This week is the ‘National Volunteer Week’ in the UK, an opportunity to celebrate volunteering in all its diversity.

As a church, we simply couldn’t exist without volunteers. Church members volunteer in so many different ways: in bringing God’s word to us, in serving through music ministry, in helping run Sunday School and youth clubs, in serving coffee and tea after services and at the coffee morning, in running the Parent & Toddler group, in cleaning the church building, in providing for the local food bank and in many, many more ways. We are profoundly grateful for everything that people do and for their faithfulness and service.

Volunteering in the community is a great way to be involved locally and in that sense builds community itself. We are privileged to be able to be involved in local events (such as the recent Dinosaur Day) and are looking forward to working with the Dearne Area Team over the summer holidays in providing ‘Summer Fun’ days on Wednesdays for local families. These start on 25th July (at the Salvation Army) and we will be hosting a ‘Summer Fun’ day at GPCC on Wednesday 15th August from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Volunteers are needed at these events, so please do join us if you can help!

Thank you to everyone who serves God and the church so faithfully each week. We couldn’t do this without you!

We believe that Jesus has a heart for children; He told HIs disciples, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14) As a church, we are privileged to support Bedline (an 8 year old in Haiti, through the charity Compassion) and Amshika (a disabled toddler in India whom we met last year on our missions’ trip) and we have just pledged to support a 13-year old boy called Innocent Okot in Uganda through the charity Watoto.

Innocent was abandoned by his father at a young age, but lives with his mother in a Watoto village.These villages provide a familiar traditional dwelling for people in Africa. The houses in the villages are positioned in clusters of nine houses, and provide all the essentials of a basic home.

Psalm 114 deals with the same history as many other historical psalms (chiefly the exodus, the most important event in Israel’s history), but does so in a very different way. Just eight verses long, the psalm does not mention God until near the end (the NIV’s interpolation of ‘God’ in verse 2 clarifies the psalm’s meaning, but is not present in the Hebrew text), but is written in very poetic language (using personification of the seas and mountains) and form (using the poetic chiastic form A B B’ A’). One commentator says that it has ‘a sense of exhilaration, even glee‘ (Michael Wilcock), focussing on God’s sovereignty and power through His actions on His people’s behalf.

In mentioning the parting of the Red Sea and the parting of the River Jordan (Ps 114:3), the psalm contains the whole of the exodus history in just a few verses, alluding also to the giving of the Ten Commandmants (when the mountain trembled) and to God’s provision of water from the rock (Ps 114:7-8, see also Ex 17:1-7) From this, we see God’s total control and ability to provide for His people, no matter how impossible the situation may look. We see also in this psalm God’s desire to be with us (‘Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion’.) Paul repeatedly teaches that we are now ‘in Christ’ (Rom 8:1, Rom 16:9, 1 Cor 15:22), but even more amazing is the truth that Christ dwells in us (Col 1:27, Eph 3:17, 2 Cor 13:5, Gal 2:20). We have become His sanctuary, made possible through the sacrifice of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. God’s presence was the thing that distinguished Israel from all other nations and before whom the whole earth trembles; God’s presence is the thing that sets us apart for HIs rule and reign.

Today’s Pentecost Party at Houghton Road Centre, Thurnscoe had a number of craft activities (including making fruit kebabs as we considered the fruit of the Spirit.)

Setting up the activities

Since it was a birthday party, we had a cake (of sorts) – multiple buns in the shape of the ‘Churches Together’ cross, thanks to Jackie:

We played ‘Pass The Parcel’ and enjoyed crazy golf outside:

We enjoyed hearing about the story of Pentecost through a godly play:

We heard about the tongues of fire and had red and orange balloons to remind us of the first Pentecost:

Thanks to all who prepared the lovely lunch:

All in all, we had a great time thinking about how the Holy Spirit helps us live for God and how He wants to grow His fruit within us – love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness, patience, faithfulness and self-control.

My little granddaughter has just discovered the wonders of water play. She will spend hours filling buckets, cups and jugs with water to tip this water somewhere else (often where it should not be tipped…) The process of filling and refilling, pouring and emptying, is absolutely fascinating to her. She can spend hours doing this, watching the flow of water, enjoying the feel of the liquid, exploring its properties with concentration and eagerness.

It occurs to me, as I watch her carrying her buckets of water and spilling inadvertently in places which I would prefer to stay dry, that we are much the same when it comes to the living water Jesus gives us. (John 7:37-39) We are filled with His Spirit, but as we carry this precious water, we can spill it before we even reach our destinations, allowing bad habits, wrong attitudes, anxieties and worries to tip out this precious load before we reach those to whom we want to offer water. We need, therefore, to come again to be re-filled, even as she comes confidently again to the water sources to re-fill her buckets. It doesn’t matter how many times we come. We are leaky vessels and need God to fill us with His Spirit each day.

Today we hope to enjoy a Pentecost Party at Houghton Road Centre, Thurnscoe, sharing the joys of the Holy Spirit with families who may not perhaps know the source of living water. May we have water to share, living water which satisfies our thirst and gives us love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness, patience, faithfulness and self-control, fruit which bring satisfaction too. Come and join us if you can!

Dave spoke tonight from Phil 2:5-11 about the most important statement the church ever makes: that Jesus Christ is Lord. This earliest creed has much to teach us. Paul focuses in these verses on how Jesus, both God and man, humbled himself to die on a cross and who has subsequently been exalted to the Father’s right hand. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, which is all the more remarkable when we think of the earthly life of Jesus. Who was this man?

We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in lowly circumstances and lived for many years in obscurity, learning the trade of a carpenter until at the age of thirty he began his ministry of teaching, preaching and healing. That ministry did not last long, for he was crucified for his so-called seditious teaching, but ultimately we see that the key point revolves around his personal identity. In forgiving people’s sins, he ultimately claimed to be not only a man but also God and His resurrection demonstrates that his death as a sin offering was acceptable to God. In declaring Jesus to be Lord, the early church was unequivocally declaring Jesus to be God, and as such the declaration also has implications for us.

The word ‘Lord’ (kyrios) refers to a master or owner, a boss, a chief. When we say that Jesus is Lord, we are ultimately acknowledging His rule over our lives, our willingness to obey His leading and commands. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess He is Lord; there will be a day when right will prevail, justice will be available to all and the church will celebrate a wedding banquet to surpass all feasts! In the meantime, the question is whether we will acknowledge His Lordship now or not. If we declare Jesus Christ to be Lord, are we living in obedience to Him?