Sunday 24th May 2020
Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day when the bereft followers of Jesus, his closest friends the Disciples, became aware of the presence of God and the life changing power of that presence.
The effect so vividly described at the start of Acts, Chapter 2 …
When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
The description of the awareness that although Jesus was dead, his teachings, his way to God, his Spirit was alive in the hearts of the Disciples and is alive in the hearts of every one of us.
And that awareness, that encounter with God did and does have such a dramatic, even life changing effect.
For example, remembering Jesus response when asked about the greatest commandment
love God and as a consequence love our neighbours as we love ourselves
And how do we love? Well we could take the wonderful description from St Paul in 1Corinthians13
Love is patient and kind;
it is not jealous or conceited or proud;
love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable;
love does not keep a record of wrongs;
love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.
Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.
Love is eternal.
Or, and here is another way of describing the power of the Holy Spirit ….
From Galatians Chapter 5 where we are told that the power of the Holy Spirit are
love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, humility, and self-control
In other words, inner qualities
living with sense of love,
with a sense of joy,
living at peace with oneself
and these inner qualities create attitudes and behaviours towards others
we are patient with other
we are kind to others
we are good to others
And all of these coalesce into our relationship with God, which is one of
faithfulness, humility, and self-control
When these qualities become our values and the codes by which we live our lives, when that is our ethos and we live that ethos, then the power of God touches the world through us.
We are on a really strange road at the moment but if we can touch, even one or two, of these shades of love then we bring God alive in our lives and in the lives of those with whom we come in contact.
Prayer
I suggest you read this with some quiet music playing in the background
In the quietness,
we listen to our breathing,
the air filling our lungs
giving life and energy.
silence
With the ear of the heart,
we listen for the breath of God,
the Spirit animating the soul,
nourishing us with creativity,
sensitising us to the yearning of God,
to the Divine joy, and pain.
silence
The Sacred is the music of the universe,
the silence and the songs already known,
and the melodies yet to be imagined.
The Spirit is the love between the lovers,
the intimacy between the soul and the Holy.
Our moment of encounter,
of stillness,
of the Spirit filling us to overflowing,
saturating us with compassion,
silence
In our prayers, we find God.
So on this Day of Pentecost
Touch us with tongues of fire; transfigure and transform all that diminishes us.
May we walk tall, not with pride but with confidence,
drawing strength from the presence of the encircling Spirit,
satisfaction from Scripture and Sacrament,
and sustenance from the blessings of our Churches and our communities.
May we know the peace only God can give.
Amen.
Notices
Church Services on line and on TV
Sunday 24 May BBC 1 <> 11.45am <> Sunday Worship
<> 12.15pm <> Reflections for the Quay
<> 3.00pm <> Songs of Praise
St Andrew’s Arbroath http://arbroathstandrews.org.uk/ 10.30am
How are you coping with the Lock Down?
I invite you to e mail me a few words describing how you are coping with the Covid 19 restrictions and I will include them in next week’s mailing
And the dreaded ….
We will need to send you [for free] some thoughts about money but this will come in a separate mailing in a few days time.