WCC NEWS: WCC presidents share Pentecost greetings, noting “the Spirit of God speaks in gloriously different voices”

Photo: Albin Hillert 23 May 2023 “The Christian faith does not have a holy language, but from that day of Pentecost in Jerusalem recorded in the book of Acts, Christians have celebrated that the Gospel can be heard in many different local languages, in the languages we learn from our parents and within the communities that form us,” the message reads. “Christian faith is best lived, spoken and proclaimed in the language of our hearts.” Today, the church worldwide, has many local languages, reflects the message. “The Church’s linguistic diversity, and its diversity in so many other ways, is broad. AND, at the same time, the Church’s unity is deep, rooted in the one Holy Spirit. The miracle is that rich diversity and loving unity can hold hands. This is a gift of the Spirit. And it is one that our divided world so badly needs.” Diversity is a gift of the Spirit, in the service of unity, the message concludes. “This Pentecost, let’s celebrate the diversity of the Church, of the world and of all creation, and also celebrate the holiness of the Spirit that makes us one.” A message for the churches at Pentecost See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland

Pentecost 2020: A Kairos Moment

COVID-19 has greatly affected and altered our lives and institutions. We suddenly found ourselves unprepared for the future. Even coping with the present is difficult for us. We face the daily threat of getting infected with the virus. Thousands still die of the virus every day. The financial losses of individuals, businesses, and the global economy are staggering.

In the face of these realities, the words of Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:15-16 ring true. Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk - not as unwise people but as wise - making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

The word for "time," that Paul used here, is kairos. It refers to a critical moment, an opportune time, a window of opportunity that could lead to a defining moment like in 1 Timothy 2: 5 -6 that says; For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

The incarnation of Jesus was an opportune time, a kairos moment, that resulted in the offering of the perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity.

This Pentecost Sunday, I call on all followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the millions of evangelicals all over the world, to view this pandemic as a kairos moment. It is an opportune time for us to share the love and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the rest of the world.

Look beyond the threats of COVID-19. Open your eyes to the opportunities this crisis brings. Make the most of your time to connect with, pray for, encourage, and serve the people around you.

As the Holy Spirit empowered the early believers to be witnesses for Jesus on that first Pentecost, as we celebrate Pentecost today, let us seek a fresh empowerment of the Holy Spirit. He could turn this pandemic to be a defining moment for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in this 21st century, in our work of advancing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Let us seize this kairos moment!

Bishop Efraim Tendero
Secretary General / CEO
World Evangelical Alliance

UC National News - Pentecost 2020 - National Reconciliation Week and more

A message from Dr Deidre Palmer "Thank you to all of you who are responding to God’s call to be the Church in this challenging time." In This Together The Assembly Resourcing Unit has produced a National Reconciliation Week resource for 2020, which includes reflections from Dr Deidre Palmer and Interim National Chairperson of UAICC Pr Mark Kickett. Sunday Streaming  This week's worship is led by Rev Ian Ferguson of Brunswick Uniting Church in Melbourne. Follow live from 10am AEST on our Facebook page. A Journey for all Australians - Part 2 Walking together with Frontier Services' Board member Aunty Diane Torrens. President's Conference 2020 Dr Deidre Palmer's second conference as President will go ahead as planned in October this year. The focus is on every member ministry. The Conference will be open to remote attendees. More details in coming weeks.    JOIN US IN PRAYER FOR: Members of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress as we continue to mark National Reconciliation Week. Christians in Australia and around the world marking Pentecost. Our online worship leaders - and all who are responding to God’s call to be the Church in this challenging time.

Copyright © 2020 Uniting Church in Australia, All rights reserved. We're sending you weekly updates because you opted into news from the Uniting Church in Australia. Our mailing address is: Uniting Church in Australia Lvl 10 222 Pitt St Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia

United Methodist Now - Special Pentecost issue!

The UMC's response to the coronavirus  »

We are not alone: Pentecost 2020   This year, Pentecost comes to us as the world continues to deal with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. In this special United Methodist Communications production, a virtual small group examines the meaning of Pentecost and the good news that we are not alone.   Watch

Advertisement   Celebrating Pentecost at home   From baking a cake with red icing to flying a red kite, check out these creative and fun ways to bring the story of Pentecost home. (Photo credit: Mike DuBose, United Methodist Communications)   Read  »

Ask the UMC: What is Pentecost?   Experts explain the history, the significance of the color red and why the special celebration may be referred to as “White Sunday.”   Read  »

Alone together: the Pentecost paradox   The circumstances in which we find ourselves as we prepare for Pentecost remind us of how good it is when we are “all together in one place.” The holiday also highlights that even when being together isn't possible, the Holy Spirit connects us with one another.   Read

Advertisement     Sent to:   thenet26062@gmail.com Sent by:   United Methodist Communications 810 12th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37203 UMNow@umc.org | 615.742.5400

WCC NEWS: WCC presidents on Pentecost: “Waves of despair, tongues of fire”

“The church was born in tumult yet emerged from the chaos with a potent,
indeed life-changing, message relevant to all cultures and contexts”
Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC, Fiji 2020

In a message on Pentecost, entitled “Waves of despair, tongues of fire,” the regional presidents of the World Council of Churches reflect on the mighty presence of God.

“The church was born in tumult yet emerged from the chaos with a potent, indeed life-changing, message relevant to all cultures and contexts,” reads the message. “As at the first Pentecost, so it must be again today.”

A silent, invisible, lethal natural force has landed, reflects the message. “The novel coronavirus has upended the whole world, instilling terror and chaos, causing millions to fall ill and hundreds of thousands to die,” reads the text. “The pandemic has wreaked havoc on economies, upset families and community life, eluded the most sophisticated systems of global and local healthcare, tested the mettle and efficacy of governance, and caused outbreaks of hunger.”

Yet this Pentecost, across the centuries and around the world, Christians are linked to each other and to those earliest disciples to proclaim, as they boldly did, that the God of Life is with us still. “The Spirit of God lifts our hearts in prayer and longing,” the message reads. “The Spirit instills in us courage to face grief and suffering.”

Pentecost message from the WCC presidents 2020

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.

Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press
Our visiting address is:
World Council of Churches
150 route de Ferney
Geneve 2 1211
Switzerland