On Trumpet Playing and Pentecost

On Tuesday evening when I got home from school, I checked the answering machine. Pastor Bill from Grace UMC here Bremen left and message for me to call him. Thinking it was probably too late to call back, I waited until Wednesday but assumed that he wanted me to play trumpet at the upcoming unity service of the new Bremen United Methodist Church. Sure enough, the next day we communicated again by phone and he asked me to play on Sunday.

This actually was a really interesting and symbolic service. Two churches came together as one. Two congregations - two families of believers - combined to create one new church.

Interestingly, this celebration occurred on Pentecost.

Pentecost.

Honestly, I would not even have known it was Pentecost on Sunday if I hadn't played trumpet at this new church.

Pentecost.

Honestly, I've never even really thought much about Pentecost.

And, yet, it is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar.

So, as I was playing trumpet during the processional, I saw my brother and others carrying in the large, empty cross from the former Grace church and I glanced and those assembled under the headship of the resurrected Jesus.

This Jesus who conquered death.

This Jesus who turned the world upside down.

This Jesus who broke the status quo.

This Jesus who called people to abandon their lives and follow him.

This Jesus who reached out to those on the margin.

This Jesus who honored the Old Testament but started a New Testament.

Dr. Cindy Reynolds reflected on Acts 2 during the message.

She particularly highlighted the beginning and ending of the chapter.

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place." (2:1)

"Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, 'What does this mean?'" (2:12)

At Pentecost, the waiting of generations is over.

The Holy Spirit comes down and....

Promises are fulfilled.

Power fills the people in such away that they boldly proclaim Jesus so that the entire world can understand.

and

Possibilities

become

endless.

So it was pretty amazing to look around at two churches becoming one in this modern-day Pentecost celebration of sorts. I'm pretty thankful that the trumpet served as the instrument to participating in this celebration.

Take care,

Todd