New Beginnings Lutheran Church

05/24/2026

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05/22/2026

“He will teach you all things.” John 14:26b

Pentecost

Pentecost is the name used by Greek-speaking Jews for the Jewish feast of Shavuot. It is a festival of first fruits, when God is given an offering from the land’s early produce. Ancient Jewish tradition connected this feast with the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Siniai. Its name, “Pentecost,” refers to its placement on the calendar - fifty days after Passover - and it is now associated with the Christian feast commemorating the coming of the Holy Spirit. After Christ’s ascension into heaven, his disciples met in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. While they were together, the sound of a rushing wind filled the room and the Holy Spirit fell upon all, manifesting in flames of fire. The disciples began speaking in the languages of the Gentile nations and they were empowered to fulfill Jesus’ final command to “go into all of the world, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Fifty days earlier, Jesus had promised that he would ask the Father to send the Helper (the Holy Spirit) who would be with them forever. Now, in the presence of all, this promise was fulfilled.

The cultural chaos following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 led to conflicting traditions in how to calculate Passover. Today, Western Pentecost, Eastern Pentecost, and Jewish Shavuot all fall on different days. This reminds us to pray that through the Holy Spirit’s power, all of his people will be fully unified in his truth and love.

Almighty God, on this day, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, you revealed the way of eternal life to every race and nation: Pour out this gift anew, that by the preaching of the Gospel your salvation may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book now available for preorder 📚- www.ourchurchspeaks.com

05/22/2026

05/19/2026

It's here please register for VBS! We can't wait for learning and fun!

05/14/2026

We will celebrate Ascension during worship on Sunday.

40 days after Easter Day, the church observes Ascension Day, in recognition of the astonishing moment when the resurrected Christ ascended, body and soul, into heaven. After his resurrection, Jesus remained with his disciples for 40 days. Over these five and a half weeks, over 500 people witnessed the resurrected Christ. Jesus’ death had been publicly confirmed and now he was publicly confirmed as alive. The resurrected Messiah fellowshipped with, taught, and ministered to his disciples, and even cooked for them and ate with them. For the remainder of the 1st century, these 500+ witnesses’ stories were cross-examined and investigated by skeptics and proven true time and time again and the Gospel spread with new generations of converts convinced that Jesus Christ was the living God.

At the culmination of these 40 days, Jesus lifted up his hands and blessed his disciples and was suddenly “taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” (Acts 1:9) Yet Jesus had not abandoned his disciples. “I am with you always,” (Matthew 28:20) Jesus said in one of his final teachings. And so he is. Jesus is the true vine (John 15:1) and all who are in Christ are grafted into him (Romans 11:17). He is present in his body and his blood, giving us life and love, wisdom and truth. He continues to minister to us today as we await his coming again in great glory and power at the very end of the age.

Almighty God, whose only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven: May our hearts and minds also there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Order the book - www.ourchurchspeaks.com