This very special
Shavuot & Pentecost SUNDAY open thread
is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody
to post whatever they feel they would like
to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.
Say what you want, comment on what other people said,
comment on people’s comments.
Keep it civil. Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.
See the January 1st daily thread for the rules of the road,
which are few but important.
Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS:
I AM PRAYING FOR YOU
Shavuot – Feast of Weeks
You shall count for yourselves — from the day after the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving — seven Shabbats, they shall be complete. Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count, fifty days… You shall convoke on this very day — there shall be a holy convocation for yourselves — you shall do no laborious work; it is an eternal decree in your dwelling places for your generations. – Leviticus 21:15-16, 21
Origin of Shavuot
“Though various Christian denominations commemorate Pentecost, many forget that it was a Jewish holiday before the Church was established. The name Pentecost comes from the Greek word for 50, but the Jewish name is Shavuot (meaning weeks or sevens).”
Shavuot was a way for our people to offer their best to the Lord. In Exodus, God commands His people: “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God” (Exodus 23:19a; 34:26). Further instructions regarding this offering of firstfruits (grain) are outlined in Scripture in Deuteronomy 26:1–4:
And it shall be, when you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and dwell in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground, which you shall bring from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. And you shall go to the one who is priest in those days, and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the country which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ Then the priest shall take the basket out of your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.[1]
Following the presentation of the firstfruits or “wave loaves,” Jews would recite a prayer of supplication, describing the bondage of their ancestors in Egypt, their deliverance and their dependence on God, who brought them to “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Deuteronomy 26:9). Read more …
Other Traditions
Shavuot is celebrated by both Traditional and Messianic Jews. Roman Catholics and liturgical Protestant churches both celebrate Pentecost 50 days after Easter Sunday. Following an older traditional calendar, Orthodox Christians celebrate Pentecost with an all night Vigil rich with symbolism. The church in Greece makes it a 3 day party you will want to be aware of if you are traveling to Greece on that weekend.
Think’s Thoughts

Considering the deep historical and spiritual meaning for this day, please ponder and think about celebrating our shared values for honoring the scriptures as given to Moses, the prophets, and teachers in the Judeo-Christian traditions.
This was one of three feasts given to the people where they would take their harvest (produce from the land), travel to the temple in Jerusalem, and present it before the Lord.
Just to make sure this picture is complete, remember that their harvest was used in two ways, to feed the family (landowners) that came to present it, and some was distributed to the priests, the fatherless, widows, and temporary residents–those without land to provide for themselves. In this way everyone in the nation was able to use this time to enjoy God’s goodness.
Imagine, if you will, the value of these feasts. Creating a special event creates unity among the members of the family. Making it a vacation from regular work gives them time to rest and restore between seasons. Traveling to Jerusalem strengthens bonds with the rest of the people in their nation. Offering their first fruits focuses their minds and hearts on the appreciation they naturally feel for the gift of abundance, land ownership and freedom from the bondages of the past. Sharing with others who did not have land probably increased their gratitude for the land they now enjoyed.
Starting from the observance of Passover, they would begin the countdown to this extraordinary celebration. After the destruction of the temple, the focus for the Jewish people shifted from the focus of offering the produce of their land to the giving of the Torah. This is a a beautiful tradition where the night is spent reading and giving thanks for the scriptures, especially the book of Ruth. (This tradition is not found in the writings of Moses.)

It is in this context that the disciples were instructed by Jesus,–after the resurrection, and 10 days before Shavuot–to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, where they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. As Jews, they knew of the upcoming Shavuot Feast. Devout people from all over were gathering in preparation for it.
I can imagine on this day in that upper room the sounds of travelers greeting and the smells of food being prepared kept their minds on the significance of the time they were in.
In some way, you might see these men and women as the first fruits of the harvest given to Jesus by the Father. Thus, as they pray, Jesus presents them to the Father, who responds by sending fire from Heaven to baptize them.
The sounds from the streets of Jerusalem are replaced with the roaring sound of a rushing wind, the Holy Spirit, and then the loud voices of the believers as they begin to glorify the Lord. They are so loud that people on the streets stop and say, “What is this?” which prompted an explanation that led 3,000 more to believe and join this new community. What an amazing day!
Think *3
Extra servings of MIQUEDEM (whom I just found in my research for this post)… quieter song of Psalm 116 in Hebrew with subtitles… more rock style international concert in Jerusalem.
With strings in modern worship style in English from a rooftop in Jerusalem. I really like the visuals and the vocals in this one.