• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

215 N. 7th, Terre Haute, Indiana

  • About
    • Welcome!
    • Worship Calendar
    • Live Worship
    • Sermons
    • Clergy & Staff
    • Communication
  • Community
    • Blog
    • News + Events
    • Episcopal Links
    • Links for Study and Devotion
  • Get Involved
    • Give
    • Calendar
    • Ministries
    • Service Committees
  • Members
    • Annual Meeting
    • News
    • Schedule
    • Newsletter
    • The Hope Journal
    • Resources

Pentecost

The Rector's Blog · May 24, 2023

Disciples, Apostles, and Saints!

After seven weeks of Easter, we gather on the fiftieth day, wearing red, to celebrate Pentecost. The day made famous by tongues of fire, rushing wind, and improbable language artistry. And each year, we dream up ways to capture the nature of the spectacle. With banners, readings, or some use of fire.

These images of the event, however, help reveal the nature of it. A moment, not so much about the miraculous disciples, but the miracle of understanding. Spectacles get noticed. But effectively communicating in ways that are understood keepattention. And in this moment, making it so the Good News could be understood was the real miracle.

I’ve always loved Pentecost. Probably because it makes it impossible to take a passive role in it. Most weeks, we can focus on how awesome Jesus is. We can deconstruct his teachings and talk about his intentions. We can speculate—and keep ourselves busy with objective concepts of “right” and “wrong.”

But not this week. Jesus has ascended and the ball is in our court. Now the spotlight is on us. Not on our behavior or on our character, but on the mission we are given. Which is this, as described in the catechism:

“The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.”

With love,
Drew

Filed Under: The Rector's Blog Tagged With: mission, Pentecost

Previous Post: « Ascension
Next Post: Trinity »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • A Word: We get to start somewhere
  • Loving Advent
  • A Word: When everything changes
  • Practicing Advent
  • A Word: We get to love like this
Updates

Keep Up

Footer

CONTACT

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
215 N. 7th St
Terre Haute, IN 47807

812-232-5165

officeadmin@ststephensth.org

ABOUT

St. Stephen’s is a sacramental community following Jesus’s Way of Love.

We worship on Sundays at 8 & 10.

AFFILIATIONS

St. Stephen’s is a member of The Episcopal Church and congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.

St. Stephen’s is a member of the Wabash Valley Homeless Coalition

PARKING

St. Stephen’s is across from Indiana State University. Nearby parking lots are run by ISU and are free after 5pm weekdays and are free all weekend long. 

Five marked spots in the lot directly behind the church are available during the week.

Copyright © 2023 · Showcase Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in