Celebrating Mother's Day and Pentecost together

In most churches, two events will be celebrated - Mother's Day and Pentecost - this coming Sunday. In some way both have to do with beginnings, births.

It's because of our mothers we are here. For most of us, one of the greatest influences in our lives were our mothers.

Many of the values we carry into adulthood came from our mothers as we grew up under their watchful, loving, caring eyes.

This Sunday is also Pentecost Sunday, when Jesus' disciples were in Jerusalem when the fire of spirit came upon them and they began to speak in other tongues, in languages that could be understood by people from all parts of the Mediterranean world and the church was given birth.

With the day of Pentecost, the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ began to spread throughout the Mediterranean. From that day the spirit of Christ has been nurturing both the faithful and unfaithful.

The spirit of Christ has called us into the caring of God's people, the world's people, especially the lost and least among us.

• The Rev. Bill McCord a retired pastor with First United Methodist Church in Carson City and is a member of the Carson City Christian Ministerial Fellowship.