31 May 2009

 Welcome to  St Alban's Anglican Church       

Today's Scripture   :   Acts 2: 1-21                 Romans 8: 22–27         S. John 15: 26-27; 16: 4b-15

Today: 8.35 a.m. Matins; 9.00 a.m. Ch /Script Study;  9.30 a.m. Holy Eucharist;    6.00 p.m. EP. This Week: Mon & Tues in Whitsun Week 12.30 p.m. H. Com; Wed-Fri 12.30 p.m. Midday Pr.

 

Whit Sunday

God, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by the sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end.

 FAITH IN FOCUS: FRIENDS REUNITED

One of the more amusing stories of the Old Testament is where the Hebrew people decide to build a tower so high that it will pierce the clouds and reach heaven. While they are still building this Tower of Babel, God comes down, scatters the people and disunites them so that they all end up speaking different languages and not understanding each other. This is the origin of our word to “babble”.

We hear this story each year on the eve of Pentecost. But on Whit Sunday itself the story comes full circle with the sending of the Holy Spirit. What we see in the Acts of the Apostles is that when the Holy Spirit descended on the Church, the disunity of Babel was reversed and people were once more united. Although they were from many different nations they could all understand the language of the apostles’ preaching.

So Pentecost is the Church’s birthday. No longer afraid and huddled together for safety, the apostles come out preaching from the hip. And armed with the Holy Spirit they make converts by the thousand. Yet they could not have done this without the Spirit, without the fire in their bellies.

Nor can we do it today. Without the Spirit we are simply a human organisation, at worst a Quango and at best a plausible charity. Yet the Church claims to be much more than this: it professes to be the visible presence of Christ on earth today. So we need the Spirit to breathe life into the Body of Christ. It is the Spirit who constantly purifies us from our tendency to put ourselves first and to seek to control rather than to serve. It is the Spirit who unites us in one body of witness and praise. It is the Spirit who leads us ever deeper into the mysteries of God and reveals his purpose. And it is also the Spirit who inspires us to strive for the best and who empowers us to speak the words that God wants the world to hear.

The joyful feast of Pentecost proclaims that the Spirit is at the very heart of everything we do as Church. As St Paul puts it: “Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit” (Gal 5:25)

 

WORD OF GOD

When the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth. (John 16:13)

 

WORD FOR TODAY

We cannot make ourselves good or holy, only God can. Pentecost celebrates God’s gift of the Spirit. We can choose to go it alone or we can invite the Spirit into our lives to purify us, to unite us, to reveal the mysteries of the kingdom and empower us to witness to the wonders that God is doing for us. The choice is ours.

I BELIEVE in the surprises of the Holy Spirit.

(Cardinal Joseph Suenens)

 WATCHES, CARS AND CHRISTIANS can all look chromed and shiny. But watches don’t tick, cars don’t go and Christians don’t make a difference without insides. For a Christian, that’s the Holy Spirit. (Tim Downs)

 

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS          

Mon in Whit Week: Job 1, Rom 1: 1-17, Luke 9:18-27

Tues in Whit Week: Job 2, Rom 1: 18–end, Luke 9: 28-36

Wed: Job 3, Rom 2: 1-16, Luke 9:37–50

Thurs: Job 4, Rom 2: 17-end, Luke 9: 51-end

Fri: Job 5, Rom 3: 1-20, Luke 10: 1–16

Sat: Job 6, Rom 3: 21-end, Mark 1: 1-13

NEXT SUNDAY (TRINITY SUNDAY): Isaiah 6: 1-8, Romans 8: 12–17, S. John 3: 1-17