Flaming June! Well here’s hoping. I had a sort of flaming May. I think it all began on the Saturday evening before Pentecost, when I responded to an invitation to attend an Eve of Pentecost time of worship in Atherstone. I was introduced to ‘The Orantes’ stance in prayer – holding yourself open to God. When I say introduced, I should say that I have learned in my following of Jesus to hold myself open to God, a dangerous place encounter with our living, loving God, but not this ‘The Orantes’.

The following day, after morning worship in Kineton and lunch, I journey to Hereford to join in the Hereford Churches Together celebration of Pentecost in the Cathedral. In this celebration the congregation was invited to journey through the Cathedral attending to the ways that in our worship God’s spirit is at work.  Fred Pratt Green’s song ‘God is here! As we his people meet to offer praise and prayer’, came to life. Sprinkled with water from the font, the scriptures read in multiple languages, the prayerfulness of the Lady Chapel and out into the world as worship ended in the cloisters, and then for me out with Young people to deliver Christian Aid envelopes; a day in which I experienced again the gentle and yet powerful working of the spirit. It gave particular significance to a report I heard later in the week of another Pentecost Celebration, which was shaped around the television show ‘The Apprentice’, in which the punch line had been adapted, ‘Your hired, your fired’.

‘Come, Holy Spirit, come.’

Since my return for Sabbatical, I have had the opportunity of listen to Rev Neil Richardson speak/preach on three occasions. What I heard.

• First, he asked us to think about life/work balance. What are we call to be by God? What do we pile on ourselves? Discern!
• Second, he spoke of the Holiness of God, which is to be found in the edge place and people.
• Third, the work of God’s spirit is to equip people to live out their following Jesus and serving God.

Made me think as I try to hold ‘mapping the way forward’ for the District, which is made up of local churches in circuits.

I have enjoyed two invitations to speak about my time in South Africa, and look forward to further opportunities.

So back to where I started. When I arrived at Atherstone, I was asked if I would read Ruth chapter 2 (in fact the whole of the Book was read in the service). As I read I nearly came to a stand still as reading familiar words, I understood the power of the Hebrew sense of obligation to the marginalized. Boaz not only permits the stranger to glean behind the harvesters, but was responsible for her safety too. As I dare to stand open to God I pray that such a spirit may be in my life, and the life of the society and communities of our land, our world.

So we come to the marking of the ten anniversary of our great chain around the city centre, in the hope that the powerful people of the world would set in train the dropping of debt, establishing fair trade and justice for all, which might lead peace in our world.

Come, Holy Spirit, come.

Yours in love,

Bill Anderson.

NCH presentations at Bedford

               
District Testimony service

                    
Queens Foundation Celebration