Word from one of our ministers 

Dear Friends,

Pentecost comes to us as the feast of God’s holy surprise. The frightened disciples, gathered behind closed doors, were met by the rushing wind of the Spirit and sent out with courage, joy and a new sense of purpose. That same Spirit still meets the Church today. When we feel uncertain, stretched, or even anxious about what lies ahead, Pentecost reminds us that God is not finished with us. The Spirit does not simply comfort us where we are; She also calls us forward into God’s future.

As we think about our future across Cornerstone right now, Mission, buildings, money and people resources, many of the fears and related feelings in our church at present are real and understandable. We know something of what it means to stand in an in-between place, between what has been and what has yet to be. We carry gratitude for the faithfulness of earlier generations, sadness for what has changed, and questions about what the future will ask of us. Yet Pentecost tells us that God meets people precisely in such places: not when everything is good and settled, but when hearts are open and people are waiting for the next steps in faith and obedience.

Pentecost is always about mission. In Acts 2, the Spirit enables the good news to be heard in many different tongues, because the love of God is never meant to be hidden away. The Church is given life not for its own preservation, but for God’s mission in the world. So, as we pray and discern our future together, our question cannot simply be, “How do we keep going?” but must be, “How is God calling us to serve our communities afresh?” The Spirit still sends us to speak hope, practise compassion, pursue justice and bear witness to Jesus Christ in Horsham, Partridge Green and beyond. God’s mission is bigger than any fear we may feel or concern we might have, and God’s grace is greater than any uncertainties that we carry.

This is where the “Methodist Way of Life” gives us both grounding and direction. The Methodist Church describes its calling as “responding to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and living out discipleship in worship and mission, through worship, learning and caring, service and evangelism”. It names practical commitments such as praying daily, worshipping regularly, caring for one another, helping people in our communities, challenging injustice, and sharing our faith. These are not extra burdens laid upon us, although I know that because of circumstance this is how we sometimes see them; they are gracious pathways by which the Spirit shapes us into a Pentecost people.

In the Scriptures, God’s people are often called to move before they can see the whole road ahead. As Sarah reminded us in her letter last month, the priests had to step into the Jordan before the waters parted; and of course, the disciples had to leave the upper room before the nations could hear the gospel. So, it is with us. We honour the past with thanksgiving, as we have been doing in Celebrating 250 years of Methodism in Horsham, but we do not live by looking backwards alone. The Spirit calls us to step into the water, trusting that Christ goes before us. We may not yet see the full shape of what lies ahead, with mission, buildings, and discipleship, but we can trust the One who leads the Church.

Sarah asked at the close of her letter, what is ours to do? Pray earnestly. Listen (carefully) and confer wisely, and I would add graciously. As Sarah said, we must support those carrying responsibility for leadership and decision-making at this time. We must encourage one another. Individually and collectively, be open to where God may be prompting us to serve, to invite, to give, to accompany, or simply to remain faithful. Pentecost assures us that the Church does not live by human strength alone. We live by the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gathers us, renews us and sends us out in love.

Please know that you remain in the prayers of both Sarah and I. Whatever you’re carrying don’t carry it alone, for we are all part of a wider family. Seek out help and support, and remember the load is lighter when others share in the carrying. The Lord who came in wind and fire at Pentecost is still the Lord who breathes peace upon his people. May he fill us again with faith, hope and love, and make us a blessing within and beyond the Church, for the transformation of the world.

With every blessing in Christ,

Tony