CORINTH

Sermon Notes-Pentecost Sunday

“The Fire Tetrahedron”

 May 24 2026  (Acts 2:1-21)

       

     This is Pentecost Sunday!  The word Pentecost is from the Greek word 50th.  The Jewish festival known as Pentecost celebrated three events, 50 days after their occurrence.  Those three events included Passover, which caused Pharaoh to let the Hebrew people leave Egypt, the giving of the Torah through Moses, and the annual wheat harvest.  During the festival of Pentecost, Jerusalem would be packed with visitors from many different countries; during their celebrations one would hear cries of joy for their deliverance, recitations from the Torah, and the aroma of wheat bread being baked all over the city.  This day was also the 50th day after the resurrection of Jesus.  It was during all of this celebrating that the Holy Spirit arrived on Jesus’ followers gathered in Jerusalem as instructed earlier by Jesus (see Luke 24:49.) 

    The arrival of the Holy Spirit did not go unnoticed, as a mighty rushing wind, tongues of fire and various languages being used by those who had no previous knowledge of these languages grabbed the attention of many.  The scene was so dramatic, there were some who believed the people were simply drunk and carrying on.  Peter stood up to proclaim to all those gathered that this was a fulfillment of prophecy.  In his remarks, Peter inferred the following: Today (Pentecost) is no longer a day when we celebrate the harvest of wheat and baking bread; now this is a day we celebrate the Bread of Life.  This is no longer a day we just celebrate the Torah, this is a day the giver of the Torah is making Himself known to us through the Holy Spirit. And, this is not just a day we celebrate the Passover (made possible through the gift of sacrificial lambs) this is a day we celebrate the Lamb of God, made know to us in Jesus.

     So, why the red balloons in the sanctuary today?  Because Pentecost can be thought of as the birthday of the church (birthday balloons!) while red represents fire, a symbol of God’s presence. 

     How does fire exist?  Here’s where the sermon title comes in: the fire tetrahedron.  The tetrahedron details how fire can exist.  A fire needs: 1) Fuel: combustible material,  2) Heat: Thermal energy to raise the fuel to ignition temperature, 3) Oxygen: the oxidizing agent in air that reacts with the vaporized fuel to sustain combustion, and 4) Chemical chain reaction: the burning process itself that releases energy, which creates more fuel to continue the burning.

     Here we are folks, the church.  How may we follow this tetrahedron model to keep God’s presence “burning?”

Fuel: We present ourselves as fuel, set on fire with God’s presence.  Without us, the fire has no place to go.

Heat:  Our initial spark, the first source of heat, comes from contact with Jesus, the incarnation.

Oxygen: Our spiritual disciplines, prayer, scripture, sacraments, service to others.

Chain reaction: Spiritual contagion-when we share God’s love and grace with others, more holy energy is released, creating more sacred fires for the present and future-a holy chain reaction!

Celebrate Pentecost!