holy spirit - Wisdom and Faith

“Pentecost”….It’s
P as in Paul
E as in Edward
N as in Nancy
T as in Tom
E as in Edward
C as in Charlie
O as in Oscar
S as in Sam
T as in Tom.

With a maiden name like “Pentecost”, I found myself begrudgingly spelling it mnemonically during my pre-marriage years. Every bank, dry cleaner, reservation and such, required precision spelling. Regardless of the hassle, in my heart, I secretly treasured the name God graciously gave me and would often say ‘Pentecost’, like the ‘Day of’ and leave it at that.

People asked me if I came from a religious home, uh, well, we went to church but I wasn’t raised in a religious home so to speak. Even now, as far as i know, I’m the only one of my siblings who actively embrace the day our name highlights.

As a teenager, my appreciation grew for what is considered the beginning of the christian church. As noted in Acts chapter 2 when, fifty days after Christ’s resurrection, the power of the holy spirit was imparted and poured out among various people and transcended even their languages. People acknowledged Christ as Saviour and the church exploded with growth.

Who wouldn’t want to recognize a day commemorating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? Talk about a celebration – the people were so overcome by the Spirit that those who saw them thought they were drunk at 9:00 in the morning!

Overwhelmingly people acknowledged Christ and they became a body of believers, the church, full of active love and compassion for one-another.

I’m glad I have such a special ‘Christian/biblical’ name to commemorate each year – albeit it’s my maiden name now. My name speaks of an important day in the life of the church and oh how I pray my life reflects the power of the Holy Spirit as I trust in Jesus. I love how the name’s origins are firmly planted in the Bible.

The online etymology dictionary describes the word’s origin as from:
Old English Pentecosten “Christian festival on seventh Sunday after Easter,” from Late Latin pentecoste, from Greek pentekoste (hemera) “fiftieth (day),” fem. of pentekostos, from pentekonta “fifty,” from pente “five” (see five). The Hellenic name for the Old Testament Feast of Weeks, a Jewish harvest festival observed on 50th day of the Omer (see Lev. 23:16).

Basically Pentecost is the Greek word referencing the feast of weeks, fifty days after Passover which tied directly to what Christians know as Pentecost, fifty days after Easter. In the future I’ll have to write about this relationship, meanwhile, if you are interested in its study, search the Internet for further details.

As Pentecost Sunday approaches I renew my commitment to Christ and to his ministry poured out through the power of the Holy Spirit. May I receive Him and may the Spirit’s power flow through me as I remember my name.

My prayer is that we will ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with power to know Christ in his fullness and be equipped to humbly walk with him. We all need continual growth and renewal, so even after all these years, I take it seriously and know there is much to learn and once again acknowledge my need for His power in my life.

When I am weak, he is strong. Come Dear Holy Spirit, Come.