Blessings from the Vicarage

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we travel through June at Church, we move from the season of the resurrected and ascended Christ, to Pentecost – a time when we celebrate Jesus sending His Holy Spirit upon all. Pentecost is known as the birthday of the Church because it was literally the beginning of the Christian movement (although the name ‘Christian’ was not used until years later). The story is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2 in the New Testament:

‘When the day of Pentecost arrived, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.’

From this moment in time, as the disciples were given the ability to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to all those around them, we began to see the revelation of God’s loving plan for all humanity cascading into fruition. As this news rippled out, more and more people knew of God’s infinite Love and Eternal Life because Jesus Christ’s journey through death, resurrection and ascension was conveyed to them. Without Jesus’ ‘fall and rising’ journey (as I wrote of last month), it would have been impossible for Christ to have been available or accessible to everyone for all time. Jesus’ resurrection was not a ‘resuscitation’ of a single corpse nearly two millennia ago, which would never ‘made the news’ or stood the test of time: No, it was for God to enable and effect so much more! Jesus’ resurrection was to enable God’s resurrection of all humanity, and in so doing, for humanity to realise and embody it’s essential part in the divine evolution of humankind.

What does the divine evolution of humanity look like and what could resurrection mean for each of us?

Well, the new Pope Leo IV alluded to it in his inaugural speech (translated and précised) :

‘Peace be with all of you! Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for God’s flock. I too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families, and all people, wherever they are, all of the people, all over the earth. Peace be with you! This is the peace of the Risen Christ: an unarmed peace and a disarming peace, humble and persevering. Humanity needs Christ as the bridge... and Christ will help us build bridges with dialogue, uniting us all to be one people, always seeking peace and justice.’

So, an evolved divine life is about living in peace and with justice for and with everyone…which is far from easy, because what it means to be a resurrected person is that we have to truly love our neighbours as ourselves - no matter what that neighbours’ creed, colour, culture, country, gender, ability, disability, lawfulness or lawlessness, etc., might be. This indeed will require humility and perseverance as we build bridges by learning the dialogue for peace.

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was the anointing vehicle which enabled a living connexion with Jesus Christ from whom all could and still can learn and develop into an evolved divine life. That original day of Pentecost was the key moment when the truth of God was truly realised - that each and every one of us throughout history and for all time are precious to God and are part of the resurrection of life. And those present at the time were given the energy, courage and ability to spread this essential message for all humanity.

As the disciples were anointed by the Holy Spirit, so we can all be anointed by God’s Holy Spirit and given the energy, courage and ability to start the journey of trying to be a Christian every day – of trying to understand each other by listening and learning about others rather than speaking and blocking development; of being tolerant and forbearing with those whose attitudes and opinions are different to our own; of not rising with anger or being offended when others do not reciprocate respect or even openly attack us. It is honestly so hard to achieve all this, but we are not alone. God loves us all and the risen Christ is with us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Happy Pentecost everyone!

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With love and prayers,

Jane

Ps. Do come to the service on 8th June at 10.30am at St Mary’s Church. All welcome!