Transcript
Welcome to Pentecost. Today, Pentecost Sunday is the climax of our Easter celebrations and in many ways it is also the birthday of the church, and on this day we get some vivid scripture readings shedding light on the church as she comes into being. And what I discover is not some timid, afraid, inward looking little group but a people and a church that is Spirit-filled, dynamic, a community sent into the world to witness to Christ and His gospel of love and forgiveness. Three things jump out at me on this Pentecost. The first, is that the Church is essentially missionary. That means that all of us who are baptised have a responsibility to be outward looking, and eager to accept the responsibility of moving beyond the walls of the church to evangelize and bear witness to the risen Christ in wherever we find ourselves this week. Remember, a Church that closed in on itself and ceased being missionary would no longer be the Church of Christ. It would be just another group of like-minded people who enjoy each other’s company. Like a stamp collectors club or something like that. Secondly, remember that it is the Holy Spirit that is the principal agent of Mission. The question each one of us has to answer is not whether God is blessing our own plans and programs but whether we are open to the great opportunities to which the Spirit is calling us. Are we open to letting the Spirit work through us? Creating moments when the Kingdom of God breaks through into our lives and the lives of those we love the most. Finally, what strikes me about Pentecost is the unity it creates from the many languages, all were able to understand the message of the apostles. What is that language – it is the language that all people understand – the language of love. So on this Pentecost, let the language of love unify us, giving us the confidence to accept our diversity and differences while at the same time assuring us, not be afraid to bear witness to reality of the risen Christ, present in our midst today.