Pentecost celebrates the birthday of the Christian Church, when God's presence in the form of the Holy Spirit came to the apostles. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter, and the story of the first Pentecost is found in the second chapter of the New Testament Book of Acts. The apostles were gathered together in the days following Jesus' ascension, confused and frightened about their future without their teacher and leader. The story says that as they were gathered, a great wind filled the room, flames rested above their heads and they began speaking in other languages which all could understand. The wind and flames represented the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the speaking in “tongues” the power of God to be heard and understood by all.

I recently traveled to China with a delegation from the Presbytery of Cayuga-Syracuse, which has an international partnership with the Pyongyang Presbytery of South Korea. Pyongyang Presbytery has several mission churches in Macau and Hong Kong. On the last Sunday of our trip, the Rev. Janet Newman of Auburn preached the sermon at the Chinese Church in Macau. I couldn't help but be reminded of the Pentecost story as Janet preached in English to a Chinese congregation in a Korean Presbyterian Church with a Portuguese translator. Language was no barrier to the message; in fact, the blend of cultures and languages was the message as the small church celebrated the unity of God's people everywhere.

This year, Pentecost is celebrated on May 31. It is a festival day on the church calendar, but Protestant churches vary as to if and how it is recognized. The church I attend, Westminster Presbyterian in Auburn, will celebrate Pentecost with red vestments, paraments, candles and a sermon and hymns related to the work of the Spirit. New members will be welcomed during the worship service, and many of the congregation members will wear red clothing. Pentecost historically was a festival day for baptisms and reception of new converts. Pentecost is referred to as Whitsunday in some traditions. Pentecost is also the name of the Jewish festival of Shavuot, 50 days after Passover, which celebrated the first fruits of the grain harvest.

Presbyterians also recognize Pentecost with a special offering, one of four special offerings of the Presbyterian Church. The Pentecost offering supports ministries and programs for youth, young adults and children at risk. The offering supports denominational programs such as Young Adult Volunteers in Mission, who teach and serve in one-year assignments all over the country (Miami, New Orleans, Tucson, etc.) and the world (Belfast, Guatemala, Kenya, Peru, India, etc.). It also supports youth leadership development, denominational ministries with youth and young adults and advocacy for children at risk.

One of the exciting components of the Pentecost Offering is that congregations keep 40 percent of what they collect for a local ministry on behalf of children at risk. At Westminster Church, the local portion is put into the Paula Windsor Scholarship Fund for Westminster Nursery School. The scholarship was started by the Rev. Phil Windsor in memory of his mother. Each year, it is added to through the local portion of the Pentecost offering and through other congregational donations.

A few weeks ago, the Westminster Nursery School teachers told the congregation about how the scholarship has benefited one particular little boy, who has been able to attend Westminster Nursery School for two years because of the Paula Windsor Scholarship. They told of the growth and improvement he has made by his participation at the school, through the friendships he made with other children, the loving nurture of the staff and the support services on site. He will start kindergarten this fall, fully ready for the next stage of his education, thanks to his experience at Westminster Nursery School, made possible by scholarship support.

Pentecost celebrates the Spirit's presence and power working through people of all ages and places and times, whether it be in the Korean Church, in China or in the classrooms of the Westminster Nursery School in Auburn.

Jill Fandrich is an elder and the clerk of sssession at Westminster Presbyterian Church, where she is also the newsletter editor and webmaster of the church's Web site: www.westminsterauburn.org