Words from Bede Circuit
Dear Friends,
A celebratory weekend, in more ways than one! Firstly we celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the church, when the disciples received power of the Spirit and they were called to witness to all that Christ had revealed to them. In Acts 2 we are told that ‘the disciples were all together in one place, and suddenly, from heaven there came a sound like rushing wind and it filled the house where they were sitting…..All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages’. They went on to become witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. For some this is merely a celebration of a past event but we are the disciples of today and we too are called to witness. A role that is sometimes difficult and the path we tread can be dangerous but we too are empowered the Holy Spirit.
The concluding chorus of Hymn 662 in Singing the Faith echoes in my mind:
Will you walk the path that will cost you much
And embrace the pain and sorrow.
We will trust in One, who entrusts to us
The disciples of tomorrow.
A couple of weeks back I was on a MWiB Pilgrimage, we covered a lot of ground using trains/buses and feet. One magnificent cliff top walk, to our final destination, the Isle of Whithorn was a bit scary for some, because of our proximity to the edge and the strong wind. Yet we all made it, urged on by one another. Life is like that, we gain encouragement from one another when the path ahead is difficult but more especially we too are empowered by the Spirit. Pentecost is not merely an event to celebrate it is a time to take stock and to weigh up where we as a church are…….are we on the edge of Pentecost or are we trying to hide from what lies ahead? Yet in God there is no hiding place!
On our streets the bunting is already out, not to mark Pentecost but to give thanks for our Queen, who celebrates seventy years on the throne. During her long reign Queen Elizabeth has seen Prime Ministers come and go, she has witnessed innumerable changes, has experienced great highs and turbulent lows and like it or not she is constantly in the limelight. Exhausting for anyone but for an octogenarian it is some innings. Throughout it all Queen Elizabeth has openly witnessed to her deep faith in God and a certainty that though times may be difficult but we are never alone, God is with us and in his hands our future is secure. Despite her readiness to bear witness to her faith it is in her quiet demeanour and her deep commitment to the role to which she was born, which will live on in history.
On this very special weekend may God speak to you anew and may you feel the power of the Spirit in your life.
Shalom,
Rev Judith Oldroyd
on behalf of the Bede Circuit Staff Team
Prayer Meeting – Wednesday, 10am on Zoom