Celebrating Pentecost!

We are going out of town this weekend and will miss celebrating Pentecost at home with the children. Instead of my usual festival day posting, here is a little list of 10 fun things to do with your family as part of your Pentecost celebrations.  Like always, some are old traditions, some are new, and some are old made new with a few tweaks!

1) Wear something red.  A red hair bow is especially nice!  White is also a color associated with Pentecost, also called Whitsunday, because of the white garments worn by those baptized at Pentecost.


2) Set a red votive at each place setting. Include extra candles for those you wish could be with you on this special day.

3) Make a descending dove from craft foam or paper.  We like to fold a piece of white paper in half and trace a small child's hand, fingers splayed, on to the paper, making sure the base of the palm is touching the crease. With the paper still folded, cut out the hand, adding a little point coming off the side of the thumb as a beak. Cut a length of red ribbon, sandwich it between the palms of the cut paper hands, and glue them together to make the body of the dove.  Bend the fingers to form wings!  Hang! 

4) Flambe! Be careful!

5) Serve something red.  Make red velvet cupcakes, salsa from tomatoes, onions, and orange peppers, or a fruit salad with cherries, strawberries, and cantaloupe.

6) Hang silver, gold, and red ribbons or streamers from the ceiling fans.

7) Scatter red hots or cinnamon disk candies on the dinner table.

8) Drape garlands of red roses.  This is a very old tradition of the church, meant to look like flames dancing on the congregant's heads.

Adelae, preparing rose garlands for Pentecost 2011

9) Set out a fire pit or tiki torches in the yard. Drape red ribbon or garlands from torch to torch.  Host a Whitsun Ale, another old social tradition of the church.

10) Go to Pentecost worship! Read God's Word for the day: Acts 2:1-11


Pentecost, as always, is also an important day to remember your baptism! "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior"!  Titus 3:5-6

Pentecost Prayer, from the Lutheran Book of Prayer

Lord God, we praise You for the gift of Your Spirit, whom you poured upon fearful men to make them bold witnesses of the mighty acts You accomplished through Your holy Son Jesus, the Christ.

Give us the power of Your Spirit that we may serve You without fear. Regenerate us by Your Spirit that we may live each day as new persons in Christ.  Fill us with Your Spirit that we may reach out in love to all men. Work in us with Your Spirit that we may always do your will. Help us to see our baptism as the seal of the Spirit and the pledge of greater gifts to come.

By Your gracious gift of faith enable us to walk in the Spirit and to live in hope. Seal us in Spirit that we may be Yours eternally.

We pray through Him who promised that You would send the Spirit in His name, Amen.