This is a copy of my article for the MAY 2013 edition of the Billericay ‘Around Town Magazine’

As the worldwide church continues to celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, we will soon remember His ascension to heaven and then recall the exciting ‘signs and wonders’ of God’s generous gift of His Holy Spirit to His church, known as Pentecost.

Pentecost is much more than a bank-holiday weekend; it is a celebration of a world-changing event with permanent and eternal consequences – not a long forgotten report of a strange mystical experience that happened to a handful of people two thousand years ago.

Many are sceptical about a supernatural God moving in a supernatural way, however, there are three things worth bearing in mind when we think about the Holy Spirit that should give encouragement in our journey of faith:

The Holy Spirit comes to inspire us: Tired and deflated, we find our faith revitalised and refreshed. Sluggish, we find ourselves empowered with renewed vigour. Hesitant and timid, we find ourselves carried along by a momentum that owes everything to God’s leading and guiding.

The Holy Spirit comes to ignite in us the passion of God: And comes to cleanse and purge whatever is dead and dry in our lives. We find ourselves – as those first disciples did – ablaze with a passion for living and inflamed afresh with God’s love for the world around us.

The Holy Spirit comes to illuminate Jesus: Those early disciples might simply have enjoyed a wonderful spiritual refreshing! They could have huddled together and invited others to ‘come and share with them’ – but they didn’t.  Instead, they shared their experiences of a life changed by Jesus, as Christians continue to do today, so that others may know that same life enhancing experience for themselves.

We are delighted to welcome the Bishop of Bradwell to Emmanuel for our 10.30am Pentecost Sunday service on 19th May 2013.  May I give you a warm invitation to join with us? Who knows, it could be a life-changing experience for you, too.

May you allow God’s Holy Spirit to: inspire; ignite and illuminate you as you walk with Him.