Sharing some thoughts

  When we celebrate Christmas, most people know that it’s something to do with the birth of Jesus. When we celebrate Easter, lots of people know that it’s about a cross and about Jesus rising from the dead – and of course, there’s lots of people that know it’s about Easter eggs too !  Today we celebrate Pentecost, one of the great days in the Church calendar, but one that is less well known. It is the day we remember the gift of the Holy Spirit being given to the early followers and to all who have followed since…  In our reading from Acts (2:1-21) we’re told of the disciples gathered together and three things stick out – firstly, they were expectant. Jesus had promised a helper. They didn’t quite know what this would be exactly and this helper wouldn’t be a replacement for Jesus with them, but it would empower each follower to try and live like Jesus.  And so these disciples who had watched Jesus die, but who had seen Jesus risen, now waited expectantly…  And secondly they waited hope

William Temple, a former Archbishop of Canterbury wrote that when Jesus was involved in his earthly ministry only people who were in his actual presence could hear him speak or see what he was doing – if you were in Galilee you couldn’t see Jesus in Jerusalem and vice versa ! But he went on to write that by his Ascension he was now available wherever we are – God is everywhere, and we can never be separated from him and his love for us.  Ascension Day, which was celebrated on Thursday, marks another turning point in our Church calendar – and it is a hugely important day for the Church today just as it was when Jesus left his followers 2000 years ago. It marked a huge turning point because no longer would the followers of Jesus focus inwardly – meeting together, praying, sharing times of fellowship and learning directly from Jesus himself -  now they were to have an outward focus – they were to look outwards to the needs of the world.  In today’s gospel (John 17:1-11), Jesus was praying

  Most of you will have visited a great Cathedral. Many will enjoy looking around wonderful Church buildings, whether wonderful for their beauty and splendour, for the things contained in them, for the atmosphere of peace, for the history, or for all kinds of other reasons.  Over many centuries, Churches have been built to celebrate the glory and wonder of God. Centuries ago certainly but even sometimes today, it has been thought that the more impressive the Church, the more it glorified Him.  This philosophy behind the building of Churches has continued into relatively recent times – I think the largest Cathedral in Britain is the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool. It’s also one of the more recent British Cathedrals…  But the reasons it was built were the same as with many other cathedrals. The obvious reasons are to be a place of prayer and worship and to glorify God, but this huge Cathedral in Liverpool was also built to show the power and wealth of the City.  And there we have