The feast of Pentecost is a Jewish tradition that is celebrated 50 days after Passover (Pentecost meaning 50). After the ascension, followers of Jesus were gathered together in Jerusalem when the feast day came, as were many Jewish people from many parts of the known world. On that first Christian Pentecost, the Holy Spirit — the helper Jesus promised to send — descended upon the disciples and other followers of Jesus. Filled with the Spirit they were able to communicate their faith even to those whose language they did not speak.
Often described as the birthday of the church, the day is celebrated in various ways in ELCA congregations throughout the country.
Jhon Freddy Correa, pastor, celebrates Pentecost at the Sunday service at Emmaus Lutheran Church, Racine, Wis.
Red confetti falls upon the congregation at Faith Lutheran Church, Bellaire, Texas.
Mary Janz, pastor, preaches beside the flame of Pentecost at Emmaus Lutheran Church, Racine, Wis.
Food is in order at the Pentecost Picnic at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Houston.
The winds of Pentecost begin to blow though the worship space at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church, Fairview, N.C.
Fire, representing the Holy Spirit, at the Pentecost service, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Berkeley, Calif.
Balloons fly on Pentecost at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Bellevue, Wash.
A mural commissioned by Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chapel Hill, N.C.
“Today, on the day of Pentecost, we celebrate the joyous, blessed and precious kingdom of Christ, which is full of joy and confidence and courage.” — Martin Luther, sermon for Pentecost, 1534
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The Holy Spirit
Making plain the word of God
Transforming the sanctuary
“Moses and Jochebed” by Pedro Americo, 1884
St. Luke Lutheran Church has stood at the corner of Schubert and Francisco avenues for more than 100 years.
An interpretive dancer performs in St. Luke’s sanctuary.
Fire jugglers perform at St. Luke’s 2012 Easter Vigil.
St. Luke members don balloon hats at a Logan Square street festival.
A singer performs with an autoharp during worship.
In this “open clinic” in Zambia, people are tested for malaria using a rapid diagnostic test in a make-shift medical center beneath a tree. Patients have their blood tested via a finger prick similar to how people with diabetes check their blood sugar. The test then makes a diagnosis much like a pregnancy test: one line means the person has tested negative. Two lines indicate they have tested positive.
Those who test positive via the rapid diagnostic test can receive anti-malaria medication immediately. Trained personnel give them the medication and instructions on how to complete the full dose. 
This is Innocent. Before Innocent was born, his mother took anti-malaria medication and slept under a net provided by the ELCA Malaria Campaign. Had Innocent’s mother not learned about these important prevention and treatment methods, Innocent might not be here today.
Many pastors in Zambia are trained to educate members about malaria and how to prevent it. At this worship service, members of the community learned about important preventive measures to keep them from contracting the disease.
At the same worship service, community members who are trained in malaria prevention instruct the congregation on the proper setup of an insecticide-treated bed net and how to safely sleep beneath one.
Children in Zambia receive nets, thanks in part to the generous gifts that 
Members of 
Volunteers sorted a day’s worth of waste in 
A team of volunteers from 
Confirmation camp attendees volunteer part of their time to working in the Metigrowshe Garden. Located in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota, the Metigoshe Ministries offers year-round opportunities to connect with God through nature.
Members of 
Baroque period organist and composer Dieterich Buxtehude is pictured here in “Musical Party” by Johannes Voorhout (1674). Buxtehude’s organ works represent a central part of the standard organ repertoire and are still performed at recitals and worship services to this day. He composed a wide variety of vocal and instrumental pieces and his work is acknowledged to have influenced Johann Sebastian Bach.
Composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is acknowledged as one of the most famous, if not the most famous, and gifted of all composers past and present in the western world. Bach, a staunch and devoted Lutheran, is known for his music that was written primarily for the liturgical life of the church, to the glory of God.
The jazz ministry at 
Paul Manz (May 10, 1919 — Oct. 28, 2009) pictured here with his wife, Ruth, was a Lutheran composer of choir and organ music. He received a master’s degree in music from Northwestern University and as a Fulbright scholar he studied with Flor Peeters in Belgium. His musical compositions are internationally known and his organ works are extensively used in worship services, recitals and in teaching. His motet, “E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come” is regarded as a classic.
The Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival has been produced by the Lutheran Music Program for over 30 years. The program consists of a four-week residential training and performance regime for gifted high school students. Picture is courtesy of Lutheran Summer Music Program.
Fiddling at the global sing-along at the 2008 Global Mission Event, La Crosse, Wis.
Angelica Lutheran Church has been serving Los Angeles for 123 years with services in English and in Spanish.
Angelica’s Worship Band at their Spanish-language worship service.
Carlos Paiva, Angelica’s pastor.
Worship at Angelica.
Angelica’s pews have Bibles in both English and Spanish.
Children play at Angelica’s post-worship lunch.
Lighting the paschal candle at the Easter Vigil at 
The paschal candle at 
Martin Lettow, pastor of 
Children’s service at 
The altar at 
Decorating the Easter cross at 
The Easter choir at 
Olin Sletto, pastor of 
For the past five years the congregation of 
Maria Argueta holds palms during a bilingual interdenominational service on Sunday, April 17, 2011, at 
Lou Florio, pastor and Living Lutheran blogger, blesses the palms at 
Palm Sunday at 
Procession at 
Worship space at 
Mikki Gay of 
Leaders write down their goals and ideas for the future of the ministry on sticky notes.
Ministries share about themselves on posters around the meeting room. Redeemer Lutheran Church in Toledo, Ohio, introduces their staff and celebrates their greatest joys.
In addition to sharing ideas, the meeting was an opportunity for leaders to hear the stories from across the country of ministries working with and among those experiencing homelessness.
Leaders meet with Mark Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, to share their stories and discuss their ministries’ needs.
The participants gather after their work is done.
Rosalyn Sadler helps with preparation of reading materials for use with the literacy program in Liberia (c. early 1950s). Soon after this photo was taken Rosalyn and her husband, Wesley, a missionary linguist, moved on to North Rhodesia to head the African Literacy and Writing Center. 
Missionary Waidtlow at the laying of the cornerstone of a new church at Port Arthur, China, in 1934. 
A missionary on a motorcycle in India, ca. 1920.
The Rev. and Mrs. Liu Dao Sheng belonged to the Honan-Hepeh-Shensi Synod in China. Pastor Liu served as a guest speaker at retreats at Gustav Carlberg, The Lutheran Theological Seminary in China.
Tsingtao Lutheran Hospital Higher Nurses Training School, graduation class, Nov. 15, 1949.
India missionaries attending Guntur Conference, October 1916. Among those present is Anna Kugler, a medical doctor who served 47 years in southern India.
Madagascar Lutheran missionary children, 1910s-1920s.
Joel Mayer, pastor, assisted farmers in India to dig wells for irrigation of rice fields, 1969.
Group of Lutheran United Mission, Augustana Synod Mission, and Lutheran Brethren Mission missionaries on their way to China in 1938, during the Sino-Japanese War. Picture taken on the coastwise steamer between Shanghai and Tsingtao.
General Council Board of Foreign Missions India — missionary group before 1882, likely in Rajhamundry.
Lt. Bill Hlavin, an ELCA pastor, celebrates Christmas in Afghanistan. Bill is a chaplain with the Navy Reserve and spent a year with Marines in 2010-2011.
Lt. Bill Hlavin, chaplain, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, concludes a baptism service in prayer. Bill baptized 29 Marines under Operation Sword of the Spirit.
Bill Wiecher, chaplain, with 2nd Lt. Jasmine Tesdahl, a seminary student preparing for ministry in the ELCA. Originally from Longmont, Colo., Jasmine will continue with studies at the 
Soldiers on a field training exercise at Fort Sill, Okla., celebrate the Eucharist during Holy Week in 2007. Serving them is D. Erich Schwartz, chaplain and one of the ELCA pastors on active duty. 
Jeremie Vore (second from the left), one of our ELCA pastors deployed as a military chaplain in Afghanistan in 2011, poses with three other chaplains at Combat Out-Post Penich in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. The chaplains represent a cross-section of religious traditions: a Southern Baptist, a Lutheran, a Churches of Christ pastor and a Romanian Orthodox priest.
“Father, bless our soldiers and send them safely home to us in the name of your blessed Son Jesus.” — prayer on the back of a camouflage stole. This photo is from 
Tom Bingnol, chaplain and an ELCA pastor, leads sailors aboard the USS Halyburton in a Christmas worship service. The ship is at the edge of a tropical cyclone.
Col. Michael Lembke, chaplain, sings a song with other chaplains and chaplain assistants during the Spiritual Fitness Initiative conference at the Hope Chapel in Camp Victory, Iraq, Nov. 15, 2010.
Students learn construction skills that will not only help them earn a job after passing their courses but also help Haiti rebuild.
Built on the site of an old sugar plant, the program’s amenities include a concrete block-manufacturing facility.
Students learn all of the steps of the construction process from beginning to end. Joseph says that the program will combat Haiti’s “brain drain” problem and keep these skilled, trained workers in Haiti instead of their looking for work elsewhere.
The first class of Ateliers-École des Métiers de la Construction.
Parroquia Luterana San Jose at Christmas.
An Advent service at Parroquia Luterana San Jose.
Pastor Neddy Astudillo speaks with San Jose’s children.
Holy baptism.
Blessing of the pets.