Pentecost - The Red-Hot Celebration!


by Gwen Wise

Domestic-Church.Com - Fridge Art - Red food for Pentecost

On June 11, we will celebrate Pentecost, the 2000th birthday of the Church. The original Pentecost festival was the Old Testament Feast of Weeks, the celebration of the first fruits of the harvest, and was held 7 weeks after Passover. You can read about it in Deuteronomy 16. On the first Pentecost feast of the New Covenant, brought to us 7 weeks after Easter, the Church received the Fruits and Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The birth of our Church is always an important feast day, but for this Jubilee year an especially festive celebration is in order. Hospitality and breaking bread lend themselves well to a Pentecost party. Picnics, a tradition in many countries, are also a great way to bring people together to celebrate.

The intense love and fire of the Holy Spirit are represented in the liturgical color for Pentecost Sunday, red. Here's a red-hot salad you can include in your meal:

RED HOT JELLO

  • 2 3-ounce packages red gelatin mix
  • 2c. boiling water
  • 2/3 c. red-hot candies
  • 2c. applesauce
  • Add candies to boiling water and stir until dissolved.
  • Add gelatin mixes and stir until dissolved.
  • Add applesauce to gelatin mixture and pour into mold or serving dish(es).
  • Chill for several hours until firm.

The flames of a barbeque and bonfire are especially appropriate for a Pentecost party or picnic - you could cook whatever you'd like on the barbeque, then toast marshmallows over the bonfire later in the evening.

The 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit are: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. Have a 12 fruit salad for Pentecost dinner!

12 FRUIT SALAD

  • 1 container whipped topping
  • 1 3 ounce package red gelatin mix
  • 12 different fruits.

There are so many possibilities, but here are some examples: grapes, oranges, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, kiwi, pineapple, pears, cherries, tangerines, apricots, etc.

  • Stir the gelatin into the whipped topping thoroughly.
  • Wash and slice fruit into bite sized pieces and fold in flavored whipped topping.
  • Chill for several hours and serve.

HOLY SPIRIT COOKIES

Finish your dinner or picnic with some sweet treats. Using slice and bake sugar cookies or your own homemade cookies, decorated with red toppings and symbols of the Holy Spirit.

Give the older children the task of making little templates out of stiff paper. Cut out the shapes of a flame, cross, beam of light, and descending dove. Frost cookies with prepared or homemade white frosting. Lay the templates on top and moisten frosting slightly, then sprinkle red sugar liberally over stencil. Carefully brush sugar off the stencil and lift it off the cookie.

Try decorating some of the cookies with red frosting, red-hot candies, sprinkles, red licorice whips, etc. For a quicker dessert try cherry cupcakes with white frosting and red sprinkles.

Now go forth and make disciples of all nations! Blessed Pentecost!

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