Pandemic, Protests, and Pentecost
I should point out that this message is long overdue. God gave me the idea of this message early Pentecost Sunday morning, May 31, 2020.
As many of you remember, there have been protests happening across the country [and the world] following the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. They began in Minneapolis, MN on May 26th this year with justice for George Floyd as the impetus. Some protests turned into riots, and the Minneapolis Police Department was set on fire and burned, as well as more than 150 police cars scorched in places like Los Angeles and New York City. These protests were happening within the week leading up to Pentecost, and I found it both odd and intriguing that this was all happening at the same time that we were to be celebrating the birth of the Church. Quite an intriguing time because everyone was looking for the Church — particularly white pastors — to say something concerning the current social injustice and unrest. I wondered if Christian pastors, not just white pastors, would stick to the traditional Pentecost sermon or be able to integrate these protests into their Pentecost message. I thought about how it would be possible to do that.
As I was shaving — somehow many of my sermon ideas come when I’m in the bathroom lol — I thought about the purpose of Pentecost. The word comes from the Greek word Pentēkostē…
