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Pentecost The birth of the world churchResources for preaching and teachingSermon outline 1Pentecost and the worldwide churchCommunication is an amazing thing: if we grow up speaking a language, for everyday ordinary conversation we may not need to think too hard about what to say and how to say it, and we can even quite quickly learn how to say those same, ordinary things, in other languages too. But what about communicating really important things? Telling someone you love them, really giving people a piece of your mind? Praying in desperation when there’s nowhere else to turn? Those are the times when we reach for our first language, the one we know best, and knew first, the one that can most naturally come straight from the heart. So how does language matter when we speak of God’s wonders? And when we hear about the love of God? The Day of Pentecost provides a wonderfully clear answer – an answer that revolutionised the church around the world over the last two centuries. In Acts 2.1-11 amazing things happened to the disciples and were witnessed by the thousands who had gathered in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost: a violent wind, tongues of fire, and the ability to speak in other languages – amazingly, even with the wind and the fire, it was this last gift which really drew the crowds. The disciples were simple Galileans – not people that anyone expected suddenly to be fluent in every one of the various language spoken in the huge area between what we now call Iran in the east, to Italy in the west, skimming North Africa, the Arabian Peninsular and even parts of modern-day Turkey. Instead of a common language, the disciples enabled each person in the crowd to hear in their own mother-tongue. What a gift! It’s a gift that brings amazement and ridicule from those who heard it, but what it says about the Spirit is awesome:The Spirit speaks not in a single, sacred language, but in every language, for every language is sacred, every language can bear the weight of communicating the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; because every culture that is expressed through the subtleties and complexities of its language is a place in which Christ can be at home. There is no one single sacred language, and so no one single expression of Christianity that is the universal standard across time and space. This central, foundational reality of Christianity has been demonstrated time and again over the last two centuries around the world. And it’s this truth that has brought about the revolution that has swept through the world. In 1910, only 10% of the world’s Christians lived outside Europe and North America. By 2010, this figure had risen to 60%. Today, there are more Anglicans celebrating Pentecost in churches in each of Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda than Anglicans in Britain and Episcopalians in the USA combined! There are also more Presbyterians in church today in Ghana than in Scotland. It’s the Pentecost factor that has made this happen: it is hearing the wonders of God in our own tongues that makes it spread like wildfire. So what does this look like in real life, aside from the statistics? Let me introduce you to Kwame Bediako. Kwame was a significant Ghanaian theologian, who died fairly recently, in 2008. It was while he was pursuing graduate studies in France that he had an overwhelming experience of encountering the person of Christ. Becoming a Christian did not diminish his Africanness, and he spend the rest of his astonishingly fruitful career exploring the interface between the Christian faith and African cultures, particularly in his native Ghana. This is how he put it: “There is probably no more single important explanation for the massive presence of Christianity on the African continent than the availability of the scripture in many African languages. By rejecting the notion of a sacred language for the Bible, Christianity makes every translation of its Scriptures substantially and equally the Word of God. Thus the existence of vernacular Bibles not only facilitates access to particular communities speaking those languages but also creates the likelihood that the hearers of the Word in their own languages will make their response to it and on their own terms.”Once people have the Bible in their own language, they being to experience Christ on their own terms and in ways that make sense to them, from within the culture which is embodied in the language. Example 1 (if not using the relevant part of the Kenyan Holy Communion Liturgy)Let me give you a simple example from Uganda that came about because Ugandans read Acts 2 in their own language in the 1920s. Anglican missionaries insisted that Ugandan converts could only be baptised once they had mastered the relatively new art of literacy, with the text being a gospel and also a catechism. But Ugandans started to read Acts in their own language, and for example, when they read Acts 2.41 they did not see Peter demanding of converts the ability to read a gospel or recite a catechism. He just baptised them. And so Ugandans set up their own church, beyond the Anglican church, where particular educational attainments were not the prerequisite for baptism, much to the irritation of the colonial and missionary authorities. The Pentecost factor enabled Ugandan Christians to decide what was and what was not that appropriate markers for entry into the Christian faith through baptism. Example 2 (if using the relevant parts of the Kenyan Holy Communion Liturgy)Later on in the service, we will be using words from a Holy Communion service developed by the Anglican Church of Kenya. Take particular note about who the Kenyan Christians want to include among the great host who are singing: ‘Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.’ It is not just the angels and archangels who are singing this with us, but also ‘the faithful ancestors.’ And after communion has been given, we will pray to ‘the God of our ancestors, God of our people.’ In African thought, we, the current generation, live in a dynamic relationship with both the generations that have preceded us, our ancestors, and with the generation yet to be born. And so as the Bible is read in the languages of Kenya, Kenyan ways of thinking and being are opened up to Christ. Was God unknown to our ancestors before the missionaries came? Or were the very virtues that made someone worthy of the title ancestor actually Christian virtues? And so those who lived Christianly even if they had not heard of Christ are faithful ancestors, sharing the same God who is Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and so who join in the heavenly anthem alongside the angels and archangels. The Pentecost factor empowers Kenyan Christians to craft a Holy Communion that reflects their pressing theological concerns, sweeping up the prior generations who lived Christianly into cloud of witnesses around the throne who join us in singing ‘Holy, Holy, Holy…’In the twenty-first century, we live in an era of multiple centres of Christianity around the world. And because of the Pentecost Principle, each of these centres has heard of Christ in their own language and so, in the words of Kwame have responded ‘on their own terms,’ as Ugandan Christians did in the 1920s/Kenyan Christians as they crafted their own Holy Communion service. Consequently there is significant diversity within the World Church today, presenting us with wonderful opportunities to learn from each other as we follow Christ. And these opportunities have become all the more real because Christians from the Southern hemisphere haven’t stayed in the South, they have come North and can be found in our neighbourhoods, in our workplaces and in our own churches. Statistics show the London churches are growing, not declining – over 10% increase between 1998 and 2005. But this growth is happening among the non-white population: black churchgoers now form half the churchgoing population of inner London, outnumbering white churchgoers. The largest church is now the West African Kingsway International Christian Centre, led by the Nigerian Matthew Ashimolowa, with around 10,000 in attendance on a Sunday and with branches across the UK. It’s not just about numbers, though: Christians from the southern hemisphere have come to Britain bringing expressions of Christianity that are shaped by the long conversation between Christ and the cultures of the southern hemisphere, making Christianity in Britain more diverse than ever. The Pentecost principle challenges us, from the north and from the south, that there is no one single, sacred definitive version of the Christian faith. There will always be the temptation to assuming that our own expression of the Christian faith is the only one. But instead, the diversity of Christianity both globally and in Britain is an opportunity for us to learn from each other, to have our own blind-spots exposed, and to learn of new truths about Christ as we see him at home in different cultures. That’s how we, too, will hear of the wonders of God declared in many different languages, just as the first audience at Pentecost did. NOTESThe statistics on worldwide growth of Christianity are taken from Todd M. Johnson and Kenneth R. Ross (eds), Atlas of Global Christianity (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2009) p. 8and Mark Noll, ‘Who Would Have Thought?’ Christianity Today (Nov/Dec 2001, Vol. 7, No. 6), p.21The quotation from Kwame Bediako comes from his book, Christianity in Africa: the Renewal of a Non-Western Religion (Edinburgh: EUP, 1995), p.62, sections in brackets added. The statistics on church attendance in London are from Peter Brierley’s Pulling out of the Nose Dive, (London: Christian Research, 2006), pp.98-99. Sermon outline 2I believe in the Holy Spiritthe Holy Catholic Church…I wonder, if we were to ask, right now, for a list of words that capture what the Holy Spirit is like, what kind of words might come up? Perhaps unpredictable, creative, powerful and inspiring? For the Holy Spirit is the breath of God at creation, the wind moving over the face of the deep as the universe forms from nothing. He is the courage of prophets, the anointed wisdom of kings, he is the inspiration of apostles, and God’s gift to his people and to his church through the ages. Now, if we were to come up with some words that might be associated with the church, would any of them be in common with our first list? Even though we’re not talking about just the church of St Wotsits, or even the Church of England, nor the Roman Catholic Church or any other denomination. When we say ‘catholic’ in the creed we mean nothing less than the sum total of all God’s people scattered throughout the world. But I’m sure in many people’s minds there is instead an image which is less the vibrant people of God, a living temple to his glory, and more a dusty medieval building full of Victorian pews, smelling of dead bats, and used for about two hours at a time once a week. This is a caricature, of course, and I very much hope that your own experience of church is much, much more alive than that, but it is probably fair to say that in the general public perception, unpredictability, creativity, power and inspiration aren’t things of which the church is frequently accused. All of which is why it’s such a great opportunity each Pentecost to look at both the Holy Spirit and the Church, those to adjacent lines of the creed, together. It’s not only because we associate the Holy Spirit primarily with Pentecost, which is considered the birthday of the Christian Church. No, they belong together because if the church is the body of Christ on earth, as St Paul says, then the Holy Spirit is, or should be, that body’s breath of life. And so I find myself idly wondering what would happen if the church opened the doors a little wider to let more of that breath of life in. If we all breathed it in, and breathed it out, what kind of church might we become?The first thing that sprang to mind was prophecy. Not the Harry Potter variety, but the kind of thing we find in the Old Testament: Isaiah, Amos and the rest. The sort of prophecy that isn’t afraid to talk about good news to the poor, release to the captives, justice for the widow and the orphan. There have been times when the church has spoken a powerful voice for justice in the world. And there have equally been times when we have failed to speak out, and times when the church has been complicit in some of the worst atrocities that humankind has ever inflicted on itself. Pentecost is never far away from Christian Aid Week, when Churches unite with each other to do something about poverty and injustice, and to help make God’s world more nearly the place it was meant to be. If the Church is to be filled with the Holy Spirit, with the breath of God, then we are absolutely involved with the social and political dimension of this world, the world that God himself created, and for which Jesus gave his life. That’s what prophecy is about, and that’s what the Holy Spirit inspires.The second thing that springs to my mind is communication. We read in the book of Acts the story of the Day of Pentecost, a day when a handful of very ordinary people were empowered by God’s Spirit and spoke in many languages so that all who heard would understand that the wonders of God were for them, and that Christ was at home in their communities, in their own cultures. I wonder what would the church be like if we could express what we believe in a way that was right from the heart, and enable others to do the same – to celebrate what the love of God looks like in every place and context. What would it mean for the ordinary people of the church to stand up and give witness to the power and love of God, in their own words, and using their own language? And what would it mean for that communication to be something that wasn’t embarrassing, or awkward, or artificial, for it to be something that we don’t cross the street to avoid, or that sounds like something rehearsed and repeated out of habit, but actually for it to be an outpouring of who we are with Christ in our midst? The third thing that springs to my mind is gifts, and for this I need a bit of 1 Corinthians, in which St Paul writes: Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.So many people go through life believing that what they have is worth nothing apart from what other people think of them, never recognising the gifts that God has given them, conned into accepting the world’s values when it comes to work and careers, rather than responding to the desires and talents that God has planted within their hearts. I wonder, what would the church be like if everyone was enabled to use their gifts in the service of all and for the glory of God, each person knowing that they were contributing towards something bigger than themselves, and in the process, becoming more and more the person God created them to be?What would church be like if it really was filled with God’s Spirit – the Spirit which at times is like the breath of God, at times a rushing wind enough to shake the foundations of the world, at times a dove, at times an invisible and gift-giving inspiration in the hearts of God’s people, and at times tongues of living fire? What would such a church be like?Well, it would certainly be as many and varied as it is now. The Holy Spirit isn’t partial to one particular flavour of church tradition, for God wants to breathe his life into every gathering of his people. But it does mean that every gathering of God’s people is part of the greater gathering of all God’s people. To be church is to be anything but monochrome and monotone, and even if our own little church only has one colour and one language, we are part of a worldwide church that is made from every colour of the rainbow and must learn to sing in splendid harmony and polyphony.So no matter where we are in the world, no matter what style of church we do, no matter what kind of music we sing, no matter what label we may give ourselves, let us be a Church is filled with the Holy Spirit, the breath of God’s life, so that we can breathe that life to others.All Age talk outline 1 (by Sandra Millar)NB this talk involves going outside and inside the church. For congregations where this is not appropriate, there is a variation below. Ask you has ever had an adventure. Say something similar to:Adventures are the themes of lots of books and stories.Ask for any ideas. Then tell people about the Pixar film, Up. This film is all about adventure. It begins with the main character, Carl, a small boy who longs for adventures. As an old man, widowed, he wants to create the adventure his dead wife never had. He ties balloons all over his house until one day it floats off. A small boy, Russell, is accidentally taken along for the ride.This adventure begins with balloons. Talk about hot air balloons and how they work, for example that there is a flame of fire which heats the air and lifts the balloon. (You can buy mini hot air balloons; if you want to use one, test it out first to see if it works.)God’s Spirit came at Pentecost with wind and fire… and then all the followers of Jesus were off on an amazing adventure.Ask who is ready to go on an adventure. Set off and walk to the gate or outside entrance (or simply walk out on to the pavement) of the church. When you arrive, talk about how the adventure made all the followers of Jesus go out onto the streets and being telling people about Jesus. Some of them would go much further, travelling all over the known world , spreading the news. Then walk to an entrance into the church (this might be the only door or, if you have more than one entrance, chose a less-used door, which should be open). Stop and talk about how the adventure also involved their learning how to be God’s people together, worshipping, praying and sharing. Then, if possible, walk through the church and back outside again. Talk about how the Holy Spirit is still at work, encouraging us to go out into the world. Some people will have adventures for Jesus that take them all over the world. God still needs people willing to go to other countries or to different kinds of people. Remind people of the film Up – Carl went far away for an adventure, but then discovered the diary that his wife had written. She had written that the greatest adventure was bring with him, her husband. God also wants us to be on the adventure of earning to be God’s people in this place and in places where we work, learn and play. Wherever we are, whatever we do, God’s Holy Spirit is with us, giving us the power to do what needs to be done. Additional notes if the talk is taking place entirely insideThe talk can be done inside but, instead of everyone moving around, simply send groups of active volunteers to different places. Attach a Scripture to the gates (or outside space), e.g. ‘Go into all the world and make disciples.’ Attach a Scripture t the door, e.g. ‘Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and mind.’ The group going out can bring these back. While they are gone, invite the congregation to talk together about the work of God’s Spirit in the world today. All age talk outline 2 (by Ally Barrett)444597536000If you are having an outdoor service, a bouncy castle would make a brilliant illustration for this – or indeed a mini one that could be used indoors if anyone in the congregation happens to have one! The illustration does also work with balloons and bubbles – and pretty much all children will be able to imagine the bouncy castle you are talking about if you don’t have one to hand.308229074930000I saw a picture on the internet of an inflatable church – a bit like a bouncy castle, and with inflatable pews, and everything! (If you have a projector you could show an image of it – such as this one. The picture shows it full of air – and it looks amazing! -184404090170000But I wonder what it would look like with all the air gone out of it – just a pile of grey rubbery fabric on the ground. Nothing like a church and certainly no fun at all. 2475865130556000It’s a bit like a balloon. When a balloon is full of air, it’s everything that a balloon can be and should be – you can play with it, celebrate with it, bat it around with your friends, rub it on your head and stick it to the ceiling, pass it person to person just using your eblows… (you could demonstrate some of these). A balloon full of air is just what it’s supposed to be. But a balloon with all the air gone out of it? That’s no fun at all. You can’t do anything with it. It even feels bleurgh!A church is a bit like a balloon. Or even, a bit like an inflatable church. But instead of being full of air, the church needs to be full of the Holy Spirit – God’s breath of life. Now, we can’t see the Holy Spirit, but we can see what a difference the Holy Spirit makes – just as we can’t see the air that makes the bouncy castle bouncy or makes the balloon balloony….At the first Pentecost, God breathed a huge breath of his Holy Spirit into the church so that it could become all that he wanted it to be – people were full of joy and excitement and wonder! We need God to keep breathing his Holy Spirit so that each of us, and the whole church are full of the Holy Spirit. With God’s Holy Spirit, the church is like not , and each of us is like not like And the best bit? We can’t see the air around us, but when the air is in the balloon or the bouncy castle, we can see how real and powerful it is. We can’t see the Holy Spirit, but when the church is full of the Holy Spirit, or when we are full of the Holy Spirit, we can see how real and powerful God’s Spirit is, but what we are like and what our churches are like, full of joy and hope and peace and excitement and wonder and love. We can’t be all that we could be without God’s Spirit. And when we are full of the Spirit, we show the whole world what God’s love and life and power are like in real life!Additional Children’s activity suggestions -45847044958000Playing with balloons and / or a bouncy castle is a good one today – but it can get very exciting and noisy, so it’s best for services that can accommodate that kind of excitement, or to do them outside after the service is over, if you have the outdoor space to do so safely! It may also be hard to stop these activities once they are started….117191870500For something more reflective, blowing on a downy feather can give an idea of the gentle power of the air we can’t see.Prayers using bubbles can be effective – blow slowly for one big prayer, or more quickly for lots of little ones. Blow the concerns and hopes into the bubbles with each breath, and watch them rise up – when they pop, that can be a moment to celebrate that God does hear and ‘collect’ all our prayers. Many churches have released candle-powered Chinese lanterns in worship, but there have been some environmental and safety issues associated with these; Releasing helium balloons can be effective, but care needs to be taken to minimise environmental impact, e.g. by using one balloon rather than many, and by choosing biodegradable latex rather than plastic.Windmills can be made and decorated (templates are downloadable – do you want to include one?). Light up a map! a world map and stick birthday candle on Jerusalem and then more candles added as the gospel spreads till whole map is covered.Sing Happy Birthday – but not just in English - Google Happy Birthday in as many languages as possible417068062484000Bible languages – bring along bibles in as many languages as you can to show what they look like, or download the same passages several times, in different languages from biblegateway,comConfetti cannon – spreading of the gospelGifts of the Spirit – ncourage the children to draw or write in bubble outlines something they can do because they are full of the Holy Spirit – you could use the Gifts of the Spirit as a starting point. Also check out these great ideas from allplayonsunday.blogspot.co.uk ................
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