Around the Square

The monthly magazine of St John's and St Mary's

A range of news, articles, notices and other information for both parishes.
Available for 50p from either Church.

Sharon Writes

(from May 2007 edition)

We have come through the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ and this month we look to the ascension of our Lord and to the out pouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. What did this out pouring of the Holy Spirit mean to Jesus’ closest friends? Acts 2 tells us that on the day of Pentecost the disciples were altogether in the house when suddenly a sound like a violent wind came and they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire coming to rest on each one of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The surprising part is that after this happened Peter stood up and addressed the crowd proclaiming the good news about Jesus calling for the people to repent and to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter was transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the good news for us today is that this same power is readily available to us, if only we believe and expect it. God is still in the business of transforming lives and drawing people to himself. With the out pouring of the Holy Spirit there is often signs and wonders. The disciples began to speak in other tongues and people where healed. We seem to have lost the expectation that during our worship we will experience an out pouring of the Holy Spirit.

What has God been doing in your life recently? Testimony is so encouraging it builds up the body of Christ. I would like to share a true story with you that happened in my family over Easter. Both my daughters are due to get married this summer. My youngest daughter, Hayley is marrying James and during Holy Week, James was filling in job application forms, he is in his final year at Nottingham University. One of the questions on this particular application form was ‘what is your ideal job?’ Hayley read this and was thinking to herself, what is my ideal job? She is currently completing a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education), to become a primary school teacher. Hayley has found this difficult as she has had a hard placement and is not sure that she wants to be a teacher. After about an hour the thought just came to her totally out of the blue that her ideal job would be an Educational Officer at a zoo! As this thought formed in her mind she thought yes that’s it so she went onto the computer and cobbled together a few paragraphs about herself, updated her CV and e mailed it to seven different zoos around the country. The following day she received a reply from a small family run zoo in Bristol. They said that they were very impressed with her CV, that they are a Christian zoo and start each day with prayer and a Bible reading, that they haven’t got an Educational Officer at present but would she be prepared to come and see them. Hayley arranged to visit the zoo on the Wednesday after Easter. She spent the day at the zoo and the following day they rang to say they would like her to join them and would create a job as an Educational Officer for her. She starts in August. How amazing is God, I was reminded of the passage in Psalm 118 v 23 which says “the Lord has done this and it is marvellous in our eyes”.

This was so random and unexpected that all we can do Is to praise God and to say thank you. From a christian perspective there is. no other explanation than to say God has ordained these events. Hayley is excited and anxious about setting up something totally new but she is aware that God prepares the called and does not call the prepared. Peter certainly wasn’t prepared to address the crowd on that first Pentecost but God gave him the words and the courage to stand-up and speak on behalf of Jesus. I wholeheartedly believe that as Hayley embraces this new challenging role God will indeed give her all the gifts and skills that she requires to bring honour to the name of Jesus. As we celebrate Pentecost later this month let us be open, willing and expectant that God will again pour out His Holy Spirit on each one of us.

With love

Sharon

 

Click Here to email the magazine editor Susan Forrest with contributions