May 20

Beloved families of Good Shepherd,

Peace be with you! This Sunday we are excited to celebrate the great Mystery of Pentecost, a special feast day the children know as the “Happy Birthday” of the Church! During our 10 am liturgy we’ll baptize eleven people into the body of Christ and celebrate Rev. Emily, Zac, and Lamar. Right after the 10 am Eucharist, we’ll enjoy a parish picnic together with amazing food prepared by our own Chef Jeremy Ashby, owner of Dupree Catering. No RSVP is needed for our picnic—families are welcome to join for a few minutes or stay the whole time as celebrate our newly baptized Christians and say farewell to our three wonderful staff members.

In this Sunday’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples heard a sound from heaven like a rush of violent wind, which was the coming of the Holy Spirit! The disciples became so full of the Spirit’s power that they seemed to be on fire. Their tongues burned inside their mouths and they began to speak in different languages which others could understand. On this first Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, Peter speaks the words of the prophet Joel:

“In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” 

Peter signals that Joel’s prophecy is being fulfilled with the abundant outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost. This means that the Spirit is now generously available to “all flesh”, a powerful gift to all believers, including our children! The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, is God’s active living presence within our souls and in the world. The Holy Spirit is the Force that guides the Church into all truth and makes the sacraments alive. And, the Holy Spirit if the flame at the center of each of which empowers us to love God and others passionately and unconditionally, as Jesus loves us.

May we, like the first apostles, be bold to share the good news of God’s love and ignite others into a life of faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. One of our early Church Fathers, St. Augustine of Hippo, said the church grows in depth and beauty as “one loving soul sets another on fire.”

We give thanks to God for the eleven new people who will join the body of Christ in baptism this Sunday and make the fire within our Good Shepherd community burn even brighter!

Families are invited to wear red this Sunday if they wish in honor of the Feast of Pentecost.  We hope to see you this Sunday!

Many Blessings,

Patty