Sermon for Pentecost 2025:

The Spirit who gathers across difference, brings peace and empowers for Mission.

Genesis 11.1-9, Acts 2.1-21 and John 14.8-17,25-27

Preacher: Penny Pullan

Father God, send your Spirit of truth among us now. May she open our hearts to hear God’s word for us today, And fill us with courage to share God’s love with those around us. May your Spirit guide us as we listen, as we learn, and as we go out into the world as part of your mission. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Have you noticed that we live in a world that is obsessed with power, status and control? We see it in political leaders determined to make their mark on the world, fighting others who might get in their way. As I was mulling over these readings and wondering what I should say in this sermon this week, Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s argument exploded onto social media, each trying to gain the upper hand by putting the other down. It’s quite incredible, and not in a good way at all, to see the President of the United States, supposedly the leader of the free world, act in this way. But it’s not just him. People all over the world pursue personal power, status and control. God doesn’t usually feature much, except sometimes as an easy way to gain yet more power.

We see it in the rise of nationalism, where pride in identity hardens and leads to fear of those among us who are different. Once again, God is pushed aside from God’s rightful place, as people push for themselves to be first. Shamefully, we see it in the language of suspicion and exclusion, especially directed at immigrants and refugees. Many come to our town seeking safety and yet can feel rejection as a result of this nationalism.

So, we are in a time when many people want to put themselves, and not God, first. These patterns are not new. They mirror an ancient story from the Hebrew scriptures: the Tower of Babel.

In Genesis 11, the people come together, not to honour God, but to build a tower to the heavens, to, as the passage says: “make a name for ourselves.” God, though, is the one who gives out names in Genesis. So, this means taking God’s place. By building a tower that reaches up to heaven, they want to take over from God and have power, status and control over their future. They’ve pushed God to the margins, and they want to stand in God’s shoes. In the story, God comes down, and their language is confused. The people are scattered across the earth, not to destroy them, but to limit their self-serving ambition.

Fast forward thousands of years to the Day of Pentecost. It’s 50 days after Jesus’ death and resurrection. A few days ago, Jesus ascended to Heaven. The disciples are once again on their own. They’ve been told to wait, so they gather together. We don’t know if it is just the 12 apostles (yes, they’d just replaced Judas with Matthias) or a much wider group. They’re probably feeling uncertain, remembering the fear they felt in the days after Jesus died on the cross. They’re probably unsure, still full of questions and wondering what will happen next.

But, and this is a big but, …. they are open and ready for what God will do next. So, they wait together, and while they wait, they pray.

And then, the Spirit comes. She comes suddenly with the sound of a mighty wind, and with tongues of fire. Both wind and fire are signs of God’s power and presence throughout the Bible. The violent sound of the wind fills the room. It must take their breath away! The fire rests on each person’s head, not burning their hair, but bringing light. This is no gentle whisper—this is the power of God.

Did you notice that God’s Spirit doesn’t just come to a chosen few or to those who have faith completely sorted, but to everyone gathered there—to all those who had put their trust in Jesus, and were waiting and praying for what God had promised.

This is a gift for the whole community. The Spirit comes to equip them for mission and service. She comes to give them courage and words to share the good news of Jesus with the world.

What happens next is quite extraordinary. When they meet the crowds of people gathered in Jerusalem for the feast, the Spirit speaks through these humble disciples using many languages. The visitors at that time probably spoke Greek as a second language, used for trade and public life. But the Spirit doesn’t settle for what is convenient. Instead, she speaks in the language closest to each person’s heart: their mother tongue, the language of their home and their family. So, God’s word comes to every heart through their very own language. What a miracle!

This isn’t simply overcoming the chaos of the Tower of Babel. … Instead, Babel is transformed and redeemed. The multiple languages that started to confuse human pride become, at Pentecost, a celebration of human diversity. Every language, every nation, every life present is included, welcomed and blessed. God’s Spirit takes what was scattered and different, and brings it together, not in sameness but in a new, Spirit-enabled unity in diversity.

This story is not just for two thousand years ago. It is for us, right here and now. Next week, we will celebrate the unveiling of four life-size icons of saints from different parts of the world. They are signs of our church’s rich diversity. They show us that God’s kingdom is drawn from every nation and every language. For too long, the images on our walls and windows have shown us only white European saints. But today, the Spirit’s gentle voice is reminding us that the church, the body of Christ, is truly inter-cultural, truly global and truly speaks in every language. These diverse icons are not just decoration. They are a sign of the Spirit’s work among us today. They remind us to truly remember “All Saints”—yes, that’s our church’s name— to remember all saints from every culture, every country and every language.

We are being drawn into a new chapter. Soon we will join a Minster Community to share in mission with other local churches. Just as the Spirit equipped those first disciples for mission and service, we can pray for the Spirit to equip us too. We can pray that we will be able to welcome those who are different from us, to work in partnership together, and to share the good news of Jesus with our neighbours in this part of Leicestershire.

Finally, we turn to the gospel passage, set at the Last Supper. In it, Jesus promises believers that the Spirit will come. It’s not just as a one-off spectacular event like at Pentecost, although that might be part of God’s plan for some people. God’s Spirit will come to be in us forever. The Spirit, our advocate and comforter, will teach us, remind us of everything Jesus said, and bring us his peace. Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives.” The peace of Christ is not the fragile peace of self-interest or of nationalism. Instead, it is the rich, deep Shalom peace of God and God’s Kingdom. It’s a peace that welcomes difference and draws us together in love.

Soon, we will hear the choir sing the comforting words of Jesus: “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever: even the spirit of truth.”

It doesn’t matter where we come from … whether we’ve been here for ages or we’re brand new to All Saints. It doesn’t matter what language we speak or what culture we grew up in. Wherever we are on our journey of faith—whether we are new to belief, have been following Jesus for decades, or are still full of questions and searching—the Spirit is promised to all those who put their trust in Jesus, to help us live as his people and to love his world.

May we hear the voice of God’s Spirit today … as she calls us to be a people of Pentecost: praying, listening, humble, diverse, full of Christ’s peace and love,

and ready to share these in our world.

And we pray for the Spirit of truth to abide with us forever. Amen

• Full Farsi Pentecost Sermon (80.58 Kb)