[The following essay was posted to our discussion group by a pastor in our group.
I am reposting the pastor's comments here with his permission.]
The most neglected Sunday of the year is Pentecost Sunday, according to David Bratcher, who leads a service that assists churches in preparing liturgies for worship. While arguments could be made that post-Lent and Holy Week fatigue have a role in this effect in some places, the absence of emphasis in Pentecostal churches is inexplicable. The very churches that exist to bring renewed emphasis to the present day ministry of the Holy Spirit equally neglect the importance of this Sunday on the Church's calendar.
This year [2007] with Pentecost Sunday coming on Memorial Day weekend found more emphasis on the latter than the former. Add to this the fact that few Pentecostal churches preach on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit nor give any opportunity within their services for receiving this biblical experience there can be little doubt as to the reason for a quickly declining number of Christians who testify of this experience or practice praying in tongues. George Barna recently reported that only 18% within Pentecostal churches report that they pray in tongues. In many places it has become an embarrassment, and this practice is either greatly limited or forbidden.
The reason for this is clear. There is a lack of conviction on the part of the current generation of pastors. The pulpit is devoid of biblical preaching in general and on this experience in particular. Instead of deep personal conviction that "the promise is to you and your children, and to as many as the Lord our God shall call" the old non-pentecostal view of "seek not forbid not" is in vogue.
The leading influences within the evangelical churches are non-pentecostal highly visible personalities. Growing the church, which is God's work, has been usurped as the church's work, and the teaching of the observation of all Jesus commanded, which is our work, is neglected.
When God's people are filled with the Spirit, when all of the Gifts of the Spirit are fully functioning, and the life of the Risen Lord is evident the sought-for evangelism will be explosive. After all, didn't Jesus promise that believers would receive power and be witnesses to the ends of the earth when the Spirit came upon them? Just a brief period after John Chrysostom wrote in the late 4th century that the church no longer expected converts to speak in tongues when hands were laid on them to receive the Spirit, the Church along with culture tumbled into the Dark Ages.
Today there is a fear that disorder will occur and leaders are uncertain as to how to handle such situations. There is a greater effort to make sure that nothing untoward will happen than a burning desire that the Spirit will have His rightful place to be manifest among God's people.
One of the reasons for this is the rearrangement of the Church's life. Sunday morning historically was the gathering of believers for worship and Sunday evening was viewed as evangelistic. With Sunday evening nearly gone Sunday morning has become more and more geared toward unbelievers, and there is no specific gathering for believers except in small classes. I Corinthians 14 is referred to as a relevant teaching on order which of course it is. However, Paul treats the situation as a believers meeting and gives instruction on comportment should unbelievers come into it.
Today Pentecostal emphasis is kept alive by Youth Pastors. This occurrence would be almost totally missing if it were not for retreats, camps, and all-night prayer meetings in which young people receive the Baptism in the Hold Spirit, and smaller churches that still have altar times. Because of my present malady, I have been out of the pulpit for 5 years. I have not heard a message on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, since the last time that I preached on it myself.
Jesus said that these signs would follow believers. The question we must ask is do we believe this? Are we ready to practice it?
