Anything but “ordinary”

The Easter season has come to an end, and we are now in 'Ordinary Time'. We have celebrated Jesus’ Ascension and been reminded of the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We have celebrated Trinity Sunday and given thanks for the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In this edition of the magazine, you will read Lily’s article about Messy Church at Pentecost where we painted an amazing banner, designed by Wendy, depicting the Spirit descending upon the disciples (see front cover!). There was also a giant papier mâché flame which stood proudly upon the altar.

On Pentecost Sunday, Verity and Lydia were confirmed at Birmingham Cathedral. At the service, Bishop Michael talked about our need for the Spirit and how we cannot live out our faith without it. He used the analogy of running a marathon. If anyone has ever trained (or known someone who has trained) you’ll know the amount of energy required to run a marathon. Our muscles can only give so much energy before they need replenishing. Therefore, runners refuel using energy gels which contain multiple nutrients needed to boost energy and allow the runner to keep going.

Like running a marathon, being a disciple of Christ isn’t easy. As Keith writes in the ‘Scripture Slot’, we are called as disciples to challenge injustice, to bring comfort and peace to the needy and to feed the hungry. We are to build the Kingdom of God through sharing the Gospel, nurturing others in faith and living Christ-like lives. We are called to love our neighbour, pray for our enemies and offer ourselves in the service of God and one another. This is not easy. As humans, we will fail again and again unless we are in relationship with God. We cannot live the lives to which we are called without the power of the Holy Spirit! We need to pray earnestly for the Spirit in our lives. Like the energy gels which feed our muscles to enable us to run, the Spirit fuels our hearts and minds, building us to offer ourselves in the ways we are called.

On Trinity Sunday, The Revd Canon Dr Mark Pryce offered us an image of the Trinity as the Father and the Son in relationship through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was imagined as the conversation, movement and flow of this relationship. (If you missed his sermon, you can watch the full service on our Facebook page). We too are invited into relationship with God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

On 5th July, our new curate, Aubrey Clarke, will be ordained a Deacon. At that service, the bishop will say, “You cannot bear the weight of this calling in your own strength, but only by the grace and power of God. Pray therefore that your heart may daily be enlarged and your understanding of the Scriptures enlightened. Pray earnestly for the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

As we move into ‘Ordinary Time’ and the liturgical colour remains green for a number of months ahead, we need to remember that being a disciple is anything but ordinary. The Spirit of Pentecost hasn’t been put away, packaged neatly ready for next year. The Spirit remains active in our lives, and we need to pray continually to receive the Spirit again and again.

Our banner will remain in church for a while yet reminding us of the Spirit resting upon the apostles, and in turn upon all of God’s people. Let us pray earnestly for the Spirit throughout the year so that we can bear the weight of our own calling and to be sustained in our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ.