Preparing for Pentecost

Over the last month, I have been focused upon the Feast of Pentecost.  I have asked others as to what your favorite Pentecost hymns, chants, spirituals and praise choruses are, both current and public domain.  I have scoured through my resources to find those songs that spoke to me.  I have worked to craft interesting arrangements for some of these hymns, both in selection of guitar chords, and in crafting counter-melodies.

All that work has come to fruition today.  As it is well known, today is the Feast of the Ascension.  It is this day that it is traditionally understood to be the beginnings of a novena, that is, a nine-day prayer series.  Since the liturgical churches have a traditional understanding that there are nine days between Christ’s ascension into heaven and the Feast of Pentecost, the day where the Holy Spirit came forth in power upon those in the upper room.  It is generally assumed that theirs was the very first “novena,” as they were praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on those nine days.

What was the result of that outpouring?  Certainly, there was a cacophony of phenomena, from the flames of fire over others’ heads, to tongues-speaking, to such outbursts that outside observers had generally assumed that the disciples were drunk with wine. Perhaps some want this today, perhaps some would refrain.

Nonetheless, the key takeaway is exactly what happened afterwards.  Peter suddenly had a new boldness he never had before.  Words of preaching came easily off the tongue.  Gifts of healing came to others.  Gifts of prophetic knowledge to others. The Church was alive and moving, and these charisms were used to help build the Church.

I quite frankly don’t care if you are excited by charismatic phenomena, or are repulsed by it.  It’s not for everybody.  But the bigger issue is that this happened, and the Christian churches across the sphere celebrate it.

And we can join in that too.

I invite you to check out participating in a novena for the next nine days.  Three such sites to find a prayer to the Holy Spirit are of the following:

1. About Catholicism
2. EWTN
3. Fisheaters

And then…

And then listen and learn the worship songs dedicated to Pentecost Sunday.  These are the hymns that spurred revival across many different time zones.  One of these is the classic Gregorian Chant “Veni Creator Spiritus,” from which many classic hymns today have been written from.  One of these is “The Comforter Has Come,” the 19th century revival song that helped spur the Asuza Street revival in 1906.  One of these hymns is “Holy Ghost, Descend Upon Your Children“, which I had written of before.

And for the first time, I am offering for sale the music notation of all these incredible songs, which you can carry forward into your own personal worship time, your families, your churches, and your prayer groups.  The songbook will only cost $7.99, and a portion of the proceeds will go towards Mercy Corps.

Let us always ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate us, to challenge us, to sustain us, to enlighten us, and to give us the courage to complete the task God the Father has for us.

Come Holy Spirit!