It’s
Pentecost in a few days time, on the 7th Sunday after Easter – the
year is marching on!
It’s a day when Christians remember that mysterious manifestation of God as a rushing wind or flames of fire. It’s painted by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles – called by one preacher ‘The Gospel of the Holy Spirit’ – as a dynamic moment which seems to have enlivened those early disciples of Jesus giving them fresh and enduring courage and vision. No wonder it’s sometimes referred to as the ‘Birthday of The Church’.
Until 1978 Pentecost – or Whitsun – was marked by a Bank Holiday – today that’s been replaced by the more utilitarian one called ‘Spring Bank Holiday Monday’!
In England, particularly the North West, it was the tradition for the Sunday School to get out their banner and parade it through the street, often following a brass band as they did so.
The Bible has many titles for the dynamic activity of God – they include: Comforter, Eternal Spirit, Spirit of the Living God, Holy Spirit of Promise, Spirit of Truth and Spirit of Wisdom.
In the Hebrew Scriptures the word used is often ‘Ruarch’ sometimes combined into the title ‘Ruarch Ha-Kodesh’ meaning Spirit of Holiness. By itself ‘Ruarch’ means wind or invisible moving force.
In her wonderful book, Home by Another Way, the American Episcopalian Preacher, Barbara Brown Taylor speaks of The Spirit as ‘breath’. She notes that the word ‘conspire’ literally means to breathe together – so if we were to breathe in and out at the same time as a group we’d be launching a ‘Conspiracy’ – and even as we say it we can hear the shorter word ‘spirit’ within the longer one ‘conspiracy’.
What, I wonder, does it mean to conspire with the spirit? – To breath together with the breath and life of God.
I think being aware and grateful for that life of The Spirit, God’s dynamic life, means when we come together for worship in church something life –giving happens as we unite together in singing, praying, listening and remembering.
I think being aware and grateful for that life of The Spirit, God’s dynamic life, means when we serve God in our community something life-enhancing blesses our world.
In one of the churches I used to serve in my congregation sometimes paid a lovely tribute to my predecessor – they said that during his ministry he had ‘opened the windows’! What, I think, they meant by that was during his time amongst them they had become much more conscious of the breath and wind of God blessing and enlivening them.
So, let’s rejoice that all of us can be part of this God Given Conspiracy as we too open the windows and marvel at the blessing of God’s life and energy moving among us bring healing, wholeness, peace , justice and joy.
It’s a day when Christians remember that mysterious manifestation of God as a rushing wind or flames of fire. It’s painted by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles – called by one preacher ‘The Gospel of the Holy Spirit’ – as a dynamic moment which seems to have enlivened those early disciples of Jesus giving them fresh and enduring courage and vision. No wonder it’s sometimes referred to as the ‘Birthday of The Church’.
Until 1978 Pentecost – or Whitsun – was marked by a Bank Holiday – today that’s been replaced by the more utilitarian one called ‘Spring Bank Holiday Monday’!
In England, particularly the North West, it was the tradition for the Sunday School to get out their banner and parade it through the street, often following a brass band as they did so.
The Bible has many titles for the dynamic activity of God – they include: Comforter, Eternal Spirit, Spirit of the Living God, Holy Spirit of Promise, Spirit of Truth and Spirit of Wisdom.
In the Hebrew Scriptures the word used is often ‘Ruarch’ sometimes combined into the title ‘Ruarch Ha-Kodesh’ meaning Spirit of Holiness. By itself ‘Ruarch’ means wind or invisible moving force.
In her wonderful book, Home by Another Way, the American Episcopalian Preacher, Barbara Brown Taylor speaks of The Spirit as ‘breath’. She notes that the word ‘conspire’ literally means to breathe together – so if we were to breathe in and out at the same time as a group we’d be launching a ‘Conspiracy’ – and even as we say it we can hear the shorter word ‘spirit’ within the longer one ‘conspiracy’.
What, I wonder, does it mean to conspire with the spirit? – To breath together with the breath and life of God.
I think being aware and grateful for that life of The Spirit, God’s dynamic life, means when we come together for worship in church something life –giving happens as we unite together in singing, praying, listening and remembering.
I think being aware and grateful for that life of The Spirit, God’s dynamic life, means when we serve God in our community something life-enhancing blesses our world.
In one of the churches I used to serve in my congregation sometimes paid a lovely tribute to my predecessor – they said that during his ministry he had ‘opened the windows’! What, I think, they meant by that was during his time amongst them they had become much more conscious of the breath and wind of God blessing and enlivening them.
So, let’s rejoice that all of us can be part of this God Given Conspiracy as we too open the windows and marvel at the blessing of God’s life and energy moving among us bring healing, wholeness, peace , justice and joy.
Best wishes,
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