Christ the King- Epiphany, Wilbraham MA 

The Rev. Martha S. Sipe

June 8, 2025 / The Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21

In medieval times, the liturgical year, the church calendar, did far more than determine what biblical texts were read each Sunday.  The church calendar shaped the daily lives of the people.  Festival days, saints’ days, holy days were much more important in daily life than they are to us now.  If you don’t believe me, just go over to Rice’s after church and ask a random customer if they know that today is Pentecost . . . and if they know what Pentecost is about.  Unless you happen to catch some Wilbraham United parishioners purchasing post-service muffin tops, I would be surprised – shocked even – if they did.  But it was not so in medieval times.  Holy days were very important in peoples’ lives, and were often celebrated with elaborate customs and ceremonies.  

One of the festivals that had a very creative way of being celebrated in medieval times was the festival of Pentecost.  You have probably seen pictures of medieval or baroque cathedrals with vaulted ceilings painted with murals of heavenly scenes.  But did you know that sometimes those scenes were painted on the ceilings, not just to inspire people, but also to hide the fact that built into the ceiling were trap doors.  During the Pentecost worship service, someone or ones would be drafted to climb up onto the roof and, at the appropriate moment during the liturgy, open the trap doors and release live doves or white pigeons through the holes.  From out of the painted skies and clouds, these birds would come swooping and diving, symbols of the Holy Spirit descending on the people below.  At the same moment, choirboys would break into whooshing and drumming sounds, imitating the sound of the rushing wind of Pentecost.  And then, as the birds were flying and the choirboys were whooshing, bushels of rose petals were showered down upon the congregation through those trap doors in the ceiling – red, flickering bits of flowers representing the tongues of flame falling upon all who waited below.  Apparently in some places, they tried dropping burning pieces of straw down on the congregation, but my guess is that tradition didn’t last too long since it tended to ignite the believers externally, rather than internally.  See, I’m just following in the footsteps of kooky clergy through the ages who are always trying innovative things during worship!

But talk about dramatic – even without the real bits of flame – birds and flower petals dropped through a hole in the roof.  Those holes covered by trap doors in the cathedral ceilings were called Holy Ghost holes, or Holy Spirit holes.  It is, I think, a fascinating bit of church and architectural history.  And more than that, it’s a powerful metaphor for what happens to us as we gather for worship, not just on Pentecost, but every time we gather.  We don’t have a hole in our roof, but we do have a window high up on the wall.  Can you use your imagination to see the Holy Spirit streaming down upon us this day, connecting us to the power and grace of heaven?

But what if we were to turn that image just a bit to think of ourselves as modern Holy Spirit holes – holes, conduits, channels through which the power and grace of God could be blown through us and into the world?   Can you envision yourself as a holy trap door through which the tongues of the Spirit’s fire can touch our community?  

When I think of the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life, I tend to think of how I experience God:  as comfort when I’m feeling low, as help when I’m feeling weak, as peace in times of stress, as encouragement in times of difficulty.  And all those things are true.  But it is no less true that the Spirit is given to us, as our prayer after communion says, so that we may proclaim Christ’s risen life to a wounded and weary world.  So, in a few minutes, as we move about among the various prayer stations, I invite your prayers to go both directions:  prayers for the Holy Spirit to give you and your loved ones what you need, and also for the Holy Spirit to use you to do what the world needs.  Here’s what I mean. 

In the back of the nave is a map of the world.  You are invited to place a pebble on the map to represent your prayers for someone close to your heart but who lives far away.  And/or you are invited to place a pebble on the map to represent a troubled region of the world, praying that God would ease the troubles of that place.

Here at the baptismal font there is a bowl full of stones.  You are invited to place a stone into the baptismal water, giving thanks for the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life ever since the day you were baptized.  And/or you are invited to place a stone into the font as a prayer for someone who has yet to enter baptismal waters.

Here at the communion rail, you may light a candle to represent a prayer for whatever gift of the Spirit you or someone you love needs.  And/or you may light a candle praying that the Spirit’s love would shine through you to brighten someone else’s life or lighten their load.

And finally, here in the center, there are scissors with which you may cut off a piece of these ribbons.  Put them in your pocket or in your purse to remind you of the Spirit’s power to give you comfort, help, peace, and encouragement and to remind you to comfort, help, and give peace and encouragement to those who need it.

The Spirit flows into us, and if our trap doors are open, it flows through us into the world.  Please pray with me that the world might see God at work through us.  Let us pray.

Holy and merciful God,

today we give thankful witness
to the work of the Holy Spirit
in the lives of each person gathered here 

and in our life together as a community of faith. 

The Holy Spirit came to each of us in baptism,

and that same Spirit is strengthened and stirred within us 

as we worship and pray together,

as we work together in Christ’s name,

and as we build our relationships with one another.

May the Holy Spirit blow among us,

and enlighten us with the fire of God’s love,

even as it blew and burned on the Day of Pentecost.

Although there is no hole in our roof

to let your Spirit in,

we know that your Spirit is moving in this place.

Let it touch each one of us here

that we may find strength for our weakness,

confidence for our doubt,

and passion to serve you every day of our lives.

Open our eyes to see you at work in the world around us.

Open our ears to the cry of the sick, the poor, and the imprisoned.
Open our minds to understand that your love is for all whom you have created..
Open our hearts in compassion for all your creatures.
And then open our hands to make us ready to serve you.

In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.