P E N T E C O S T
Birthdays are important events in the life of my family. The children spend many months planning their celebrations and recall them happily for years after-- the superhero and princess parties for the young ones, bowling and laser tag for the older ones. Birthday celebrations make them feel special and help the whole family reflect on the highs and lows of the year that has passed.
Today is a birthday celebration for the church. The book of Acts tells how the Holy Spirit came upon a group of Jesus’ disciples and gave them the courage and ability to go out and preach about the love of God found in Jesus. Thousands listened and decided to follow Jesus. This gathering of people became the first church on earth, born to testify to Jesus and to model to the world what it meant to be his follower.
The existence of the church is something incredible to celebrate. The message of the Gospel has spread around the world and there are churches of worshipping Christians in every nation two millennia later! Though not perfect, the church is still fulfilling its task. Many are turning to God and being filled with His Holy Spirit so that they can testify to the love of Jesus and follow him in service to others. Happy birthday to the church!
Birthdays are full of joy, but those who run children’s parties know that they often end in tears. The birthday girl does not get her way, or someone doesn’t follow the rules, and there are fights. What a pity that children cannot always remember that they are there to celebrate the birthday of a friend.
The same is true of the church. It was born to testify to Jesus and his work on our behalf. Pentecost should remind us of this and we should affirm the work of the church around the world. Yet how many of us are critical of the church? How many of us focus on what is wrong and what is left out rather than on what it good so that we can join in with what the Spirit is doing in the church?
God loves his church. He loves St Mary’s and has given us this beautiful place where we can worship him and grow into the people he wants us to be. During this Pentecost birthday celebration, thank God for St Mary’s, learn from the challenges of the past year and look forward to the ways in which we will grow together in Him through the year to come. And by all means, don’t spoil the party, but join in and pray that the Spirit will continue the work of God in this place.
Rev’d Beth Spence