Today is the day that the Christian Church had its beginning over 2000 years ago. The story is told in Acts 2. Most Christians consider it to be the “birthday” of the Church. It was on Shavuot (Pentecost) that God sent the Holy Spirit to those who believed that Jesus was the long awaited messiah. God has impeccable timing. The Holy Spirit was given on the anniversary of the giving of the commandments, laws from a loving God in an attempt to keep humankind from trouble.
Shavuot ends at nightfall tonight.
Here is typical sentiment about this holiday, found on a website written by a Jew:
“To my Jewish friends and readers, Chag Shavuot Sameach (a Happy Shavuot Holiday). To everyone else, the holiday is basically, a celebration of G-d giving the Torah and the Ten Commandments to the Jewish people. On the holiday, men traditionally stay up all night, the first night, in Bible (Torah) study, and we eat dairy foods. Women can stay up all night, too, and some liberal Jewish women do.”
Happy Shavuot. May the Spirit of Pentecost fill our lives.
More about Shavuot here:
Gary Stearman explains the observance of Pentecost (Christians will celebrate it this Sunday, May 23rd):
Wikipedia explanation of Shavuot (a good one – it must have been written by a Jew):
A view of Shavuot from a Christian Jew:
The story of Pentecost:
In a Bible near you (Acts chapter 2)