THE service at Crediton Methodist Church, on Pentecost Sunday, May 28, was led by Rev Alison Richardson with the theme “The Day the Spirit Came”.

Pentecost is the celebration of the day when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples and is widely seen as the birthday of the Christian church.

Although John Wesley had been an Anglican priest for many years, he did not have an experience of the Holy Spirit until Aldersgate Sunday (celebrated last week) when he felt his “heart strangely warmed”.  

He had known the theology but did not have the experience until then.

We listened to a short drama of two people discussing their experience of conversion. 

Alison said we can believe in God all our lives and not experience the Holy Spirit. 

We should never feel lesser Christians if we do not prophesy or speak in tongues. We all have different gifts.

It is right to remember the first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples, but we should remember that the Holy Spirit has always been there. 

The Holy Spirit was active at the creation of the universe. 

In the Old Testament we hear that certain people were filled with the Holy Spirit and in Numbers read about Moses.  

The Holy Spirit blessed Joel with prophesy, looking forward to when the Spirit would be poured down on all flesh.

That prophesy was fulfilled on the first Pentecost. 

In Acts we hear about a powerful, noisy event. 

John described it as a deeply sacred event.

The same Spirit was active in the Old Testament but not all people experienced it. 

From the time of Jesus we know the Holy Spirit led and empowered the apostles to build the Christian church.

With Jesus, God offers us a new covenant relationship that is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  

The Holy Spirit works by faith in our hearts.  

We do not need to have a sudden, scary, spooky experience to prove we are Christians. 

Our lives show our faith. 

Bronwyn Nott