Why is Pentecost so important for Christians?
It is connected to Christianity’s central image of God as Trinity. Over many centuries Christians have come to understand God in three ways. First, as God the Creator in nature; second, as the Son, in the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; and finally, as Spirit. The Spirit represents God as living and active in the world today. It signifies the fact that the Christian faith is not just about events that happened in the past, rather it concerns the present and the future. The Spirit is God’s animating presence in the church, and indeed, in life itself. Hence, without its Spirit, the church is dead, and without the Spirit, all that is creative and wonderful in life itself ceases to exist. Is there is a difference between celebrating Pentecost and Pentecostalism? You bet. As we have seen, Pentecost is an important holiday for nearly all Christian denominations. Pentecostalism, on the other hand, is a movement within Christianity that has resulted in the creation of, acco
