Mr Robert Williams led our worship last Sunday on the theme of the Christian festival of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down after Christ’s Ascension with the message ‘Peace, I Leave with You’. Neil and Jill Barnett played the organ and key board to accompany our hymns, taken from Hymns & Psalms. Robert was welcome by Keith Harrison. We began by reciting alternative verses of Psalm 150 and joyful Psalm of Praise followed by our opening hymn “Come down O Love divine, seek thou this soul of mine”, a lovely hymn written around the year 1400.
After prayers of praise and adoration we had two bible readings. The first, read by Jill Barnett, from John, chapter 14, in which Jesus speaks about his departure from earth but gives his followers a promise that he will return to them in the form of the Holy Spirit and he urges them not to be worried or upset. The second, read by Neil Barnett, was from Act, chapter two which describes the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The disciples were enabled to speak in the many languages of the crowds who were in Jerusalem at that time and they proclaimed the gospel to all who would listen and some 3,000 were added to their number. Robert led our prayers for others to include prayers for the world’s leaders in these troubled times and for our own national life in the light of the forthcoming election.
Robert spoke of the meaning of the events at Pentecost. They were exhilarating times for the disciples, when many wonderful things took place. The coming of the Holy Spirit energised the followers of Jesus who had thought they had lost him forever and some 2,000 years later the Holy Spirit continues to empower Christians, the world over. So we come now with the constant assurance of God’s presence. The Holy Spirit came down as a rushing mighty wind and through the Spirit we can know that God is with us on our life’s journey step by step, and we can know that we are called to listen and obey him and his word.