Pentecost

A few Sundays ago Anna (a fellow YAGM) and I were able to attend the English speaking Anglican/Episcopal church in Cuernavaca. We have been able to catch a ride several times throughout the year with a couple that is a good friend of the YAGM program.

Anna, Maricela, Ken and myself on our last day at St. Michaels

This Sunday was Pentecost. The celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the church.

Altar at St. Michael's and All Angels

“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wend, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting…. And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language… we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” (from Acts 2)

“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, salves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

So “in the spirit” of the Bible readings, the pastor had included the response to the readings in all the languages that the parishioners speak. Imagine. It’s an English speaking church in Mexico… The people that attend this church come from all over and have lived all over. And so with the 40 or so of us in the church all of these languages in the picture below were spoken. At once.

Excerpt from bulletin

We have been gifted the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God with us in all languages.

But sometimes we forget it. This was a very real reminder.

The gift of language. The gift of community. The gift of the Holy Spirit.

*Prayer request: For those who are forbidden from using their language.