Words from Bede Circuit
Dear Friends,
The miracle of change
We have just celebrated Pentecost and before the coming of the Spirit, the apostles were virtually living in hiding in the upper room. A great task had been entrusted to them, yet they had neither the strength nor the will to begin it. But after Pentecost they were changed people.
What was it that the Holy Spirit did to them, and how did the miracle of change come about?
We have to realise that the apostles were wounded people. They were wounded by doubt and grief, by fear and failure, and above all by a sense of inadequacy.
During this Coronavirus Pandemic many people have experienced similar feelings and emotions, particularly inadequacy, because of the evil scourge of Covid 19. `Where is God?` is the angry cry we sometimes hear through the tears of the suffering and bereaved. On a personal level this is something that I have sadly seen when conducting funerals and trying to comfort families who have lost loved ones to the virus.
However the Spirit gently reminds us that God is a God of love who suffers with us and shares in the dreadful pain and loss of all His children, irrespective of their faith or those people with no faith.. Thankfully and through the power of God`s s Spirit our world has witnessed such amazing acts of love and kindness, from many lovely people, from all walks of life and in a variety of differing contexts. The examples are many, but to mention a few, doctors and nurses still working long hours in hospitals, care workers living and working in Care homes, families and neighbours supporting each other through `thick and thin` and then volunteers helping the poor and vulnerable through Foodbanks. The list is endless. So many devoted and caring people giving their time and energy to care for those in need. What has been granted to both young and old in these strange and worrying times, is the gift of hope.
People change when they are given hope. They also change when they are loved. They come out of their shells, and hidden energies are released in them. The miracle of human change is a real miracle. All of us, whoever we are, have a capacity for goodness. Let us not forget that. Most of us have hands that can care, eyes that can see, ears that can hear, tongues that can speak, feet that can walk, and above all hearts that can love. We need someone to awaken us to what is inside us. Someone who will help us live our lives to the full and help us grow in love for God and others.
For us followers of Jesus, that someone is the Holy Spirit. The power that changed the apostles is available to us too. Through loving and being compassionate to others we bring hope to those who feel lost and unloved. These are the ones we must serve through the power of God`s Spirit. So, through the gift of the Spirit, we can learn new ways of loving God, ourselves and others, to the praise and glory of God. That is the real miracle of Pentecost, and it is miracle which even in this Covid -19 world, thankfully, still happens.
A Pentecost prayer
Come Holy Spirit, come with strength for the weak, courage for the fearful, light for those in darkness, comfort for the sorrowful, healing for the sick and injured, guidance for those who are lost, faith for those who are in doubt, hope for those who have no hope, and love for those who have no love. Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the fire of your love, and we will help to change the lives of others. Amen
There will be another time of worship on Trinity Sunday 7th June at 10.30am. You can access the service https://zoom.us/download.
There are also zoom Bible studies on the Book of Ruth during the month of June happening every Monday evening at 7pm and every Thursday morning at 10.30am.
Morning prayer is every Wednesday on zoom at 10am.
Please continue to look after one another and if you need help or support then please contact your pastoral visitor or minister.
Take care and stay safe.
The prayers and good wishes of the Bede Methodist Circuit Staff.
Revd Huw Sperring