2017: Archbishop of Canterbury

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:00:24. > :00:26.Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father

:00:27. > :00:29.and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

:00:30. > :00:41.We meet on a morning when our country has been struck by a

:00:42. > :00:46.terrorist attack once again. 12 hours ago, a number of people were

:00:47. > :00:51.killed and many injured as three men brought evil acts of terror to

:00:52. > :00:55.London. Today's Pentecost Sunday, we meet in the shadow of these

:00:56. > :01:01.horrifying acts, to worship God. To do so, is not a distraction or

:01:02. > :01:08.escapism. We do what the people of God have done for centuries. We come

:01:09. > :01:12.into the presence of God ringing ourselves, all that concerns us, and

:01:13. > :01:18.all we carry, ringing our world with all that is so deeply troubling to

:01:19. > :01:25.God. He knows us, loves us, and is the one who can make and bring the

:01:26. > :01:28.difference we long for. As we begin, let us stand and pray now in a

:01:29. > :02:29.minutes silence for all caught up in the events of last night.

:02:30. > :02:38.We are delighted to be hosting this special service here at holy

:02:39. > :02:44.Trinity, Folkestone. We warmly welcome Archbishop Justin,

:02:45. > :02:48.Archdeacon Elizabeth Adekunle and worship leaders Matt Redman and Tim

:02:49. > :03:07.Hughes. APPLAUSE

:03:08. > :03:12.Holy Trinity is a benefit of three churches which work in

:03:13. > :03:21.collaboration, congregation today made up of members of many churches

:03:22. > :03:29.of different traditions. Throughout Folkestone and Southeast

:03:30. > :03:35.Kent. We come together in Pentecost, prayer and praise. And I'm now

:03:36. > :03:52.invite Matt Redman to lead us. Every breath you take, we give you

:03:53. > :03:59.praise. No one else can take your place. You stay the same. You pave

:04:00. > :04:09.the way. With faith, we say, bless it be your name. Give your Grace.

:04:10. > :04:13.# When I'm found in the desert place

:04:14. > :04:15.# Though I walk through the wilderness

:04:16. > :04:21.# When the darkness closes in Lord

:04:22. > :08:20.Each of us comes to God in need of renewal through the fire of God's

:08:21. > :08:26.love, in need of refreshment for our souls, in need

:08:27. > :08:33.Hear these words of invitation from the living God

:08:34. > :08:42.'Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;

:08:43. > :08:47.and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!

:08:48. > :08:53.Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

:08:54. > :08:57.Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour

:08:58. > :09:06.Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

:09:07. > :09:10.and you will delight in the richest of fare.

:09:11. > :09:16.Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.

:09:17. > :09:25.Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.'

:09:26. > :09:27.What God has prepared for those who love him,

:09:28. > :09:30.he has revealed to us through the Spirit;

:09:31. > :09:33.for the Spirit searches everything.

:09:34. > :09:38.Therefore, let us in penitence open our hearts to the Lord,

:09:39. > :09:43.who has prepared good things for those who love him.

:09:44. > :09:48.Come, let us return to the Lord and say.

:09:49. > :09:54.ALL: Lord our God, in our sin we have avoided your call.

:09:55. > :09:58.Our love for you is like a morning cloud, like the dew

:09:59. > :10:06.Have mercy on us; deliver us from judgement;

:10:07. > :10:11.bind up our wounds and revive us; in Jesus Christ our Lord.

:10:12. > :10:18.May the Father forgive us by the death of his Son

:10:19. > :10:21.and strengthen us to live in the power of the

:10:22. > :10:33.Almighty God, your ascended Son has sent us into the world to preach

:10:34. > :10:38.the good news of your kingdom: inspire us with your Spirit

:10:39. > :10:42.and fill our hearts with the fire of your love,

:10:43. > :10:45.that all who hear your Word may be drawn to you,

:10:46. > :10:48.through Jesus Christ our Lord.

:10:49. > :10:55.O God, who to an expectant and united Church granted Pentecost

:10:56. > :10:59.the gift of the Holy Spirit, give us the help of the same Spirit,

:11:00. > :11:06.in all our life and worship, that we may expect great things

:11:07. > :11:10.from you and attempt great things for you,

:11:11. > :11:15.and show to the world your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ;

:11:16. > :11:19.To whom with you and the Holy Spirit be honour and glory,

:11:20. > :15:34.# His goodness restores my soul. This next song was written as a

:15:35. > :15:36.prayer for our nation. In the light of everything this morning let's

:15:37. > :19:41.sing this as a prayer. Thank you very much for coming and

:19:42. > :19:47.speaking to us this morning, Isaac. Tell us about your background. So my

:19:48. > :19:52.parents moved over to England from Ghana in their early 20s, in search

:19:53. > :19:56.of a better life, they had me and my younger brother and they were both

:19:57. > :20:00.Christians so we were raised in a Christian home but I didn't really

:20:01. > :20:04.know what God was to me for myself. What made the difference? Well, it

:20:05. > :20:08.was actually a day in secondary school when I was playing football,

:20:09. > :20:13.I was about eight of my friends and it was powering down with rain and

:20:14. > :20:16.out of nowhere a massive lightning bolt struck the playground and

:20:17. > :20:20.struck one of my friends who was then rushed to hospital and put on a

:20:21. > :20:24.life support machine. I found that through that situation I often found

:20:25. > :20:27.myself praying to God, praying for hope and praying for healing and

:20:28. > :20:30.eventually he healed my friend and he came back to life and that really

:20:31. > :20:38.strengthened my faith and proved that God was real for me. There will

:20:39. > :20:45.be many people today who at home watching this or here will think,

:20:46. > :20:50.oh, we need that. We need that. What are you praying this morning, when

:20:51. > :20:54.you hear the news, how do you respond just instinctively in your

:20:55. > :20:58.heart in prayer? Well, for me prayer is a bridge, both over still waters

:20:59. > :21:02.and troubled waters. I think that prayer is a bridge to hope. It's a

:21:03. > :21:07.bridge to love. It's a bridge to peace. That's what I will be praying

:21:08. > :21:08.for today. Thank you very much, Isaac. Thank you.

:21:09. > :21:20.APPLAUSE. A reading from John's gospel set

:21:21. > :21:25.on the day of resurrection: On the evening of that

:21:26. > :21:28.first day of the week, when the disciples were together,

:21:29. > :21:31.with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,

:21:32. > :21:33.Jesus came and stood among them After he said this, he showed

:21:34. > :21:38.them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed

:21:39. > :21:41.when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said,

:21:42. > :21:45."Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me,

:21:46. > :21:50.I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them

:21:51. > :21:54.and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins,

:21:55. > :21:57.their sins are forgiven, if you do not forgive them,

:21:58. > :22:00.they are not forgiven." A reading from the Acts

:22:01. > :22:16.of the Apostles. When the day of Pentecost came,

:22:17. > :22:24.they were all together in one place. Suddenly from Heaven a sound

:22:25. > :22:31.like the blowing of a violent wind and filled the whole house where

:22:32. > :22:33.they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues

:22:34. > :22:36.of fire that separated All of them were filled

:22:37. > :22:45.with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages

:22:46. > :22:51.as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying

:22:52. > :22:53.in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews When they heard this sound,

:22:54. > :22:56.a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one

:22:57. > :22:58.heard their own Utterly amazed, they asked,

:22:59. > :23:07."Aren't all these Then how is it that each of us hears

:23:08. > :23:16.them in our native language?" We hear them declaring the wonders

:23:17. > :23:23.of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed,

:23:24. > :27:57.they asked one another, Come Holy Spirit and fill our hearts

:27:58. > :28:08.with the fire of your love. Amen. Please be seated.

:28:09. > :28:14.We gather today on this Pentecost Sunday with Christians all over the

:28:15. > :28:21.world. Those in prosperity and in need, in war and in peace, in joy

:28:22. > :28:29.and in sorrow. We have had ten days since

:28:30. > :28:38.The strongest power in the world is the love of Jesus Christ. It is more

:28:39. > :28:43.powerful than the evil of terror or the profound wickedness of the

:28:44. > :28:48.terrorist. It is invisible to most rulers, it is unheard of by most

:28:49. > :28:54.communicators, it has no Twitter account, it does not show up on

:28:55. > :28:58.Facebook. But it has overcome more nations than the greatest armies,

:28:59. > :29:12.changed more lives... APPLAUSE

:29:13. > :29:16.Changed more lives than the finest orators and communicators, drawn

:29:17. > :29:21.more people into true community than all the social media there is, has

:29:22. > :29:28.been or ever could be. It breaks down barriers between races. It

:29:29. > :29:32.tears down the frontiers between nations, it overcomes the

:29:33. > :29:33.oppressions between genders and classes and capacity all wealth or

:29:34. > :29:42.education. It is this love which daily

:29:43. > :29:50.transforms my life, our lives, all those who follow Jesus Christ and

:29:51. > :29:53.the lives of many millions around the world, and we need the

:29:54. > :30:00.difference is that Jesus makes. We need the order brought out of chaos,

:30:01. > :30:05.we need the knowledge of an eternal purpose for each of us, we need to

:30:06. > :30:15.know that whatever other people do to us, God loves us for ever. The

:30:16. > :30:22.events of recent days in London and Manchester, the news reports from

:30:23. > :30:26.areas of conflict, our own lives are evidence that we need difference. It

:30:27. > :30:33.is not a difference that political parties on however sincere and

:30:34. > :30:37.committed, can bring. I am no cynic, I respect of those who gave their

:30:38. > :30:46.lives to public service, they merit our prayers and our admiration. But

:30:47. > :30:53.that difference that has to come is a difference that can only be made

:30:54. > :30:58.possible by God. In the Reading we have just heard from John 's Gospel,

:30:59. > :31:04.as far as the disciples are concerned, all hope of things ever

:31:05. > :31:07.being different has died. This reading is set not on Pentecost

:31:08. > :31:15.Sunday, but seven weeks before read on the third day after Jesus has

:31:16. > :31:19.been executed. The disciples are together, they are devastated,

:31:20. > :31:26.broken and utterly fearful. They are locked in for safety, unable to move

:31:27. > :31:31.forward. Locked doors, as we saw last night, are sometimes a

:31:32. > :31:38.necessity. But we must know how to move forward. We know those times

:31:39. > :31:44.when we have all felt the same, we might, some of us, some listening

:31:45. > :31:51.today at home, be in such times now. There is a risk of our nation

:31:52. > :31:54.becoming a people who flee danger and tried to lock themselves away

:31:55. > :31:59.when our culture, our history and our calling is to be those who

:32:00. > :32:05.overcome danger and overcome those who cause danger. But into the

:32:06. > :32:14.disciples locked up lives, any locked up lives, all communities or

:32:15. > :32:20.nations, there is in Jesus comes. He does not stay away from pain and

:32:21. > :32:25.sorrow. He does not come alongside those who have everything sorted and

:32:26. > :32:32.worked out. He comes to the places of deepest hurt and hopelessness.

:32:33. > :32:41.Not even locked doors can keep him out. Such is his love for us. When

:32:42. > :32:45.Jesus arrives, he brings peace, his first words, I remember meeting a

:32:46. > :32:49.journalist a couple of years ago, in the Middle East, his life destroyed

:32:50. > :32:56.by ethnic cleansing, his faith locked away. And he came back to

:32:57. > :33:01.Christ and even after decades of suffering, his life was unlocked,

:33:02. > :33:11.his hope restored, his piece renewed. Jesus brings peace. This is

:33:12. > :33:15.not a casual greeting. It is the generating of that deep sense that

:33:16. > :33:23.all is well. It is spoken by one who bears the rooms which shows the

:33:24. > :33:29.costs of his words -- wounds. And then he sends his disciples as my

:33:30. > :33:39.father sent me, he says, so I'll send you. I spend most of my time,

:33:40. > :33:44.most of the days, not quite or even nearly living up to the job I do,

:33:45. > :33:49.but this instruction, this sending, takes it to an even more

:33:50. > :33:56.mind-boggling level for all of us. Sent as Jesus was sent either

:33:57. > :34:01.father. At this point, I think it was a good job that doors were

:34:02. > :34:05.locked for the disciples. Or they would have scuppered. He has just

:34:06. > :34:10.shown them his hands and his sign, this is what he was sent to do to

:34:11. > :34:18.love the world to death. It is what we are sent to do. And this is a

:34:19. > :34:23.costly, costly calling. Loving people is hard. It is demanding. It

:34:24. > :34:27.means putting others before ourselves. And when I'm even those

:34:28. > :34:33.who do that, who have loved selflessly, I am deeply moved. A

:34:34. > :34:38.group of young women in a town near London who saw the sex workers on

:34:39. > :34:43.the street trafficked, enslaved, imprisoned, and went and gave up all

:34:44. > :34:51.that they had in their jobs and income to be with them, to help them

:34:52. > :34:56.to unlock them and set them free. For the sake of Christ. And now

:34:57. > :35:00.Jesus sends these followers, these disciples, and so they become

:35:01. > :35:05.apostles, literally sent once. The same happens to all of us, every

:35:06. > :35:12.disciple becomes an apostle. Every follower is sent and we are sent to

:35:13. > :35:17.bear testimony to the love of God for the world, but who is up to this

:35:18. > :35:23.task? Then Jesus previous on them, equipping them for the task. What do

:35:24. > :35:29.they get, big budgets? Limitless resources? A big bug of answers to

:35:30. > :35:34.every question? No, they get the holy spirit. We need the spirit

:35:35. > :35:41.because we can't do this in our own strength. With our own love, with

:35:42. > :35:45.our own ideas. We need the power of the holy spirit to bring the

:35:46. > :35:52.difference that Jesus makes. To be the difference. That is why on this

:35:53. > :35:59.day of Pentecost we gather to receive a fresh touch of the spirit

:36:00. > :36:03.of God, a new filling. It is not for our own sakes, but for the sakes of

:36:04. > :36:12.those we are sent to. Sent as the father sent the sun. For there are

:36:13. > :36:17.many who know nothing of the wonders of God is Love, who lived in locked

:36:18. > :36:21.up rooms, many who long for peace, many who have no sense of that

:36:22. > :36:28.extravagance, relentless love which pours out of the cross of Jesus for

:36:29. > :36:35.them, and out of the empty tomb and on the day of Pentecost. Jesus is

:36:36. > :36:38.among us this day. He is present to all of his people. He is here to

:36:39. > :36:43.breathe his breath into us that we might go in his name. There is

:36:44. > :36:49.nothing more involving, more life changing, more freeing than to

:36:50. > :36:55.receive the spirit of God. The spirit does not simply change us,

:36:56. > :37:10.the spirit changes the world. Come, holy spirit, Amen.. ALL: Amen..

:37:11. > :37:17.Together, let us declare our faith in God.

:37:18. > :37:23.We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven

:37:24. > :37:28.and on earth is named. We believe in God the Son, who lives

:37:29. > :41:09.in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.

:41:10. > :41:23.Will you all join me in praying now, for the church and the world

:41:24. > :41:58.# Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

:41:59. > :42:11.# Melt me, mould me, fill me, use me.

:42:12. > :42:28.# Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

:42:29. > :42:39.Fill the whole Church with the power of Christ.

:42:40. > :42:44.Come in all the mystery signified by the wind and fire,

:42:45. > :42:53.Not held in the grasp of anyone, or any thought, or any thing.

:42:54. > :42:57.Come, sovereign Spirit, as we pray, and move our

:42:58. > :43:44.# Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

:43:45. > :43:49.God, you came upon us and suffered a cruel untimely death.

:43:50. > :43:55.In the face of terror, you show us what we rightly love. Visit the

:43:56. > :44:05.people of London today. In the midst of horror, anger, grief, injury and

:44:06. > :44:15.dismay. Comfort the injured and bereaved. Strengthen the hand of all

:44:16. > :44:23.those who bring healing, help and kindness in the face of agony and

:44:24. > :44:30.brutality. Teach each of us to hold dear what can so suddenly be

:44:31. > :44:39.snatched away, to cherish what can be so intimately threatened. And to

:44:40. > :44:44.uphold what some are seeking to destroy. Make this time of terror

:44:45. > :44:53.and loss a moment of renew in what we most deeply believe and most

:44:54. > :45:00.firmly maintain that, though we fear, we may more truly love and,

:45:01. > :45:01.though we despair, we may more profoundly no whose kingdom we seek

:45:02. > :45:14.to. Now and for ever. Amen. # Spirit of the living

:45:15. > :45:52.God fall afresh on me. We pray for the nation in the run-up

:45:53. > :45:59.to the general election. Give to those of us who have the right to

:46:00. > :46:06.elect representatives to serve in the Government of this country an

:46:07. > :46:11.urgent sense of our responsibility, a clear and unbiased judgment and a

:46:12. > :46:22.generous concern for the good of all. We ask that you would govern

:46:23. > :46:29.our land and lead our nation in the ways of freedom, justice and peace

:46:30. > :46:39.through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

:46:40. > :46:57.# Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

:46:58. > :47:03.O God, who on the day of Pentecost enabled your spirit-filled people

:47:04. > :47:06.to bear witness to their Lord, that all heard the good news

:47:07. > :47:15.Baptise your church today with the same spirit of power.

:47:16. > :47:21.Help us to bear our witness with new zeal and energy.

:47:22. > :47:27.And empower us as witnesses to share our faith.

:47:28. > :47:33.Inspire our minds with the vision of a world won for our Lord.

:47:34. > :47:39.And stir our wills to pray and work until your kingdom come

:47:40. > :47:49.That we may fulfil this mission, to the Glory of God's name.

:47:50. > :48:24.# Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

:48:25. > :48:35.# Melt me, mould me, fill me, use me.

:48:36. > :48:57.# Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

:48:58. > :49:01.Let us draw our prayers together in the words that Jesus gave us.

:49:02. > :49:08.ALL: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

:49:09. > :52:59.Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

:53:00. > :53:02.# Revival, we want to see your kingdom here

:53:03. > :54:09.Let us draw our prayers together as we say...

:54:10. > :54:11.ALL: Holy Spirit, sent by the Father, ignite

:54:12. > :54:15.Strengthen your children with the gift of faith.

:54:16. > :54:21.Revive your Church with the breath of love and renew the face

:54:22. > :54:29.of the earth through Jesus Christ our Lord.

:54:30. > :54:40.We have laid before him the great needs of the world.

:54:41. > :54:50.Now he sends us into his world to live lives which witness in every

:54:51. > :54:59.We rely on the blessing of his presence.

:55:00. > :55:12.May the Father from whom every family in earth and heaven

:55:13. > :55:15.receives its name strengthen you with His Spirit in your inner

:55:16. > :55:20.being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith,

:55:21. > :55:27.and the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be

:55:28. > :55:30.upon you and those whom you love and for whom you pray,

:55:31. > :58:40.At night when I go to bed and see the stars shine I know it can only

:58:41. > :58:44.be the work of somebody that's so amazing. It was designed by your

:58:45. > :58:54.saviour that's irreplaceable. That's exactly what you are. You are

:58:55. > :58:59.immense. You rose on the third, a legendary favour. We worship you

:59:00. > :59:08.again and again. Because of you we have the hope of heaven to the end.