Uplook - May 23, 2026
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
In the United States this weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer (although technically it doesn't begin until June 21st which is the Summer solstice or longest day of the year). It is a holiday often marked by remembrances for those who gave their lives for the defense of our country. And for you auto racing fans, the Indianapolis 500 race has been held on this weekend for 115 years (with short hiatus' during some years in WW1 and WW2). I can remember listening to it on the radio as a boy while helping my father repaint the house. The weekend is also often characterized by vacations/camping/family BBQ's and home improvement projects.
But today I want to remind you that during this year's Memorial Day weekend we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. This is the Sunday which marks 50 days after the Easter resurrection of Christ and 10 days after his Ascension to heaven when the Holy Spirit was poured out on a unified group of early Christian believers in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. They had returned there and given themselves to prayer, consecration, seeking, and fellowship just as Jesus had instructed them.
It was a momentous event, literally empowering the early church to begin the spread the good news of the Gospel. The prophet Joel referred to this event as the "Early Rain" using a farming metaphor. In 1906 at Azusa Street in Los Angeles, California there was another momentous outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a simple group of unified believers. This has become known as the "Latter Rain" of which Joel also spoke in his prophecy. Between those two events the Holy Spirit has been present and there have been sprinklings throughout the ages because God is faithful.
Our church sprang from this later outpouring with a burning desire to continue to spread the faith of those early Apostles (hence our name - Apostolic Faith) especially as we understand that the return of Jesus is imminent.
So, as you celebrate this holiday weekend, may you also celebrate God's faithfulness not only to the early church but at Azusa Street and most importantly to our church here in Seattle. The Holy Spirit is still present and active in our services; convicting of sin, leading us to holiness, drawing consecrations, comforting and teaching, empowering and bringing forgiveness and unity to us as fellow believers. May we not only practice all of that...(as the race car drivers do...but also celebrate at the soon to come "checkered flag".
Housekeeping Notes
Youth Camp - We have received applications for Youth camp and they will be available tomorrow. You are encouraged to register online (QR code on the flier at church). We plan to have a YC Carwash on Saturday June 20 to help offset the $345 charge) We will let you know how much has been earned that day and final payment is due to the Seattle church on Sunday, June 21 ...so I can forward to Portland prior to Camp meeting.
Camp Meeting - Please remember that the deadline for camp meeting registration is soon. Please take care of this online as soon as possible
No Sunday evening service tomorrow night.
Father's Day/Graduation Potluck - We are planning a potluck on Father's Day. On that day, we will also be celebrating three graduates in our congregation. They are Sis. Joy Ayodeji from CWU(Bachelors), Sis. Aanuoluwapo (Mercy) Ajayi from WSU (Bachelors) , and Bro. Cirilus Osongo from UW (Masters). We also plan to use that day to let the Park/Koo family know how much we love and will miss them as they move to worship in our Richmond, CA church. We will follow the celebration with a short devotional and then have no evening service.
God bless you all.
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
In the United States this weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer (although technically it doesn't begin until June 21st which is the Summer solstice or longest day of the year). It is a holiday often marked by remembrances for those who gave their lives for the defense of our country. And for you auto racing fans, the Indianapolis 500 race has been held on this weekend for 115 years (with short hiatus' during some years in WW1 and WW2). I can remember listening to it on the radio as a boy while helping my father repaint the house. The weekend is also often characterized by vacations/camping/family BBQ's and home improvement projects.
But today I want to remind you that during this year's Memorial Day weekend we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. This is the Sunday which marks 50 days after the Easter resurrection of Christ and 10 days after his Ascension to heaven when the Holy Spirit was poured out on a unified group of early Christian believers in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. They had returned there and given themselves to prayer, consecration, seeking, and fellowship just as Jesus had instructed them.
It was a momentous event, literally empowering the early church to begin the spread the good news of the Gospel. The prophet Joel referred to this event as the "Early Rain" using a farming metaphor. In 1906 at Azusa Street in Los Angeles, California there was another momentous outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a simple group of unified believers. This has become known as the "Latter Rain" of which Joel also spoke in his prophecy. Between those two events the Holy Spirit has been present and there have been sprinklings throughout the ages because God is faithful.
Our church sprang from this later outpouring with a burning desire to continue to spread the faith of those early Apostles (hence our name - Apostolic Faith) especially as we understand that the return of Jesus is imminent.
So, as you celebrate this holiday weekend, may you also celebrate God's faithfulness not only to the early church but at Azusa Street and most importantly to our church here in Seattle. The Holy Spirit is still present and active in our services; convicting of sin, leading us to holiness, drawing consecrations, comforting and teaching, empowering and bringing forgiveness and unity to us as fellow believers. May we not only practice all of that...(as the race car drivers do...but also celebrate at the soon to come "checkered flag".
Housekeeping Notes
Youth Camp - We have received applications for Youth camp and they will be available tomorrow. You are encouraged to register online (QR code on the flier at church). We plan to have a YC Carwash on Saturday June 20 to help offset the $345 charge) We will let you know how much has been earned that day and final payment is due to the Seattle church on Sunday, June 21 ...so I can forward to Portland prior to Camp meeting.
Camp Meeting - Please remember that the deadline for camp meeting registration is soon. Please take care of this online as soon as possible
No Sunday evening service tomorrow night.
Father's Day/Graduation Potluck - We are planning a potluck on Father's Day. On that day, we will also be celebrating three graduates in our congregation. They are Sis. Joy Ayodeji from CWU(Bachelors), Sis. Aanuoluwapo (Mercy) Ajayi from WSU (Bachelors) , and Bro. Cirilus Osongo from UW (Masters). We also plan to use that day to let the Park/Koo family know how much we love and will miss them as they move to worship in our Richmond, CA church. We will follow the celebration with a short devotional and then have no evening service.
God bless you all.
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
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