What’s Whit?

I took down the Royal Wedding display at school and had to come up with an idea for something else. It occurred to me that people generally have no idea why we have the second May Bank Holiday.

So I thought I’d do something about Whitsun/Pentecost.

Intriguingly, as I was putting it up, the people going through the school entrance were saying “What’s the next display going to be about, Angela?” and I showed them the long banner with the question on [above] And without exception they said “Don’t know!” – after the 6th adult had said this, I decided my display theme was justified!

There is a very good, well worded explanation of Whitsun on the BBC website and I used this as the basis of my display – the centre section focussing on the Trinity and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the left hand side on the bible story from Acts 2, and the right hand side had some pictures of Whit celebrations 80 years ago, and how it is marked in churches now - with red and gold being the key colours.

Bob had recently taken down the gold Easter drapes from church, so they made a great backdrop! I hadn’t got any ‘vestments’ to hand – but I did borrow a couple of appropriate neckties to put on the little table!

And having got all that sorted out, I have to get my head down and write a sermon on Acts 2 for Sunday week [I have been asked to preach on that passage at the church I am going to then] Technically, Whitsun this year falls on June 12th as Easter was so late – but it has been a number of years since the Bank Holiday was moved to always be the last Monday in May, and not the day after the actual religious Pentecost celebration.

The fruit of the Spirit is…