Pentecost Message 2010 From The Bishop |
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I look forward to the celebration of Pentecost as one of the highlights of the year. Described often as the birthday of our Church, it helps us look back over two thousand years of struggle and triumph, failure and faithfulness. Pentecost was the moment when Jesus' promise was fulfilled. The Spirit who had empowered Jesus in His ministry was poured out on the Apostles. They then went out without fear and proclaimed the good news of God's love for all. It wasn't long before they were facing opposition, and often martyrdom. That has been the story of our Church, not only persecution from outside, but destruction from within by the weakness of Jesus' own followers. Things are much the same as we launch into the third millennium. We are conscious of the same weakness from within, and the same persecution from those who seek to destroy the Church. It was Jesus who said "if they have persecuted me, they will persecute you", (John 15:20) but also "I have overcome the world'. (John 16:33) With all of this, we have the immense joy of experiencing the Spirit of God in our hearts, in our minds and our lives. By being still, by being open to the breath of the Spirit, we can find inner peace and amazing strength to live life with confidence. May God's Spirit gently enfold you and hold you within the divine family of love. Yours sincerely
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