Live Pentecost from Halifax Minster

Welcome to Halifax Minster, here in the heart of West Yorkshire. Our

title of "Minster" means that our church serves a wide and diverse

community and this beautiful building plays host to many civic

and cultural events, as well as our daily worship. Today we're

celebrating one of the greatest Christian festivals - Pentecost

Sunday, the Church's birthday, 50 days after Easter. Now that Jesus

has ascended into heaven, we celebrate the sending of the Holy

Spirit to earth and renew our commitment to take the good news of

the Gospel out into the world. We're delighted to have you join us

as part of our congregation this morning as we sing together our

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Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ, whom we worship, is our crucified, risen and ascended

Lord and we have walked with him through his journey of love. We

have faced the agony of his suffering and death on a cross. We

have rejoiced at his bursting free from the bonds of death. We have

enjoyed his risen presence with us and his revelation of himself

through the breaking of bread. We have seen his return to the throne

before which every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that this

Jesus is Lord. And now, with the followers of his own time, we await

the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, his gift to his people,

through whom we make Christ known Because God was merciful, he saved

us through the water of rebirth, and the renewing power of the Holy

Spirit. But through sin we have fallen away from our baptism. Let

us return to the Lord and renew our faith in his promises by confessing

Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my

sin. Lord, have mercy. ALL: Lord, Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me. Christ, have mercy. ALL: Christ,

Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from

me. Lord, have mercy. ALL: Lord, have mercy. Almighty God, who

forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver

you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and

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keep you in life eternal. Through 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 A reading from the Acts of the

Apostles. When the day of Pentecost had come,

they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came

a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire

house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire,

appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them

were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other

languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews

from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this

sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard

them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and

astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking

Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native

language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of

Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and

Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and

visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - in

our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of

power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another,

'What does this mean?' But others sneered and said, "They are filled

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with new wine.' Hear the word of # Alleluia.

# Alleluia. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people

and kindle in them the fire of your love. ALL:

# Alleluia. # Alleluia. Hear the Gospel of our

Lord Jesus Christ according to John. ALL:

# Glory to you, O Lord. When it was evening on that day,

the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the

disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and

stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' After he said this,

he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced

when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.

As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this,

he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If

you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain

the sins of any, they are retained." This is the Gospel of

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the Lord. ALL: May I speak in the name of our

living God - creator, redeemer and comforter. ALL: Amen.

A very quick show of hands - how many of you have ever gambled? The

people of West Yorkshire and Halifax, I must say are

astonishingly honest. When I wrote this sermon, I was expecting you

all to sit on your hands and not want to look like a church full of

gamblers in front of the nation, as we are joined by people across the

country in our BBC broadcast today. But a very honest bunch indeed. In

actual fact, we are part of the 73% of the population in this country,

who participate regularly in some kind of gambling. We gamble because

we would like to win. Money represents something to us which we

feel we don't have. And what I think this is is the opportunity to

be ourselves, to really find out who we are and what we can do, to

experience the world in freedom, without economic restrictions and

that this will fulfil us. Each of us is different, what that

fulfilment might look like and where the journey towards it might

lead are different, but most of us think like, and more importantly

act like, money is the magic stuff that will help us to do these

things, even if we do not want to admit it to ourselves. But most of

us do think like and, more importantly, act like, money is the

magic stuff that will help us to do these things and to be these things.

Even if we don't often like to admit it, even just to ourselves.

We understandably look at the world around us, the world we have spent

decades living in, decoding, experiencing and trying to

understand and from it we take this lesson - that this is the way

The apostles used to think that they knew how the world worked, too.

They had decades of experience between them in all sorts of trades

and livings, they had seen clearly how their world, under the Romans,

worked - and most of them had an idea about the best way out - by

finding the Messiah who will free their people to be themselves, to

worship their own way, to make And they found that Messiah and

followed him through challenging and exciting times. They saw

miracles. They heard words of such depth, they have resounded for two

millennia. They saw tables overthrown in temples. They saw the

hungry fed and they saw the lame walk. They saw their beloved friend

crucified and then in wonder and amazement, they experience his

resurrection and ascension, leaving them with the promise of a

comforter. As we are witness to this morning

as we heard our reading from Acts, it's a quite interesting kind of

comfort that has turned up on this day of Pentecost. It's not the

comfy slippers, comfy chair and comfort food, kind of comfort. It's

not a hiding place from the world as it really is, kind of comfort.

It is comfort which expects participation, which demands action.

When the comforter comes it is with wind and tongues of fire. It is

dynamic. And it is totally transforming.

So why did I begin by asking you about your gambling habits? And how

we think great riches can change our lives? We all think we know

that money will not buy happiness. Our celebrity culture gives us more

opportunity than ever to witness the truth of this, but still we

feel that somehow the freedom, the tapbs formation, the empowering --

transformation, the empowering to be ourselves and to be everything

we were made to be, in short, the longing we have to fulfil our

vocation here on earth will somehow be easier done in this way. At

Pentecost, the birthday of the church, we are witnessing to quite

another kind of truth, a truth which comes from a very different

place. It has already been made clear to the apostles, in their

sharing in the living ministry, death and resurrection of their

friend Jesus, that the fulfilment they seek, the fulfilment their

people have long sought is not going to look anything like what

their tradition, their expectation and their cultural experience have

taught them. It's going to be something quite unlike anything

they have ever known before. And now, in wind and flame, God's

spirit, the comforter has come. The comforter, who draws us on and

offers us this transformation, who wakes up the skills and gifts which

already dwell inside us and empowers us to use them, who offers

us the freedom to be who and what God created each one of us to be.

Just as God's spirit is poured out on the apostles, so it will be

poured out on us. In baptism, in sacrament, in the fellowship of

Christ's church, in the love of friend and of stranger, in the

living of active lives, passionate to witness to the truth of God's

love and for this, we don't even need to place a bet or buy a ticket.

Amen. $NEWLINE Our prayers this morning

are read in the Regimental Chapel, and are led by representatives of

our wider community, including the Yorkshire Regiment, West Yorkshire

Police Force, Community Nursing and Lord, we give you thanks for the

sending of your Holy Spirit on this Pentecost Sunday. We pray that your

Holy Spirit will rest on all people of faith, especially your Church in

this land. We pray that the Spirit will lead all churches into

holiness and greater service in your world. Lord, come to bless us.

Lord, we pray for the leaders of the nations. That they may have a

spirit of wisdom, generosity and compassion, for all your people. We

pray especially for the Middle East and the holy city of Jerusalem, for

all those forced to flee Syria as refugees, for all who seek peace

and reconciliation where there is war and hatred. We remember the men

and women of the armed forces and all who work in places of great

danger. Lord, come to bless us. We pray for all those whom we love,

and those who love us. We remember those who may be suffering in body,

mind or spirit. We pray that through the Holy Spirit they may be

relieved of their suffering, and find healing and wholeness in their

lives. We remember all whom we love but see no longer. May they rest in

peace and rise in glory. Lord, come to bless us. ALL: And fill us with

Generous God, you sent your Holy Spirit upon your Messiah at the

River Jordan, and upon the disciples in the upper room. In

your mercy, fill us with your Spirit, hear our prayer, and make

us one in heart and mind to serve you with joy for ever. Lord come to

bless us. ALL: And fill us with Lord of the Church. ALL: Hear our

prayer, and make us one in heart God has made us one in Christ. He

has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come, has

given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Alleluia. The peace of the

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Lord be always with you. ALL: And Blessed be God, who feeds the

hungry, who raises the poor, who fills our praise. ALL: Blessed be

# The Lord be with you and with thy Spirit.

# Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks

unto the Lord our God. It is right to give thanks and praise. It is

indeed right, it is our duty and our joy. Always and everywhere to

give you thanks, Holy Father, almighty and everlasting God.

# City is our duty and our joy. # Holy Father Almighty and

everlasting God. # Through Jesus Christ, your only

son, our Lord. # This Day we give you thanks

because in fulfilment of your promise.

# You pour out your spirit upon us. # Fulfilling us with your gifts and

leading us towards you. # And many tongues in the

confession of one faith. # Your spirit gives us grace to

call you father. # To proclaim your gospel to all

nations. # And to serve you as a royal

priesthood. # Therefore we joined our voices

with angels and archangels. # And with all those in whom the

spirit dwells. # To proclaim the glory of your

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name. # Blessed is he.

# In the name of the Lord. # Graz that by the power of your

Holy spirit and according to your Helliwell, these guests of bread

and wine might be for us the blood and body of our Lord Jesus Christ.

# Who in the same night that he was betrayed took bread and gave your

thanks. # He broke it and gave it to his

disciples, saying it take it, this In the same way after supper he

took the cup and gave you thanks. He gave it to them saying, drink

this, or review, this is my blood. If it is shed for you and money for

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Of the whole world. Rejoicing in his mighty Resurrection and

glorious Ascension and looking for his coming in glory. We celebrate

this memorial of our redemption. As we offer you this, a sacrifice of

praise and thanksgiving. We bring before you this bread and this Cup

and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence

and serve you. Send your Holy spirit on your people and gather in

to one your kingdom and share this bread and Cup. So that we in the

company of many, Mary the mother of God, John the Baptist and all the

saints may praise and glorify you forever through Jesus Christ, our

Lord. By whom it and in whom, in the unity of the Holy spirit be all

honour and glory, which are yours Being made one by the saviour of

aspirate, so we pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be

your name. Your kingdom come, your will be

done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

# For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for

ever. Amen. Lord, we died with you on the cross.

Now we are raised to new life. We are buried in your tomb. Now we

share in your resurrection. Live in Alleluia! Christ our Passover is

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sacrificed for us. Alleluia! There was a lot of sleeping going

on. How does doing the show compare with your sporting career? It can

never compare with the birds you got out of that, can it? We have

really good banter - the three of us and the guests. Sue Barker is

the governor. We have a fabulous time. I have forgotten what the

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# Come, Holy Spirit # Descend on us, descend on us

# Come breath of heaven # Descend on us, descend on us

# We gather here in Jesus' name. # Come, breath of heaven

# Descend on us, descend on us Faithful God, who fulfilled the

promises of Easter by sending us your Holy Spirit and opening to

every race and nation the way of life eternal, open our lips by your

spirit, that every tongue may tell of your glory through Jesus Christ,

our Lord, amen. Blessed are you sovereign God,

overflowing in love with Pentecost dawns the age of the spirit. Now

the flame of heaven rests of every believer, strong and weak, women

and men tell out your word. The young receive visions. The old

receive dreams. With the new wine of the spirit they proclaim your

reign of love, amid of birth pangs of the new creation, the way of

light is made known. Source of freedom, giver of life,

blessed are you Father, Son and May the God of hope fill you with

all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy

Spirit and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and

the Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you always. Amen.