Episode Transcript
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Welcome to Pentecost.
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Today, Pentecost Sunday is the
climax of our Easter celebrations
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and in many ways it is also
the birthday of the church,
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and on this day we get some
vivid scripture readings
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shedding light on the church
as she comes into being.
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And what I discover is not some timid,
afraid, inward looking little group
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but a people and a church that
is Spirit-filled, dynamic,
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a community sent into the world to witness to
Christ and His gospel of love and forgiveness.
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Three things jump out at me on this Pentecost.
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The first, is that the Church is essentially missionary.
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That means that all of us who are baptised
have a responsibility to be outward looking,
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and eager to accept the responsibility
of moving beyond the walls of the church
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to evangelize and bear witness to the risen Christ
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in wherever we find ourselves this week.
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Remember, a Church that closed in on itself and
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ceased being missionary would no
longer be the Church of Christ.
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It would be just another group of like-minded
people who enjoy each other’s company.
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Like a stamp collectors
club or something like that.
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Secondly, remember that it is the Holy Spirit
that is the principal agent of Mission.
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The question each one of us has to answer is
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not whether God is blessing
our own plans and programs
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but whether we are open to the great
opportunities to which the Spirit is calling us.
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Are we open to letting the Spirit work through us?
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Creating moments when the
Kingdom of God breaks through
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into our lives and the lives
of those we love the most.
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Finally, what strikes me about
Pentecost is the unity it creates
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from the many languages, all were able to
understand the message of the apostles.
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What is that language – it is the language that
all people understand – the language of love.
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So on this Pentecost, let the
language of love unify us,
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giving us the confidence to accept
our diversity and differences
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while at the same time assuring us,
not be afraid to bear witness to
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reality of the risen Christ,
present in our midst today.
