Pentecost isn’t quite what we’d expect. The power and presence of Jesus is available to everyone everywhere, but, let’s be honest, if you were planning a worldwide mission - and had this sort of power at your disposal - surely getting everyone to speak the same language would have been the best way forward? It’s almost certainly what we’d have done if left in charge.But the Holy Spirit does the opposite. Not us speaking one language, but the Church speaking every language.God doesn’t reverse the astonishing human variety of language and culture. God blesses it.We shouldn’t really be surprised. You only need to glance out of the window to see that God delights in variety.We human beings – each and every one of us - are made in God’s image – with all our differences. What Jesus has done in his dying and rising is make that into a new community, the Church, which is like a body, made up of lots of different, but equally important, members. It’s the birthday of that Church that we celebrate today.By enabling us to speak about the Christian story in every language and every culture, the Holy Spirit not only affirms that all this variety is from God, but helps us understand and appreciate and serve the world in all its variety and difference. The Church should reflect this diversity and help every person to hear the message of the gospel in their own language. No one should be excluded.Thy Kingdom Come invites us to invite others to find their place and their joy within God’s Church. Invites us to go on translating the Christian message into the languages and cultures of the world and therefore reach out to those who don’t know Christ.We have something that everyone needs: the forgiveness that Jesus brings and the gift of the Spirit that binds us as one.But those who are not members of the Church yet have something we need. Because the Church is a body where every part is valued and necessary, when some people are cut off or excluded; or where some don’t even have an opportunity to hear the invitation of the gospel or are driven away by our failings, the whole body suffers.But when other people are invited in – as happened on the first Pentecost - the Church is expanded: not just in size, but in beauty and variety; and we even learn more about the beauty of God. For the God we worship is the one God who is known in the three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit: unity and diversity together.We are told that the coming of the Holy Spirit was like a rushing wind. You can’t see the wind, but you can certainly see its effects. So with the Holy Spirit. We can’t see it, but when we learn to love each other and love god and appreciate our differences and live together in love, then God’s Holy Spirit is at work.Oh come Holy Spirit! Amen
<strong>Students and young adults to be reached as part of £9 million funding package for mission</strong>Tens of thousands of students and young people who may never have been to church before are to be reached by the Church of England with the message of the Christian faith as part of a £9 million funding programme for mission projects across the country, it was announced today.Church of England parishes are to form new congregations aimed at reaching young adults and students in Leeds and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, Blackburn in Lancashire and coastal areas of Paignton in Devon and Brighton and Hove in east Sussex.A series of grants to help fund the projects has been awarded as part of the Church of England’s programme of Renewal and Reform.The Church of England’s National Youth Evangelism Officer, Jimmy Dale, welcomed the investment in work with students and young people. He said: “It is so exciting to see the church engaging with students and young people in a way that historically, we have often fallen short. Young people – the ‘Generation Z’ of 11 to 25 year olds - have faced enormous challenges as a result of the pandemic, not just socially and financially but educationally and with regards to mental health. The message of the good news of Jesus Christ offers this generation a real beacon of hope.”A grant of £1.5 million has been awarded to the Diocese of Leeds to help expand its outreach to students with a new Sunday afternoon church based in the student area of Hyde Park in Leeds and aimed at those who have never been to church before.Church@HydeParkCorner, centred on St Augustine’s Church, will expand its reach through social media and activities and events for students studying at universities in the city.In Huddersfield, ‘Holy Trinity at 6’ will be formed on Sunday evenings at Holy Trinity Church in the town, building on links with Huddersfield University to reach students and other young adults, the majority of whom have no previous experience of church attendance.A grant of £3.5 million has been made to the Diocese of Blackburn to develop St Luke’s Blackburn and St John’s Blackpool as centres of mission and support to other churches in the diocese. St Luke’s will work with young people and promote youth ministry across the diocese while St John’s Church will have a strong focus on social outreach.The Diocese of Exeter has been awarded £1.5 million for outreach work along the English Riviera area of Devon, including the new Bay Church, which will be based at St Andrew’s in Paignton. There are plans for a new youth congregation and at least three more family and youth based congregations throughout Torbay.In Chichester Diocese, a £2.5 million grant has been awarded to All Saints Hove to create a centre for mission, and to St Peter’s Brighton, to develop four new church congregations. These churches will help support the work of churches across the city, through leadership development, social action and youth and children's ministry. Funding has also been awarded for work based at St Paul’s Church, Slough, supporting social outreach, training of lay ministers and intercultural work in the Oxford Diocese.
At the moment we are in the few days between Ascension Day and Pentecost (or ‘Thy-Kingdom-Come-tide you could call it). I found myself preaching on waiting at my church. My family helpfully thought it was hilarious that I should be speaking on such a topic as I am not known as the most patient in my household. Given how many times I have hit ‘refresh’ on the government’s multi-purpose community facility guidance web page this week, they may have a point.But I had to remind myself of what I said to others last Sunday – waiting isn’t supposed to be a passive thing. Whilst the disciples waited for the spirit to come they gathered, they prayed and they even chose a new disciple. They got on with things. Waiting was active – not about making ourselves busy, but rather preparing for the future. How apt!So can I challenge you to wait well this week? One of the lessons from the ‘BigPCC Away Days’ over the last month and our recent series of conversations with parishes is that we all need help to wait well – preparing to re-open by taking time to reflect on what should not be restarting to give space to the new things we want to keep going. Taking time to read guidance and attend webinars that will encourage and inform.Waiting isn’t just about hitting refresh on the web browser. But perhaps hitting refresh on your soul. May your active waiting bring joy, and signs of the kingdom. Thy Kingdom Come, after all.
