Pentecost. Colored Green, not Red, at Covenant this Year?

Next Sunday's Readings
(Click the above to connect with next weeks Scripture readings)

Anton Rublev's icon, the Holy
Trinity, painted in the 1400's, is
the "embodiment of spiritual
unity, peace, harmony, mutual
love and humility." 

It's always been red! So why would we even
contemplate coloring Pentecost Sunday (May 20) green this year at Covenant?

Well, perhaps for three exciting reasons that have everything to do with Covenant's vision of ministry for the next 36 years (2017 - 2053).

1. The Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit 

Not the prettiest of paintings this painting of the Holy Trinity on the left. But then we learn it's not meant to be pretty. Rather, it's designed to share deep insight into the nature of God as we learn to pray with it.

Notice the Spirit's cloak is colored green as a sign of endless creativity, the color of the chloroplast that turns light into life-giving plants which green all creation. Notice too how the Spirit points to a rectangle beneath the chalice, God's personal invitation to each of us to take our place, to join the circle of God's love, therein to experience union with the living God.

2. Blessing of green Seedlings and Seeds  

Pentecost red. Covenant continues to tell the Story,
"shining the Christ-light into the darkness" from our  towers.

You are invited! If you plan to plant a raised bed, patio container or a humble window sill garden this year, please do join in. Bring a sampling of seeds and/or a green seedling with you to worship on Pentecost Sunday. We will invite you to place these alongside a bowl of water around the altar before they are blessed, praying...

O God, "bless these seeds, pregnant with life. They show us the Easter mystery of new life coming from death and burial. May they burst forth soon with verdant growth from earth, rain and sun." 

This will be a wonderful way of celebrating growth in the Spirit at the start of the gardening season as all creation greens up. We will also mark the start of Eden Community Gardens in thanksgiving for the hard work of Covenant's Guild of Gardeners.

The Jerusalem Cross, used to Guide
Methodists "in making disciples of Jesus
Christ for the transformation of the world."

3. The Greening of Souls  

Building on the strength of the other small groups at Covenant, four new ones have been launched. The purpose of these Covenant Discipleship Groups is the Jerusalem-cross-gardening-of-souls, or, "in simple humility, [to] let our gardener, God, landscape [us] with the Word, making a [green] salvation-garden of [our] lives" (James 1:21) (MSG).

The groups meet weekly or bi-weekly to contemplate the Scripture reading for the coming Sunday. They explore it with head and heart, inviting the Word to re-shape who each person is and how they live. The hour-and-a-half ends with a time of "watching over one another in love," being accountable for the four acts of devotion, worship, compassion and justice as symbolized by the four little crosses of the Jerusalem cross. This portion is designed to mutually encourage participants  "to love and good works."

Conclusion

This Pentecost Sunday promises to be unique. We will hear the Pentecost story read in multiple languages and experience again the red fire of the Spirit creatively working to "green" both souls and gardens alike, that God's kin(g)dom might come "on earth as it is in heaven." 

Please do join us.