From the Vicar of Cuckfield
Revd Canon Nick Wetherall
May 2012
The Feast of Pentecost – Sunday 27 May
The feast of Pentecost celebrates a moment in the lives of the disciples when they felt empowered and inspired by an incredible force. The Bible talks about tongues of flame and the sound of rushing wind at the moment when the Holy Spirit acted in the lives of those men, gathered nervously in an upperroom. The results of this interaction were extraordinary, and I never cease to be amazed to think that the witness of just a handful of people should have resulted in a world faith that sees Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Of course, it’s not that the disciples created Christianity, but rather that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has made himself known in a most profound way, and that the disciples were the channels for God’s grace to be seen. Indeed it is the task of every Christian to act as a channel or conduit for revealing God’s love for the world.
Whilst Christmas and Easter rightly remain major festivals, not only for Christians, but also as the focal point for national holidays, Pentecost passes unnoticed by many. And yet as a festival day, its significance must not be underestimated, for it stands as the moment when Jesus’ promise not to leave the disciples comfortless, is fulfilled. It is the birthday of the Church, the time of proclamation and ecstatic utterance, and it is the time when the events of Jesus’ life, preaching, trial, death and resurrection, were shared with an amazed audience by those who were witnesses.
Nick Wetherall
