About Pentecost

Historical Background

Reprinted from Book of Worship © 1986 Office of Church Life and Leadership, 2002 Worship and Education Ministry Team, United Church of Christ. Used by permission.

“Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Easter, closes the Easter season. … Pentecost, borrowed from the Jewish calendar of feasts but transformed by the experience of the church described in Acts 2, originally combined the themes of Christ’s ascension and the descent of the Holy Spirit. In the fourth century the two events were separated, and the ascension was placed on the fortieth day after Easter, a Thursday ten days before Pentecost.

“The color for the day of Pentecost is red in vivid commemoration of the tongues of fire described in Acts 2. In some churches the Sunday following Pentecost is observed as Trinity Sunday. However, this festival in observance of a doctrine about God rather than of an event in history lacks ancient precedent. Where it is celebrated, white is the usual color.

“The Sundays following the day of Pentecost are usually identified by their numerical sequence: the first Sunday after Pentecost, etc. The seasonal color is green. This is the long season of the church in mission. In some traditions the last Sunday in the season, the Sunday before Advent begins, is observed as the Festival of Christ the Sovereign. The color, white, associated with all the festivals of Christ's life, is used when this occurs.”

— quoted from the Introduction to Worship in the United Church of Christ, as posted on the UCC Web Site.

Here at Pilgrim Church

Pentecost Sunday coincides with the approximate end of the school year for the C.E. CARE program, which is also marked by the all-church picnic. As the season of Pentecost progresses through summer, the pace of organized activities slows as church members scatter to travel on vacations. During the first weeks after Labor Day, we often have a “welcome back” activity as everyone returns for another school year. The fall marks several notable activities in our congregation, including the Church Fair, Fall Business meeting, stewardship campaign, and—finally—preparation for Advent.