:00:27. > :00:30.Welcome to Halifax Minster, here in the heart of West Yorkshire. Our
:00:30. > :00:32.title of "Minster" means that our church serves a wide and diverse
:00:32. > :00:39.community and this beautiful building plays host to many civic
:00:39. > :00:41.and cultural events, as well as our daily worship. Today we're
:00:42. > :00:51.celebrating one of the greatest Christian festivals - Pentecost
:00:51. > :00:54.Sunday, the Church's birthday, 50 days after Easter. Now that Jesus
:00:54. > :00:57.has ascended into heaven, we celebrate the sending of the Holy
:00:57. > :01:02.Spirit to earth and renew our commitment to take the good news of
:01:02. > :01:05.the Gospel out into the world. We're delighted to have you join us
:01:05. > :01:15.as part of our congregation this morning as we sing together our
:01:15. > :01:15.
:01:15. > :04:51.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 216 seconds
:04:51. > :05:01.Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ
:05:01. > :05:03.
:05:03. > :05:13.Jesus Christ, whom we worship, is our crucified, risen and ascended
:05:13. > :05:18.Lord and we have walked with him through his journey of love. We
:05:18. > :05:24.have faced the agony of his suffering and death on a cross. We
:05:24. > :05:27.have rejoiced at his bursting free from the bonds of death. We have
:05:27. > :05:34.enjoyed his risen presence with us and his revelation of himself
:05:34. > :05:37.through the breaking of bread. We have seen his return to the throne
:05:37. > :05:45.before which every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that this
:05:45. > :05:48.Jesus is Lord. And now, with the followers of his own time, we await
:05:48. > :05:58.the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, his gift to his people,
:05:58. > :06:14.
:06:14. > :06:17.through whom we make Christ known Because God was merciful, he saved
:06:17. > :06:26.us through the water of rebirth, and the renewing power of the Holy
:06:26. > :06:30.Spirit. But through sin we have fallen away from our baptism. Let
:06:30. > :06:40.us return to the Lord and renew our faith in his promises by confessing
:06:40. > :06:44.
:06:44. > :06:53.Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my
:06:53. > :06:57.sin. Lord, have mercy. ALL: Lord, Create in me a clean heart, O God,
:06:57. > :07:03.and renew a right spirit within me. Christ, have mercy. ALL: Christ,
:07:03. > :07:11.Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from
:07:11. > :07:14.me. Lord, have mercy. ALL: Lord, have mercy. Almighty God, who
:07:14. > :07:18.forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver
:07:18. > :07:28.you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and
:07:28. > :07:28.
:07:28. > :10:15.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 216 seconds
:10:15. > :10:22.keep you in life eternal. Through Holy Spirit, sent by the Father,
:10:22. > :10:25.ignite in us your Holy fire. Strengthen your children with the
:10:25. > :10:35.gift of faith, revive your Church with the breath of love, and renew
:10:35. > :10:52.
:10:52. > :10:55.the face of the earth, through A reading from the Acts of the
:10:55. > :11:00.Apostles. When the day of Pentecost had come,
:11:00. > :11:03.they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came
:11:03. > :11:07.a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire
:11:07. > :11:13.house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire,
:11:13. > :11:16.appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them
:11:16. > :11:22.were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
:11:22. > :11:26.languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews
:11:26. > :11:29.from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this
:11:29. > :11:34.sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard
:11:34. > :11:37.them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and
:11:37. > :11:43.astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking
:11:43. > :11:46.Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native
:11:46. > :11:48.language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of
:11:48. > :11:51.Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and
:11:51. > :11:54.Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and
:11:54. > :11:56.visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - in
:11:56. > :12:06.our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of
:12:06. > :12:10.
:12:10. > :12:16.power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another,
:12:16. > :12:26.'What does this mean?' But others sneered and said, "They are filled
:12:26. > :12:26.
:12:26. > :15:37.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 216 seconds
:15:37. > :15:47.with new wine.' Hear the word of # Alleluia.
:15:47. > :15:52.
:15:52. > :16:02.# Alleluia. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people
:16:02. > :16:06.
:16:06. > :16:16.and kindle in them the fire of your love. ALL:
:16:16. > :16:25.
:16:25. > :16:33.# Alleluia. # Alleluia. Hear the Gospel of our
:16:33. > :16:43.Lord Jesus Christ according to John. ALL:
:16:43. > :16:43.
:16:43. > :16:47.# Glory to you, O Lord. When it was evening on that day,
:16:47. > :16:50.the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the
:16:50. > :17:00.disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
:17:00. > :17:05.stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' After he said this,
:17:05. > :17:14.he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced
:17:14. > :17:20.when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
:17:20. > :17:28.As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this,
:17:28. > :17:34.he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If
:17:34. > :17:41.you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain
:17:41. > :17:51.the sins of any, they are retained." This is the Gospel of
:17:51. > :17:51.
:17:51. > :18:34.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 216 seconds
:18:34. > :18:44.the Lord. ALL: May I speak in the name of our
:18:44. > :18:49.
:18:49. > :18:59.living God - creator, redeemer and comforter. ALL: Amen.
:18:59. > :19:03.
:19:03. > :19:07.A very quick show of hands - how many of you have ever gambled? The
:19:07. > :19:10.people of West Yorkshire and Halifax, I must say are
:19:10. > :19:15.astonishingly honest. When I wrote this sermon, I was expecting you
:19:15. > :19:19.all to sit on your hands and not want to look like a church full of
:19:19. > :19:25.gamblers in front of the nation, as we are joined by people across the
:19:25. > :19:34.country in our BBC broadcast today. But a very honest bunch indeed. In
:19:34. > :19:42.actual fact, we are part of the 73% of the population in this country,
:19:42. > :19:50.who participate regularly in some kind of gambling. We gamble because
:19:50. > :19:59.we would like to win. Money represents something to us which we
:19:59. > :20:03.feel we don't have. And what I think this is is the opportunity to
:20:04. > :20:10.be ourselves, to really find out who we are and what we can do, to
:20:10. > :20:17.experience the world in freedom, without economic restrictions and
:20:17. > :20:20.that this will fulfil us. Each of us is different, what that
:20:20. > :20:23.fulfilment might look like and where the journey towards it might
:20:23. > :20:26.lead are different, but most of us think like, and more importantly
:20:26. > :20:30.act like, money is the magic stuff that will help us to do these
:20:30. > :20:35.things, even if we do not want to admit it to ourselves. But most of
:20:35. > :20:40.us do think like and, more importantly, act like, money is the
:20:40. > :20:49.magic stuff that will help us to do these things and to be these things.
:20:49. > :20:52.Even if we don't often like to admit it, even just to ourselves.
:20:52. > :20:54.We understandably look at the world around us, the world we have spent
:20:54. > :20:58.decades living in, decoding, experiencing and trying to
:20:58. > :21:08.understand and from it we take this lesson - that this is the way
:21:08. > :21:23.
:21:23. > :21:26.The apostles used to think that they knew how the world worked, too.
:21:26. > :21:29.They had decades of experience between them in all sorts of trades
:21:29. > :21:33.and livings, they had seen clearly how their world, under the Romans,
:21:33. > :21:36.worked - and most of them had an idea about the best way out - by
:21:36. > :21:46.finding the Messiah who will free their people to be themselves, to
:21:46. > :22:02.
:22:02. > :22:09.worship their own way, to make And they found that Messiah and
:22:09. > :22:16.followed him through challenging and exciting times. They saw
:22:16. > :22:20.miracles. They heard words of such depth, they have resounded for two
:22:20. > :22:29.millennia. They saw tables overthrown in temples. They saw the
:22:29. > :22:35.hungry fed and they saw the lame walk. They saw their beloved friend
:22:35. > :22:40.crucified and then in wonder and amazement, they experience his
:22:40. > :22:47.resurrection and ascension, leaving them with the promise of a
:22:47. > :22:51.comforter. As we are witness to this morning
:22:51. > :22:59.as we heard our reading from Acts, it's a quite interesting kind of
:22:59. > :23:03.comfort that has turned up on this day of Pentecost. It's not the
:23:03. > :23:11.comfy slippers, comfy chair and comfort food, kind of comfort. It's
:23:11. > :23:19.not a hiding place from the world as it really is, kind of comfort.
:23:19. > :23:25.It is comfort which expects participation, which demands action.
:23:25. > :23:30.When the comforter comes it is with wind and tongues of fire. It is
:23:30. > :23:37.dynamic. And it is totally transforming.
:23:37. > :23:44.So why did I begin by asking you about your gambling habits? And how
:23:44. > :23:49.we think great riches can change our lives? We all think we know
:23:49. > :23:55.that money will not buy happiness. Our celebrity culture gives us more
:23:55. > :24:04.opportunity than ever to witness the truth of this, but still we
:24:04. > :24:06.feel that somehow the freedom, the tapbs formation, the empowering --
:24:06. > :24:10.transformation, the empowering to be ourselves and to be everything
:24:10. > :24:20.we were made to be, in short, the longing we have to fulfil our
:24:20. > :24:25.vocation here on earth will somehow be easier done in this way. At
:24:25. > :24:31.Pentecost, the birthday of the church, we are witnessing to quite
:24:31. > :24:37.another kind of truth, a truth which comes from a very different
:24:37. > :24:41.place. It has already been made clear to the apostles, in their
:24:41. > :24:47.sharing in the living ministry, death and resurrection of their
:24:47. > :24:54.friend Jesus, that the fulfilment they seek, the fulfilment their
:24:54. > :25:00.people have long sought is not going to look anything like what
:25:00. > :25:04.their tradition, their expectation and their cultural experience have
:25:04. > :25:12.taught them. It's going to be something quite unlike anything
:25:12. > :25:18.they have ever known before. And now, in wind and flame, God's
:25:18. > :25:23.spirit, the comforter has come. The comforter, who draws us on and
:25:23. > :25:30.offers us this transformation, who wakes up the skills and gifts which
:25:30. > :25:37.already dwell inside us and empowers us to use them, who offers
:25:37. > :25:43.us the freedom to be who and what God created each one of us to be.
:25:43. > :25:52.Just as God's spirit is poured out on the apostles, so it will be
:25:52. > :25:59.poured out on us. In baptism, in sacrament, in the fellowship of
:25:59. > :26:06.Christ's church, in the love of friend and of stranger, in the
:26:06. > :26:13.living of active lives, passionate to witness to the truth of God's
:26:14. > :26:23.love and for this, we don't even need to place a bet or buy a ticket.
:26:24. > :26:42.
:26:42. > :26:45.Amen. $NEWLINE Our prayers this morning
:26:45. > :26:47.are read in the Regimental Chapel, and are led by representatives of
:26:47. > :26:57.our wider community, including the Yorkshire Regiment, West Yorkshire
:26:57. > :27:07.
:27:07. > :27:12.Police Force, Community Nursing and Lord, we give you thanks for the
:27:12. > :27:15.sending of your Holy Spirit on this Pentecost Sunday. We pray that your
:27:15. > :27:21.Holy Spirit will rest on all people of faith, especially your Church in
:27:21. > :27:29.this land. We pray that the Spirit will lead all churches into
:27:29. > :27:39.holiness and greater service in your world. Lord, come to bless us.
:27:39. > :27:49.
:27:49. > :27:56.Lord, we pray for the leaders of the nations. That they may have a
:27:56. > :27:59.spirit of wisdom, generosity and compassion, for all your people. We
:27:59. > :28:02.pray especially for the Middle East and the holy city of Jerusalem, for
:28:02. > :28:12.all those forced to flee Syria as refugees, for all who seek peace
:28:12. > :28:15.and reconciliation where there is war and hatred. We remember the men
:28:15. > :28:25.and women of the armed forces and all who work in places of great
:28:25. > :28:36.
:28:36. > :28:40.danger. Lord, come to bless us. We pray for all those whom we love,
:28:40. > :28:46.and those who love us. We remember those who may be suffering in body,
:28:46. > :28:48.mind or spirit. We pray that through the Holy Spirit they may be
:28:48. > :28:55.relieved of their suffering, and find healing and wholeness in their
:28:55. > :29:00.lives. We remember all whom we love but see no longer. May they rest in
:29:00. > :29:10.peace and rise in glory. Lord, come to bless us. ALL: And fill us with
:29:10. > :29:16.
:29:16. > :29:23.Generous God, you sent your Holy Spirit upon your Messiah at the
:29:23. > :29:26.River Jordan, and upon the disciples in the upper room. In
:29:26. > :29:30.your mercy, fill us with your Spirit, hear our prayer, and make
:29:30. > :29:40.us one in heart and mind to serve you with joy for ever. Lord come to
:29:40. > :29:56.
:29:56. > :30:06.bless us. ALL: And fill us with Lord of the Church. ALL: Hear our
:30:06. > :30:17.
:30:17. > :30:21.prayer, and make us one in heart God has made us one in Christ. He
:30:21. > :30:27.has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come, has
:30:27. > :30:37.given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Alleluia. The peace of the
:30:37. > :30:38.
:30:38. > :33:43.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 216 seconds
:33:43. > :33:51.Lord be always with you. ALL: And Blessed be God, who feeds the
:33:51. > :34:01.hungry, who raises the poor, who fills our praise. ALL: Blessed be
:34:01. > :34:13.
:34:13. > :34:17.# The Lord be with you and with thy Spirit.
:34:17. > :34:21.# Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks
:34:21. > :34:24.unto the Lord our God. It is right to give thanks and praise. It is
:34:24. > :34:26.indeed right, it is our duty and our joy. Always and everywhere to
:34:26. > :34:36.give you thanks, Holy Father, almighty and everlasting God.
:34:36. > :34:55.
:34:55. > :35:00.# City is our duty and our joy. # Holy Father Almighty and
:35:00. > :35:05.everlasting God. # Through Jesus Christ, your only
:35:05. > :35:09.son, our Lord. # This Day we give you thanks
:35:09. > :35:17.because in fulfilment of your promise.
:35:17. > :35:27.# You pour out your spirit upon us. # Fulfilling us with your gifts and
:35:27. > :35:32.leading us towards you. # And many tongues in the
:35:32. > :35:39.confession of one faith. # Your spirit gives us grace to
:35:39. > :35:45.call you father. # To proclaim your gospel to all
:35:45. > :35:50.nations. # And to serve you as a royal
:35:50. > :35:56.priesthood. # Therefore we joined our voices
:35:56. > :36:03.with angels and archangels. # And with all those in whom the
:36:03. > :36:13.spirit dwells. # To proclaim the glory of your
:36:13. > :36:13.
:36:13. > :38:26.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 216 seconds
:38:26. > :38:36.name. # Blessed is he.
:38:36. > :39:14.
:39:14. > :39:19.# In the name of the Lord. # Graz that by the power of your
:39:19. > :39:27.Holy spirit and according to your Helliwell, these guests of bread
:39:27. > :39:33.and wine might be for us the blood and body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
:39:33. > :39:38.# Who in the same night that he was betrayed took bread and gave your
:39:38. > :39:48.thanks. # He broke it and gave it to his
:39:48. > :40:02.
:40:02. > :40:08.disciples, saying it take it, this In the same way after supper he
:40:08. > :40:16.took the cup and gave you thanks. He gave it to them saying, drink
:40:16. > :40:26.this, or review, this is my blood. If it is shed for you and money for
:40:26. > :40:26.
:40:26. > :41:13.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 216 seconds
:41:13. > :41:19.Of the whole world. Rejoicing in his mighty Resurrection and
:41:19. > :41:28.glorious Ascension and looking for his coming in glory. We celebrate
:41:28. > :41:34.this memorial of our redemption. As we offer you this, a sacrifice of
:41:34. > :41:37.praise and thanksgiving. We bring before you this bread and this Cup
:41:37. > :41:46.and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence
:41:46. > :41:54.and serve you. Send your Holy spirit on your people and gather in
:41:54. > :42:00.to one your kingdom and share this bread and Cup. So that we in the
:42:00. > :42:05.company of many, Mary the mother of God, John the Baptist and all the
:42:05. > :42:15.saints may praise and glorify you forever through Jesus Christ, our
:42:15. > :42:17.
:42:17. > :42:27.Lord. By whom it and in whom, in the unity of the Holy spirit be all
:42:27. > :43:02.
:43:02. > :43:12.honour and glory, which are yours Being made one by the saviour of
:43:12. > :43:20.
:43:20. > :43:23.aspirate, so we pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be
:43:23. > :43:26.your name. Your kingdom come, your will be
:43:26. > :43:29.done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
:43:29. > :43:32.Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
:43:32. > :43:35.Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
:43:35. > :43:41.# For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for
:43:41. > :43:47.ever. Amen. Lord, we died with you on the cross.
:43:47. > :43:57.Now we are raised to new life. We are buried in your tomb. Now we
:43:57. > :44:00.
:44:00. > :44:10.share in your resurrection. Live in Alleluia! Christ our Passover is
:44:10. > :44:11.
:44:11. > :44:55.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 216 seconds
:44:55. > :45:02.sacrificed for us. Alleluia! There was a lot of sleeping going
:45:02. > :45:09.on. How does doing the show compare with your sporting career? It can
:45:09. > :45:19.never compare with the birds you got out of that, can it? We have
:45:19. > :45:20.
:45:20. > :45:28.really good banter - the three of us and the guests. Sue Barker is
:45:28. > :45:38.the governor. We have a fabulous time. I have forgotten what the
:45:38. > :45:39.
:45:39. > :49:59.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 216 seconds
:49:59. > :50:09.# Come, Holy Spirit # Descend on us, descend on us
:50:09. > :50:27.
:50:27. > :50:37.# Come breath of heaven # Descend on us, descend on us
:50:37. > :50:46.
:50:46. > :50:56.# We gather here in Jesus' name. # Come, breath of heaven
:50:56. > :51:23.
:51:23. > :51:30.# Descend on us, descend on us Faithful God, who fulfilled the
:51:30. > :51:38.promises of Easter by sending us your Holy Spirit and opening to
:51:38. > :51:44.every race and nation the way of life eternal, open our lips by your
:51:44. > :51:54.spirit, that every tongue may tell of your glory through Jesus Christ,
:51:54. > :51:59.
:51:59. > :52:06.our Lord, amen. Blessed are you sovereign God,
:52:06. > :52:13.overflowing in love with Pentecost dawns the age of the spirit. Now
:52:13. > :52:20.the flame of heaven rests of every believer, strong and weak, women
:52:20. > :52:27.and men tell out your word. The young receive visions. The old
:52:27. > :52:32.receive dreams. With the new wine of the spirit they proclaim your
:52:32. > :52:41.reign of love, amid of birth pangs of the new creation, the way of
:52:41. > :52:51.light is made known. Source of freedom, giver of life,
:52:51. > :52:59.
:52:59. > :53:04.blessed are you Father, Son and May the God of hope fill you with
:53:04. > :53:10.all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy
:53:10. > :53:19.Spirit and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and
:53:19. > :53:27.the Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you always. Amen.