Methodist Local Circuit Preacher.

The disciples Jesus gathered were 'the allsorts it takes to make a world of' and differed in personality and intellect. It's clear they argued and quarrelled and all of them misunderstood their mentor's mission and the undertaking for which they were being prepared. The crisis of the crucifixion wasn't in their script at all and they were demoralised and frightened, meeting furtively behind locked doors to discuss what to do next.

The strategy of their having to wait for the promised 'power of the Spirit' seems a good one. The interval between Easter and Pentecost allowed all the fuss of the crucifixion to fade and for high emotions to give way to sober reality. They reverted to type and blended back into the community. However, they continued to meet and keep in touch. One can imagine them exchanging experiences: "Do you feel a bit of power coming on?" "Nothing really". "Same here".

When it came there was no mistake. It was very ethereal; the noise from the sky, the tongues of flame - all recorded by a gospel writer not noted for embroidering detail. This was it and a new power of personality took possession of them. Inspired disciples soon caused a commotion with their out of character utterances. A crowd gathers and Peter seizes his opportunity. He stands up to proclaim Jesus, suitably expunging the bitter regret of his earlier denial. From then on it is fearless progress to eventual martyrdom. Those tongues of flame started a huge forest fire which has since spread worldwide. The Holy Spirit is used to explain everything from Paul's Damascus Road experience to the daily proliferation of weird Christian sects.

We who have our feet firmly rooted in mainstream religion don't always sit easy with all its manifestations. We feel it prompting us to proclaim our faith in an everyday way but not to do it in the street and frighten the horses. Our reticence is a recognition that the Spirit can so easily be claimed and misappropriated for some awful causes. As one wise African Methodist minister once put it to me: "The gift is in knowing when the work of the Spirit ends and you begin...!"

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.