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Pentecost

Pentecost is the celebration of the Church's birthday on the 50th day after Easter The more traditional name in this country has been Whitsun – “White Sunday” because, it seems, of  the custom of people being baptised on Whit Sunday dressed in white.

Pentecost is the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecy from Joel. Peter quoted the prophet when he stood up to speak to the crowd at Pentecost:

“This is what I will do in the last days, God says: I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message; your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams. Yes, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will proclaim my message.”  (Acts 2:17 &18)

The question for us is this: are we prepared to receive the Spirit? In other words are we prepared to let God into our everyday lives: for his Spirit to be part of out thoughts and our actions? Are we prepared to get our strength and our direction from God?

The alternative is to do things our own way, and to cope with things by ourselves. Many people do this all the time. All of us do it at some time or other. Pentecost is a good time to allow God's Spirit further into your life: to give God a bit more space in your life, and a bit more attention too!

And as we allow God’s Holy Spirit more space in our lives we will be able to proclaim God's message of love with more enthusiasm, more power and more conviction.

(Revd.) Kevin Jones

Beliefs of the United Reformed Church