A Week after Pentecost Sunday

Getting something rolling is not the end of any work. Continued efforts must keep the matter rolling. Jesus’ ministry, his death and resurrection, and the “shedding forth” of the Spirit on Pentecost were not the end of the story. Luke summarizes the first Christians’ endeavors at carrying the faith forward right from the start: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayers” (Acts 2:42).

Our gathering today incorporates these same four observances, including “breaking bread.” Doing so recognizes that convictions and commitments fade with time unless we make efforts to counteract that tendency. The sufferings of the Messiah happened whether we remember them or not; they meant what they still mean whether we acknowledge it or not. But they do not benefit us if they are not continuously alive before our eyes. “Lest we forget Gethsemane; lest we forget his agony; lest we forget his thorn-crowned brow, lest we forget his love for us,” let’s go to Calvary (“Lead Me to Calvary” by Jennie Evelyn Hussey).