CSI Jaffna Diocese

The Power of Pentecost

Message from the UCA Parish Minister Rev Bertram J Mather

Once again we have entered into the season of Pentecost. On Pentecost Sunday, Christian Church celebrates the Holy Spirit’s coming in power on the disciples. (Acts 2:1-21). But the Spirit came as the comforter promised by Jesus. “I will ask the Father & he will give you another helper…He remains with you & is in you” This statement of Jesus reflects the words of the Psalmist: “Where could I go to escape from your spirit? Where could I get away from your presence?”(Ps 139:7) This cry of Psalmist follows from a passionate belief in the nearness of this pure & holy God

On the day of Pentecost we celebrate the transforming nature of God’s spirit at work-always and everywhere. This is also the day Churches celebrate as the birthday of the Church. Living in the presence of the Holy-Spirit, the community that began the Easter season behind closed doors is reborn & moving out to the ends of the earth. On this day of Pentecost God’s spirit pours out abundantly on the community of disciples. Imagery of wind & fire ushers in the abounding proclamation of God’s power in words that all can understand. The spirit renews the face of the community with a diversity of persons & gifts, included & given for the common good

According to the Acts of the Apostles, the author narrates the gift of God’s spirit on the day of Pentecost as the gift that fashions a new covenant community-the Body of Christ. The gathered crowd marvels as they hear the gospel in their native languages. Explanations or replications of how that might have occurred pale in comparison to what those words convey. What does it mean then and now, to hear the gospel in one’s own language in a foreign soil? When we hear, we cannot ignore the Pentecost truth that God comes in spirit to each & every one of us.

In the ongoing situation of conflict of genocides around the world & thousands of people are fleeing their countries and flooding the western countries as refugees, especially SriLankans, Sudanese, Zimbabweans, Pakistanis, Africans, Somalians, Ethiopians, Eritreans, Algerians, Bosnians, Croatians, Cambodians, Kosovoians, Rwandanians and People from ME. The way the Diaspora communities are increasing rapidly in the western countries, including Australia, my guess is that the second generations of these communities will not know their native language or their culture as the second generations of these communities are being westernized in every sense. Therefore their generations will one day marvel when they hear communications in their native languages. This situation, I hope will remind them once again the event of Pentecost in their own lives.

Perhaps those who heard the disciples speak in a multitude of languages on Pentecost, might have recalled the story of Babel (Gen 11:1-9), the account of an ambitious people who attempted to overcome boundaries set in place by God. Divine judgment in response to their effort to ‘make a name for themselves’ included a confusion & scattering of human languages, nationalism & self-determining culture.

In the light of the situation of conflict around the world, the event of Pentecost becomes a challenge to the Church. On the day of Pentecost God’s powerful presence was experienced & expressed in many ways. On Pentecost Sunday the Church celebrate the breath & fire of the spirit moving among God’s people. That means God breaking into the world of human affairs with wind and fire. The significant event of the Pentecost according to the book of Acts is that the Holy-Spirit intervenes supernaturally on major occasions of the world. (Luke1:35; 3:22). The event of Pentecost influenced the disciples to begin their public ministry, which was continued to be energized by the spirit’s indwelling & fuelled & peppered with the spirit’s power. It is this public ministry and this spirit that is still the model, the heart & soul of the Church today. The event of Pentecost transformed the nature of the Church & her mission to be the Church of the whole world; “the good news to be heard beyond Jerusalem & even beyond Judaism”. John Wesley said “whole world is my parish”. Pentecost day provides us a missionary confirmation that the Christian mission has a definite scope beyond our Church denomination, Homeland, Nationalism & Culture.

How do we as a Church understand the event of the Pentecost? How do we live as a people of Pentecost in the light of the situation of conflict around the world, especially when thousands of people are fleeing their countries due to security reasons & flooding the western countries as refugees? The event of Pentecost becomes a challenge to the universal Church to play her different roles in supporting the peace efforts in those countries of conflict.(e.g.) as an advocate for a more inclusive high level peace process, bringing together all parties involved in the conflict; convening and facilitating reconciliation meetings among those parties engaged in conflict. The event of Pentecost becomes a challenge as well as opens up a special role for the Church to play towards the foundation of a solid conflict resolution. (e.g.) Peace maker, advocate for reconciliation programs; mediator among the parties in conflict; caring & comforting the victims of the war, bringing to justice the victims & the perpetrators & going one step forward to consider jamming the spokes in the wheel of the criminal states as well as the terrorists organizations around the world.

The event of Pentecost portrays the call of the Church to play a costly & single-minded discipleship to offer her leadership in any situation of conflict. Pentecost day does not deal with ‘spirit possessed dances or ecstasy or of falling into a trance, but to be a human peace movement – communicating, reconciling; comforting & healing. Church history reveals that standing up to the warring parties has had a price to pay. As I said before, to be the people of Pentecostal movement is a costly discipleship. We may be perceived by the parties in conflict as working against them and undermining their war effort by preaching & advocating pacifism. However as a Church we are being called to be the peoples’ movement of the Pentecost. We are not a monument or a machine, but a human movement belongs to God of the Church - the Church of the Pentecost.

In the forth gospel, Jesus describes the role of the spirit as ‘counselor’. Jesus tells of the Spirit as a ‘guide, comforter, helper, & advocate’. On the day of Pentecost Church celebrates the animating and sustaining presence of God’s spirit within the community of the faithful. The Spirit gives the Church its mission & the power to undertake it. Church has already embarked on this global mission & we are being called to be the active organs & actors to achieve this vision of global peace. The Church is truly the community of the Pentecost.

We are not alone; God is with us always inspiring us to play different roles as ‘guide, comforter, helper & advocate’& challenging the Church to take up these roles as the body of Christ in the world and break into the world of broken & bleeding human affairs. The spirit transforms, empowers. Guides, sustains & gives us hope. The Spirit gives the Church its mission & the power to undertake it. As a Church, let us live out our discipleship to prove God’s spirit alive and active in our world today. Let us live as the people of the Pentecost movement in our day today life. As it is stated above, let us imitate the different roles of the Holy-Spirit as Jesus has described, in our communities where God has placed us to live & witness. Let our life and witness, reflect as if Christ existing in our communities. With Grace & Blessings.