Thought for the Day – Sunday 31st May
‘When the day of Pentecost had
come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came
a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where
they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a
tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Acts
2: 1-4)
Today is the Day of Pentecost, the day we celebrate the coming of the
Spirit, the day a promise is fulfilled!
The Spirit comes to us and we can, and will, never be the same again!
For that Spirit fills us, inspires us, leads us, excites us and
enthuses us, we become joyful and jubilant as our hearts are filled to
overflowing and we in response to this wonderful gift then go out into God’s
world empowered by that self-same Spirit to share God’s love!
Yet, the Spirit not only sets us free but also in its gifting the
gospel story is set free as we Spirit-filled people of God energetically and
enthusiastically go out and share that story and let the world ‘see’ God and
his love through us and our actions rather than just hear about in a church
building or in a sermon, creed or doctrine!
This year, remembering the gifting of the Spirit and the birth of the
church seems somehow to hold much more significance because we are in this
situation of ‘Lockdown’ where many of us are spending much more time reflecting
on a whole host of things – and the national church is no different it is busy
reflecting on the way forward, looking always for that movement of the Spirit
and where the Spirit will lead us.
When the Spirit came it renewed and refreshed the church, emboldened
the believers and gave them a confidence to go and share the gospel story.
During this time of ‘Lockdown’ many of us have been trying to find new ways of
being ‘church’, new ways to reach out to people, new ways to share the gospel
story and I am sure the Spirit has greatly guided us in all our endeavours. As we
have been moved out of our comfort zones, been shaken up, been emboldened to
try to new things and have embraced them enthusiastically the Spirit has been
our constant guide and companion.
It seems to me that in light of all this shaking up by the Spirit these
past few weeks that the shape of the church – national and local - may very
well be different post ‘Lockdown’ and my hope would be that we would all indeed
be renewed and refreshed and emboldened by the Spirit and trust in the Spirit to
help us to enthusiastically find new ways to share the good news of Jesus
Christ until God’s work on earth is indeed done.
‘Thank you, O my Father, for
giving us your Son, and leaving us your Spirit till your work on earth is done.’
Reflection
I know, on this Day of Pentecost that while I may be coming across as
all enthusiastic and enthused by the gifting of the Spirit and excited about
the future and the way forward that some of you may be feeling a little low in
‘Lockdown’ and so I offer a wee reflection for you from Spill the Beans which
calls on the Spirit of the Living God to come anew which may help you at this
time.
When my aspirations are high but my spirit is low,
when other’s expect much of me but my spirit just cannot summon a
response,
when the hope of faith speaks of light but my spirit is in the darkest
of places,
come, Spirit of the Living God
like a dove to me,
like a fire to me,
like a wind to me.
Dove of peace, settle upon my weary shoulders that carry the weight of
the world,
wing to me the peace of Christ that passes all understanding.
Wind of the Divine, gently breeze or wildly gust according to the messiness
of my life’s cobwebs, the threads that entangle my mixed emotions and need to be
blown away, carried away by your eternal love.
Tongues of sacred fire, spark in me new flames of passion for justice
and hope and faith.
Ignite that which can warm the human spirit in me, in all I meet, friend
and foe,
that kindness might warm our spirits, and light lead our way.
When my aspirations are high but my spirit is low,
when other’s expect much of me but my spirit just cannot summon a
response,
when the hope of faith speaks of light but my spirit is in the darkest
of places,
come, Spirit of the Living God
like a dove to me,
like a fire to me,
like a wind to me.
Prayer
Loving Lord,
You come into the locked rooms of our lives and the dark cupboards of
our hearts. You come breathing peace and possibility. Shine a light upon lives.
Many are the gifts of our lives that remain unseen and unacknowledged. May your
spirit uncover the gifts we ourselves have yet to find. Give us the confidence
to love boldly and the humility to work compassionately. Give us the wisdom to
question our limitations and the knowledge to set aside our egos for the sake
of your kingdom. May we dedicate all the gifts of our lives to you Lord. In Jesus’
name we pray. Amen
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