American Baptist preacher (and sociologist – but don’t hold any of that against him), Tony Campolo, tells the story of a man being given a tour of an oil refinery. He sees the various processes involved in getting the oil and turning it into fuel. At the end of the tour, he asks a question: where is the shipping department? His tour guide asks, What shipping department? The man clarifies his question: how does the fuel created by the oil refinery get out into the world where it can be used? The tour guide replies:

“You don’t understand.
All the fuel we produce is used to run the refinery.”

Campolo says the church can be like this. We have resources but we use them all to run the church, instead of serving the world.

At Pentecost we see the outpouring of God’s Spirit, creating the church. God gives us all the resources we need, not just to run the church but to serve the world. The disciples were devastated by the death of Jesus on the cross and bewildered by his resurrection. The Risen Christ restores them and re-establishes the community he created. But they are told to wait until they receive God’s power. This will transform them so that they can be witnesses to Jesus (Acts 1:8).

On the day of Pentecost, the Spirit comes to them in powerful elemental form – like wind and fire. The Spirit breaks down barriers and enables them to communicate with others, to speak of what they have witnessed. Not everyone is impressed, of course. Some ridicule the whole idea. But some are touched by the message – cut to the heart (Acts 2:37) and want to know how they should respond. Peter tells them they are to “repent and be baptised”. And the church grows.

We have got used to the idea of the church in decline. But that’s not how it needs to be. Perhaps we spend too much time running the church for our own benefit, turning it into a club for people like us – using all the fuel to power the refinery. What would it look like for the Spirit of Pentecost to come to Stretton, Appleton and Appleton Thorn? I’m not suggesting that our churches become ‘pentecostal’ or ‘charismatic’ – although that is part of my own background – but what would it mean for us at St Matthew’s and St Cross to be transformed by the Spirit, breaking down the barriers to communicating the gospel, taking us out from our Sunday worship “to love and to serve the Lord”?

I’m writing this between our two parish Annual Meetings, at which we elect Churchwardens and Church Council representatives, and appoint sidespersons. We also receive the annual report which paints a picture of how we have lived our life as the church, and the accounts which show how we have used the (financial) resources entrusted to us to support our vision. My thanks to all who give their time, talents, energy and money, to make the church live in these parishes.

It’s also a good time to ask what next year’s report, covering the current year, will look like. More of the same? A little trickle of declining numbers? Or life and growth powered by the Spirit, turning us into witnesses to Jesus, making us the church, and sending out to love and serve the world?

That’s what we pray for!

Holy Spirit, sent by the Father,
ignite in us your holy fire;
strengthen your children with the gift of faith,
revive your Church with the breath of love,
and renew the face of the earth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Alan