PENTECOST is a wonderful time in the liturgical life of the church. It is an opportunity to express in worship the source of the Church’s power and inspiration and its end purpose. It is also an opportunity this year, at a time of General Election, for the Church in the UK to think about the message of Pentecost and its significance in seeking to shape the public space.
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In the Jewish tradition Pentecost celebrated the importance of the law in shaping community. In the Christian tradition this idea is completed as the Spirit of God is poured out on all people regardless of their race and God announces he will write his law into the hearts of his people. The story of the Tower of Babel is reversed, humankind is being offered a new unity of mind and purpose. God’s Spirit is bringing about a new world order, beginning with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s new Adam.