Pentecost Sunday

Is God moving in our nation in our time? The Bible passage this week records the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Two things strike me about this passage from the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Firstly, the Holy Spirit came to the believers when they were together. God not only comes in power to individuals but also to us corporately, the Church. In the New Testament the Greek word ‘you’ is mainly used in the plural. This is similar to ‘vous’ in French as opposed to ‘tu’. God’s relationship is not only with us as individuals but mainly with us as a church together. Secondly, the Holy Spirit is like a mighty wind. A strong wind will move things around and change the scenery. As a church we need to be prepared for God to shake us up sometimes. Yes, we celebrate the wisdom of the ages and the traditions of the past but sometimes God wants to over-turn all of this and start something new. Something that changes the whole landscape. Is God moving in our nation at this time? The biggest provider of youth work, food banks and non-State education in the United Kingdom is the church. Atheism is said to be declining. Yes, God is moving but there is so much more He wants to do through us if only we work together and are prepared to be shaken up.