SUNDAY, May 31 was Pentecost and Rev Ann Varker explained that it was the birthday of the Church when God sent the Holy Spirit onto the Disciples. A group of up to 120 people had gathered together awaiting a gift from God although they had no idea what this gift would be.

Pentecost was 50 days after the Passover when thousands of people would be in Jerusalem to celebrate. The Disciples and Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and could speak in different languages so that the people who had gathered in Jerusalem from different countries could hear the message in their own tongues.

Through modern technology we can hear people from other places and we are regularly joined for services on the web by friends in Cornwall and East Anglia. We have been joined several times by a lady from Bratislava in Slovakia.

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit came upon the believers in the form of a flame.

The children’s challenge was to make a picture of flames. Rev Varker spoke to John who shared a photo of a bonfire he had taken in 2018 when he was volunteering for the National Trust.

Rev Varker spoke of the "R" Value that we are all familiar with in connection with the Coronavirus. She said that if the R value rises to more than one, then the virus spreads. She said that if we tell people of the Gift of the Holy Spirit, then they tell another, the love of God spreads and it is our job to be witnesses.

Rev Varker had decorated her study with balloons, which are used to celebrate birthdays. She explained the balloons needed breath to inflate them. She explained that God longs to fill us with His breath by the Holy Spirit – all we need to do is ask.

If you would like to listen live to Sunday morning services at 10.30am please contact the audio visual team using the email: [email protected] or telephone 01363 777308. Individual help will be given to work out how you can best access the worship.

Bronwyn Nott