An Invocation for The Day of Pentecost

Thanksgiving comes in the fall of the year. It is a holiday on which we give thanks to God for his providence...for creating, sustaining, and in general providing all we need for life. Exactly how God does this we are still learning (that's the arena of the natural sciences), and we may never understand it all. Divine Creation and Providence are at heart, mysteries, and probably always will be.

This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost, also a holiday (holy-day), that has deep roots in thanksgiving for God's providence. In ancient Israel, every year there were three major holidays (religious festivals, really). The Feast of Passover (Pesach) came in the early spring. Then 7 weeks later came the Feast of Weeks (Shavu'ot). This festival was also known as the Festival of Harvest, or First Fruits, because its main focus was similar to our modern U.S. Thanksgiving: to praise and thank God for the food we eat, for the sustaining work of God in nature. The very first sheaf of grain that was cut for the wheat harvest was offered to God, the "first fruits"; indeed, no harvesting was allowed and no flour was to be ground until this offering was made. The Greek name for the harvest festival was Pentecost. For Christians, it commemorates the day when the earliest followers of Jesus received a special "anointing" of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2), and some 3,000 new believers were added to the early church. Indeed, the day of the first Christian Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the Church. Let it be for us a true day of thanksgiving--it is, after all, a day when the "first fruits" of the Church were harvested!

Here is a Prayer of Invocation for Pentecost. It reflects something I have always thought a bit strange about invocations. An invocation is a prayer invoking God's presence...hence the name! We use them in many places (meetings, meals, graduations--where prayer is still allowed--etc.), and not just during regular worship services. Yet, I believe and most of us often say that God is always with us. So...why do we need to "invoke" God's presence? The truth is, we don't. Usually, it is WE who need to become more present to and aware of God, and pay attention to his indwelling Spirit, who never leaves us!

An "Invocation" for Pentecost:

Lord God, each week as we come together to worship you, we invoke the Spirit upon our gathering. In reality, the Holy Spirit is always with us, for the Spirit dwells within us, from the moment of our baptism and rebirth, given as priceless, timeless gifts of your grace. Your are always with us. You never leave us. You are as close to us as our own breathing. Your breath is our breath, our very life. Come afresh like a rushing wind, a refreshing breeze, and inhabit our praises. Pour out an overflowing portion of your Spirit on our worship, that we might worthily and passionately give glory to your name. Move us to pay attention, and listen, and live in your presence, not just in this hour, but always! Amen.