Pentecost

Some interesting things are happening here these days.

We've been looking at Acts chapters 1 and 2 these last few Sunday evenings.

The day of Pentecost. When Parthians and Medes, and people from Mesopotamia - and scores of others from all sorts of far flung places - all of them came together and heard the mighty deeds of God being told in a language they understood.

It seems we're having our own sort of day of Pentecost here as well.

Not Parthians and Medes and people like that. But a sort of up-to-date version. Baptists, Episcopalians, Brethren, and who knows what all else.

Gathering here to share with us in our worship. And finding we speak their language (so to speak)!

It's been really quite remarkable. And I think it is maybe a foretaste of how things will prove to be in days ahead.

Another day of Pentecost. Another sort of birthday, as God does a brand new thing.

Today has seen issues of life and death.

Celebrating life in the birth of a little child. How fragile such life always is! And oh what a need for prayer as our children come into this world.

Life is always fragile. Not just in those early days.

Some time has been spent as well today with a family sharing in grief. We know the lady, whose husband has died, quite well. He's not been well for a while. A young man really, with family all still young.

How hard for them all.

I was glad she wanted the service here in the church. She feels at home among us here - despite the fact she doesn't share in our worship as such at all. And the children feel at home here too, since they've been along with the school, and been along at our Holiday Club as well.

The lady has a brother who's a Benedictine monk. So he'll be taking the service.

It's been good to meet him as well. And to feel an instant rapport with him as well.

So add Benedictine monks to our Pentecostal mix!

There are things going on among us here these days. That's for sure. The Spirit of God is at work.

Disrupting, disturbing, and bringing together all sorts of different people in strange and wonderful ways.

And, yes, there are issues of life and death involved. That's how important these days now are. For all of us.

There are choices to be made. Life .. or death.

It's my earnest prayer that people will learn to choose life. Before it's all too late.