The View from the West Mesa

A day to remember. To remember smiles, laughter, and loves; To remember sacrifice. Lives given for us. A day to remember. Young men, mature men, and older men; Sons, and dads, and granddads; And women. Daughters, and moms, and grandmoms; Husbands and wives; And lovers. Lives given for us. A day to remember. Flags, and flowers, and salutes; Bagpipes and bugles; And Taps. Tears, and hugs, and crepe; Deep breaths and sighs; And sobs. Lives given for us. To remember lives given to us. A day to remember. To hold, to cherish, to love; To release, to let go, to lose. For something greater, something deeper; For me, for you, for all of us. Lives given for us. To remember sacrifice. To remember smiles, laughter, and loves. A day to remember. A day to honor. Lives given for us.

In the Western Christian tradition, Pentecost marks the reception of the Spirit by Jesus' disciples following His ascension. He had told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, which would include power. Jesus had told them that He would go to the Father but that He would not leave them as orphans. Rather when He had gone, He would send the Spirit who would remind them, empower them, and give them words to say when they needed them. Once they had received the Spirit, they were to be His witnesses and messengers to the entire world. This then is often considered the beginning of he church, but it isn't really. He church, or the called out people of God, had been in existence for sometime. Rather, this day is the empowering of the disciples to now fully and boldly proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to all comers, and to take the message to all peoples. Part of the church's mission is to tell the world of the Life God wants for them, secured and ex