particular to Pentecost, you see in the above ph=
otographs "tongues of flame" here and there all around the alt=
ar. These were very cleverly made by placing together four red hibiscus b=
lossoms with one white frangipani in the center. Here is a close-up v=
iew: