Happy birthday! 1980 years old!

We all celebrate anniversaries. Jesus died on the cross when he was about 32, after promising that he would send the Holy Spirit to encourage and guide his disciples. And during the Jewish feast of Pentecost, soon after, about 1980 years ago, a violent wind and tongues of fire fell on the frightened disciples. Transformed in attitude, they went out into crowds from many nations, telling of the work of Jesus and, somehow, everyone understood the words in their own language. Then the apostle Peter stood up, proclaimed how Jesus had come to save the world and explained how the Holy Spirit was what the Jewish prophets had been waiting for. 3000 people then denounced their sin and declared their faith in Christ. The church had been born!

So, this last Sunday, Pentecost, we celebrated the anniversary of that birth. At our morning Holy Communion service we considered the importance of making ourselves available for anything that the Holy Spirit was wanting to do with us, now. And then, at Communion, we remembered the death of Christ, to whom the Holy Spirit points. In the evening, we celebrated with a special Pentecost "Songs of Praise."

As at all birthdays, we wish the Church well in the coming year.