Preached at All Saints, Collingwood, Anglican Diocese of Toronto, on Sunday, 24 May, the Feast of Pentecost.
Readings for this Sunday: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; 1 Corinthians 12:3B-13, John 20:19-23
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
I can’t think of a more fitting time to have a wedding than on today, the Feast of Pentecost. This is the day when we celebrate God’s creative activity, God’s promise as we heard in this morning’s psalm to “renew the face of the earth”. This is the day when we celebrate God breaking down barriers and bringing people together. This is the day when we celebrate Jesus’ giving his friends the gift of the Holy Spiriit, a spirit of peace, companionship, and comfort.
Chris and Helena are hear today to claim these things that we celebrate. They will receive God’s enthusiastic blessing for the family and the home that they have created. They will receive God’s blessing to live in unity. And the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be given to them as they seek to make their lives together lives of peace, companionship, and mutual comfort and aid.
These gifts will be needful and appreciated on those days when marriage is hard work. In his words to his disciples in today’s gospel, Jesus tells his friends that they can either withhold forgiveness, or they can seek reconciliation. Marriage can be lovely, but there are moments when it requires forgiveness and a commitment to always rebuild and always make new. The gifts of Pentecost are especially necessary in such moments.
While it is a rare occasion, it is fitting that celebrate this marriage in the midst of our Sunday worship. The gifts which Chris and Helena claim are in many respects that gifts that God gives to God’s church: renewal, unity, peace and mutual comfort and support.
Just as God’s people come together at baptism to support the new Christian in their earthly life, so we come together now to support our fellow parishioners, Chris and Helena, in their new life together. We give thanks for their love, we give thanks for God’s love for God’s church, and we give thanks for the Pentecost gifts of Pentecost - unity, peace, comfort and mutual support - that are given to us today.
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