Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca has been serving as acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches.
He reflects, “We all remember March 2020. The world went into lockdown as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe.”
Yet the WCC has remained a vibrant fellowship of churches.
“Wars and conflicts have erupted in different parts of the world, bringing loss of lives, destruction, famine, dislocations of populations, refugees. At every step, it has been my prayer that the WCC can be a space for dialogue, for listening and caring for one another, and for just peace and reconciliation.”
As followers of Christ, we have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. “It would be very easy to use the language of the politicians, but we are called to use the language of faith, of our faith. It is easy to exclude, excommunicate, and demonize, but we are called as WCC to use a free and safe platform of encounter and dialogue, to meet and listen to one another even if and when we disagree.”
This has always been the way of the WCC, he said. “I believe in the power of dialogue in the process toward reconciliation,” he said. “Imposed peace is not peace; a lasting peace has to be a just peace.”
War cannot be just or holy, he said. “In this time, until the end of my responsibility as acting general secretary that you have entrusted to me, I will not stop speaking against any aggression, invasion, or war, I will continue being prophetic, but I will do my best to keep the WCC what it was meant to be and to keep the table of dialogue open,” he said.
This upcoming 11th WCC Assembly in Karlsruhe has a focus on love, compassion, reconciliation, healing, and unity – even in the context of a global pandemic and war.
The WCC is at a turning point in history, Sauca concluded. “We need to stay together with strong bonds of love and commitment, our legacy for the period post-Karlsruhe being a strong and meaningful WCC.”
The Victorian Government recently made changes to the Equal Opportunity Act (2010) regarding changes to religious exceptions in anti-discrimination laws
These changes came into effect on 14 June 2022.
Under the changes, religious bodies and schools are prohibited from discriminating (except in limited circumstances where the discrimination is reasonable and proportionate) against people based on:
sex
sexual orientation
lawful sexual activity
marital status
parental status
gender identity.
These changes ensure a fairer balance between the right to religious freedom and the right to be free from discrimination.
Discrimination by religious bodies and schools in relation to employment
From 14 June 2022, religious bodies and schools can only discriminate against employees or potential employees where:
conformity with religious beliefs is an inherent (i.e. core, essential or important) requirement of the job
the other person cannot meet that inherent requirement because of their religious belief or activity
the discrimination is reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.
Discrimination by religious bodies and schools in other circumstances
From 14 June 2022, schools can only discriminate based on a student, or prospective student’s, religious beliefs or activities. However, the discrimination must be reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances and:
to do so would conform with the school’s doctrines, beliefs or principles of the religion, or
the discrimination is reasonably necessary to avoid injury to the religious sensitivities of the school’s religion.
Further changes will on occur on 14 December 2022 for religious bodies that provide goods or services funded by the Victorian Government. From this date, when providing goods and services funded by the Victorian Government, religious bodies will only be able to discriminate on the basis of a person’s religious belief. They will not be able to discriminate based on other personal characteristics.
Discrimination by individuals
There is no longer an exception for individuals. This means an individual will not be able to discriminate against another person in the circumstances covered by the Equal Opportunity Act in order to comply with their religious beliefs.
What will not change
The government has not changed the law that allows religious bodies and schools to discriminate in relation to:
ordaining or appointing priests, ministers of religion or members of a religious order
training or educating people seeking ordination or appointment as priests, ministers of religion or members of a religious order
selecting or appointing people to perform functions relating to, or participating in, any religious observance or practice.
If you would like information about these reforms, including in your own language, call the VEOHRC’s Enquiry Line on 1300 292 153 (External link), open 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
A statement from the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) on the passing away of Ephorus (Archbishop) Willem T.P. Simarmata, the Moderator of the CCA on Friday 17th June 2022 at a hospital in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. He was 68 years old. (Originally published on CCA website)
Archbishop Simarmata was the Ephorus (supreme head) of the largest Protestant church in Indonesia, the Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP), from 2012 to 2016.
One of the most prominent leaders of the Asian churches and the modern Asian ecumenical movement, Archbishop Simarmata was elected as the Moderator of the CCA at the 14th General Assembly of the CCA held in 2015, a position in which he has since served with capable and sincere leadership, especially in closely working together with the CCA officers’ team in charting the future of the CCA as well as in shaping key policy decisions ever since the CCA initiated its new programme structure in 2016.
The General Secretary of CCA, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Archbishop Simarmata, and said that the CCA Moderator’s untimely and unexpected death was a great loss to the CCA and the Asian ecumenical movement, especially when the CCA was preparing for its 15th General Assembly which had been postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Recollecting his close and personal association with Archbishop Simarmata, Dr Mathews George Chunakara said, “He was a very fine human being, and was pastoral in his approach. He dealt with everyone in a true spirit of nobility. He personified a charisma in his leadership and with a special grace in him, and he mentored and inspired people, exemplifying the message that dignity and honour are gifts from God.”
The CCA General Secretary added that Archbishop Simarmata consistently stressed the need for following the Christian social call of stewardship and care of creation and also promoted gender equality and the wellbeing of the marginalised and vulnerable groups in his communities.
“His deep commitment and passion enabled him to strive for communal harmony by developing strong interfaith relationships, especially with the Muslim majority in his country, for the common good. This was widely recognised by the people in his country and it was for precisely this reason that he was elected to the country’s parliamentary bodies in recent times,” Dr Mathews George Chunakara further added.
“His illustrious service to Church and the ecumenical movement spanned several decades, his deep spirituality and commitment to ecumenism, as well as his leadership in church and society at various levels will always be cherished and valued by Asian churches,” said Dr Mathews George Chunakara, who started his term as CCA General Secretary not long after Archbishop Simarmata was elected as the new Moderator of CCA in 2015.
Archbishop Simarmata was associated with the CCA since the early 1990s. He was an official delegate to the CCA Assembly held in 1995, and to subsequent CCA Assemblies, as well as many other major ecumenical events.
He had provided leadership in hosting and organising the 50th anniversary of the CCA held in Prapat and Medan in 2007, when he was the General Secretary of his church, the HKBP.
He also served the World Council of Churches (WCC) as a Central Committee member, and the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) as its Moderator. He was the former Chairperson of the North Sumatra region within the Persekutuan Gereja-Gereja Indonesia (PGI), or the Council of Churches in Indonesia, from 2001 to 2011.
Archbishop Simarmata was elected as the Senator to the Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (DPD-RI), one of the two parliamentary chambers in Indonesia, from the North Sumatra province.
Archbishop Simarmata was ordained as a pastor in 1983. He obtained a Bachelor’s in Theology from the HKBP Theological Institute in North Sumatra, Indonesia, in 1980, and a Master’s from the Siliman University, Philippines, in 1990, and also had a postgraduate diploma in Mission and Theology from Hanil University in Korea.
The first part of the funeral service will be held at No. 2 Setia Budi, Medan Selayung, Medan, on Monday, 20 June, and his funeral will take place on Tuesday, 21 June 2022, at HKBP Simarmata, Samosir Island, North Sumatra. He is survived by his wife, H. Lersiany Purba, and five children.
Sr Brigid Arthur, an 87-year-old Brigidine nun, asylum seeker advocate and social justice activist, and one of the founders in 2001 of the Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project in Melbourne which has helped thousands of refugees has been recognised for her work with an AO (Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia) in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours for “distinguished service to social welfare, particularly asylum seekers and refugees, and to Catholic education”.
Congratulations!
And how very appropriate as we approach Refugee Week 2022 (Sunday 19th June to Saturday 25th June), which includes 20 June (World Refugee Day). The 2022 theme is ‘Healing’, a healing that promotes harmony and togetherness in our shared common humanity.
Who are the heroes advocating for refugees and asylum seekers, and working with new arrivals, in your community?
When Sister Brigid Arthur was a teacher at schools in Melbourne’s west, from the mid-1950s to the early 1990s, she was moved by the resilience of local immigrant families.
She saw that with help from the community, they could not just survive but thrive.
It’s something she’s seen with many of the thousands of asylum seekers she’s assisted over the past 30 years.
One young woman who came from a war-torn country in 2017 as a teenager, with little education, is now studying for a master’s degree and works in medical research, which was “an amazing turnaround”, Arthur said.
She has been regularly visiting detention centre inmates since 2000, and in 2001 she co-founded the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project.
Thanks to donations and volunteers’ work, the project provides accommodation, food, employment, financial support and help with visa applications.
For the past 20 years, Arthur has also acted as a litigation guardian – someone appointed by a court to represent vulnerable individuals – for minors in immigration detention and in juvenile justice centres.
Recently, she assumed the role for a group of young people seeking a judgment that the former environment minister had a duty of care to young people because of the effects of climate change.
She was also a litigation guardian in cases advocating for the rights of Indigenous minors in prison.
The Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project’s motto is from the Gospel of Matthew (25:35): “I was a stranger, and you made me welcome”.
Arthur explains it: “We believe that if you’re going to really be Christian, then you must be kind to the outsiders and the vulnerable people.”
Would she ever retire? She laughs. “I’m happy to work while I can work.”
What motivates her? “A certain stubbornness, probably, that there are a lot of things wrong and while we can do something about them, we shouldn’t give up, we should do it.
“I think I’m motivated by the fact that no one of us, and no one organisation or government, has the right to set up structures and adopt policies that are really cruel and that often don’t recognise that the people who are being victimised by those structures and policies are quite vulnerable and need to be protected and not punished.”
Anthony of Padua (15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese Catholic priest, and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was born and raised by a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, and died in Padua, Italy.
He has become known as the most celebrated of the followers of Francis of Assisi.Noted by his contemporaries for his powerful preaching, expert knowledge of scripture, and undying love and devotion to the poor and the sick.
His life story is educative for us all (summarised here by the St Anthony of Padua parish):
Proclaiming the message of God has never been that popular, especially if preachers were taking the message of God to where many actively hated it. During Anthony’s early years, Franciscan missionaries had died at the hands of the Islamic people. At the age of 26, Anthony had given up a peaceful life of prayer and study as an Augustinian to become a Franciscan missionary to the Muslims in Morocco. He had come to the psychological – spiritual conclusion that he had failed God by not being allowed to give up his life as a martyr at the hands of the Muslims.
Somehow, though, Anthony had reached the point in his life where his fellow Franciscans would not even give him a job of washing dishes or sweeping the floors. Early in his life, Anthony had been so sure of what God wanted him to do.
Early life: He was born Fernando de Bouillon on August 15, 1195 in Portugal, a legitimate heir to a noble title and lands. His future seemed to be secure and planned. His family occupied a sumptuous palace near the cathedral in Lisbon. Still, Fernando’s restless quest for God’s call came early and he gave up his inheritance to enter a monastery at age 15, seeking a life of solitude and devotion to God. His new name would be Anthony. His friends however, missed him and knowing he was close by, would stop to visit so much that this became a distraction from his devotions. Two years later he decided he would have to move on to find the kind of life he wanted. At the Abbey of Santa Cruz, his new home, Anthony devoted the next eight years to studying theology and Scripture. He exhibited a remarkable memory and facility for knowledge and it was obvious to everyone that this was the life he was meant to lead. (It was said of him (Traditionally) that he knew the Bible so well, that if some disaster destroyed all copies of it, they could still recover the Scriptures form what he knew).
Crises of life: When he landed in Morocco it seemed like everything was finally going as he planned it. However, he no sooner got out into the desert than he became so physically ill that he wasn’t even able to get out of bed, let alone walk the street preaching Christ’s message to others. His attempt at missionary work was such a complete failure that the Franciscans ordered him back to Portugal after only four months. Yet Anthony ran into problems there as well. The ship taking him back to Portugal was forced to land in Sicily after a storm. As Anthony recovered his health in Italy, he conceived a new plan. He would go tot he fourth general chapter meeting of the Franciscans and see St. Francis of Assisi. Surely St. Francis would know what he was supposed to do with the rest of his life. Yet Francis, close to death, did not notice Anthony among all the three thousand friars who had come to the chapter. In fact, everyone ignored Anthony – which apparently was not difficult to do because Anthony liked to stick to the background.
Dejected and discouraged, Anthony did not want to return to Portugal that was just a reminder of how wrong all his hopes had gone. Surely there was a place for him in Italy. Still , no one in Italy knew of Anthony’s background in theology and Scripture. That, like Portugal, belonged to Anthony’s past. All they saw was a sick invalid with barely enough strength to get out of bed. So when he volunteered as a kitchen assistant, they turned him down; no one thought he could do the work! What could Anthony do? He felt that he was a failure as a missionary, as a martyr, and now even as a dishwasher.
New hope: He had found one friend however in Father Gratian, the provincial of Bologna. When Anthony begged him for work, Fr. Gratian sent him to a small retreat house in the mountains.
They were ordaining a large group of priests. Again Anthony was hidden in the crowd. As was customary, there was to be a talk at the ordination meal on being a priest. The time came for the talk and no-one stood up to provide for the homily. No one had prepared a talk and no one wanted to talk spontaneously in front of the toughest audience of all – their fellow-priests. Suddenly, as the Tradition goes, Father Gratian turned to Anthony and asked him to speak. Why Anthony? Maybe he guessed there was more to Anthony than the others knew. Maybe Anthony was just handy. Of course Anthony tried to decline the offer; he had no experience or ability. Gratian ordered him to speak out of obedience.
The preacher comes alive: Unable to refuse the direct order Anthony stood up. Nevertheless, as he opened his mouth to stammer out a few words, the Holy Spirit suddenly overwhelmed the frightened priest. The voice that trembled in fear, now trembled with passion. The words that had stumbled now flowed beautifully. All who heard his speech knew they had not only witnessed a miracle but heard a miracle-worker. In that moment his life changed forever. Everyone who had ignored him knew him now as Anthony the preacher. Saint Francis who hadn’t even noticed his existence before, now, appointed him to preach anywhere and everywhere. Expectant crowds replaced his quiet solitude hanging on his words.
Suddenly what head looked like failures or misdirection’s in his life all made sense His study in the Monastery was not a waste of time, but a foundation to preach on the Scripture. His travels to Morocco and Italy was not a disaster but experiences in real life form which to teach. His assignment to the retreat house was not a rejection but a grounding of his spirit in prayer and meditation to sustain him in the Holy Spirit.
Anthony preached to his culture. He probed deeply into each passage to find the key message for Christians. Apparently, he re-discovered that his role in ministry was with his own people. His mission field was not in Morocco, but, in Padua and the surrounding areas. This is a model for all to follow. We ought to be willing to bloom where we are planted as available people for God’s purposes.
Anthony preached to the experiences of people. Anthony was said to have preached peace in a time of feuds, vendettas, and wars, saying to the people — “No more war; no more hatred and bloodshed, but peace. God wills it.” His preaching was direct and forceful with a simple message that was practical. Again, a deep understanding and classical theological training in foundational truths, prepared this preacher for the task at hand, a society where the rich and poor were polarized culturally and economically.
Anthony preached a positive message. In a time when many heretics were teaching things such as that the flesh was evil and only the soul was created by God, Anthony did not indulge in attacks of heretics. He simply, and clearly, spoke of the true beliefs of Christians in such a positive way that he won people back to the Faith.
Despite the chaos of the times, (feuds and vendettas), Anthony had to start preaching out in the fields, because the churches would no longer hold the crowds coming to hear him. Shops and business were reported to have closed their doors when he came to preach and people often slept overnight in churches to be sure to hear him the next day.
Anthony preached without consideration for a person’s position. According to Tradition, when an archbishop asked Anthony to preach at a national council, Anthony did as requested and then turned to the archbishop to say, “And now I have something to say to you…” He went on to tell the archbishop in front of the council how he should change his life.
Padua was the place that Anthony had chosen as his home base after he started preaching. That is where he went after he fell ill in 1231. To find a little solitude in the midst of the clamour for his attention, he built a sort of tree-house where he lived until he became too weak. He asked to be taken back to his monastery to die but he did not make it. At a stop at a convent of Poor Clares, he said, “I behold my God,” and died. It was June 13, 1231 and he was only 35 years old.
During those later years, however, Anthony was to gain such popular recognition for his charismatic preaching that his legend would remain firmly etched into the Tradition of the Church to this day.
Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios passed away on 1 June 2022 in Thessaloniki, Greece. He was 71 years old.
Metropolitan Dr Gennadios of Sassima, vice moderator of the Central Committee of World Council of Churches (WCC), has been one of the towering Christian leaders who greatly contributed to the life and witness of the global ecumenical movement; he was imbued with the spirit of ecumenism throughout his life and his passing will create a vacuum in the worldwide church and the ecumenical movement as a whole, stated Dr Mathews George Chunakara, the General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA).
Recollecting Metropolitan Gennadios’ invaluable contributions to the ecclesiastical and global ecumenical movement, the CCA General Secretary said, “Metropolitan Gennadios made a remarkable impact in the Christian world, and he always affirmed the need for strengthening the coherence and ethos of one ecumenical movement; his contributions to church unity will be gratefully remembered by the churches across the world.”
Dr Mathews George Chunakara said that he had fond memories of his close association and working together with Metropolitan Gennadios for over two decades, when Metropolitan Gennadios was initially serving as a member of the governing board and subsequently as Vice Moderator of the Central Committee of WCC.
The CCA General Secretary also recollected the fond memories of his travelling together with Metropolitan Gennadios in different continents, especially to communist countries such as North Korea, Vietnam, and China, to dialogue and meet with government and communist party officials along with the representatives of churches in these three nations, where churches and Christian missions still face difficulties.
“Often perceived as a serious person in his external appearance, Metropolitan Gennadios was pastoral, compassionate, and knowledgeable, as well as skilful in handling complex issues with sensitivity, often easing a tensed situation with a sense of humour. His tenacity in affirming the orthodox faith and tradition was always candid, but everybody could well understand the fact that he embodied and embraced the spirit of ecumenism. He evinced keen interest in the highest goals of ecumenism for which he worked diligently. He had a passion to strengthen, nurture, and promote the ecumenical spirit in the worldwide church through the WCC and other related ecclesiastical bodies over the years of his committed work,” recalled Dr Mathews George Chunakara, who had worked closely with Metropolitan Gennadios during his tenure with the WCC as its Asia Secretary and the Director of International Affairs.
Metropolitan Gennadios served in several capacities at the WCC including the following: a staff member of the WCC’s Faith and Order secretariat in Geneva from 1983 to 1993, a member of the Executive and Central Committees, vice-moderator of the WCC’s Faith and Order Commission, and Vice Moderator of the WCC Central Committee for two consecutive terms, first elected in 2006, and a second term since 2013.
Metropolitan Gennadios was also part of the governing board of the Conference of European Churches, the counterpart of CCA. He was instrumental in facilitating several ecumenical and theological dialogues among various churches and ecclesiastical and confessional bodies, including the Roman Catholic Church.
Known by his original name Prof. Dr Lymouris Nikolaos in the academic field, Metropolitan Gennadios was a professor of Orthodox Theology and Orthodox Canon Law in several universities, including at the Theological School of the University of Strasbourg, the Institute of Ecumenical Studies, “St. Bernardino” of Venice, and Pontificio Ateneo Antonianum University in Rome, Italy. He graduated from the Theological Institute of Saint Sergius in Paris and then pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Strasbourg.
In recognition of his genuine and sincere commitment to peace, dialogue, and Christian witness, he was gifted with an honorary fellowship by the Orthodox Academy of Crete and was conferred two “honoris causa” degrees from the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Brookline, Massachusetts, USA) and from the University of Athens (Greece) Faculty of Theology in 2010 and 2015, respectively.
The Christian Conference of Asia, together with its member churches and councils, expresses its deepest condolences to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the World Council of Churches, and to his bereaved family.
Beyond the familiar routes of separation to God’s new paths. “They left for their own country by another road.”(Matthew 2:12)
Scripture
Jeremiah 31:31-34, I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel.
Matthew 11:25-30, Because you have hidden these things…
Meditation We do not know what the wise men thought – they who were experts in astronomy and navigation – when they were warned to re- turn by another road. They may well have been very confused, but the same light that illumined their journey showed them that there was another road, another possibility. They were called to change direction.
God’s divine providence is always there to show us that there is another way prepared for us. God is there to renew his covenant and lift us up from the frustration we experience when we meet an obstacle. A fresh start is always possible when we are will- ing and open to the work of the Spirit.
On the old familiar roads, Christian communities have walked apart from one an- other. On the new roads to which God calls us, Christians walk together and become pilgrim companions.
Prayer Gracious God, when we think that all roads are blocked, and we fall into despair, we always find you there. We find you creating a new path before us, one that we did not expect. We thank you because your creative paths open up unforeseen possibilities. Help us to always find you, who lead us yet by a more excellent way. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, that you will always lead us back to you. Amen.
The gifts of communion. “Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”(Matthew 2:11)
Scripture
Hosea 6:1-6, For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice.
Matthew 6:19-21, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Meditation In our journey to Bethlehem, the city of bread, we contemplate the wise men who came to pay homage to the Christ Child. They opened their treasures, and offered the new-born king their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
What gifts have we prepared to offer the king who comes to illuminate our lives and lead us to the grace of unity? We know that God does not want our riches and burnt offerings, but rather that his power works through our poverty. Let us then prepare for him the gift of a heart full of love. Kneeling in worship requires hearts that are contrite for the sin that divides us and obedient to the One we serve. This obedience revives, heals and reconciles everything that is broken or wounded in us, around us, and among us as Christians.
Prayer Lord God, you have revealed yourself in the epiphany of your Son both to those who have long awaited for your coming, and to those who were not expecting you. You know the suffering that surrounds us, the pain caused by our divisions. We ask you to enable our hearts and our minds to know you. As we join the wise men com- ing from afar, we pray that you open our hearts to your love and to the love of our brothers and sisters around us. Receive our prayer in the name of your Son Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Gathered in worship around the One Lord “They saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage.”(Matthew 2:11)
Scripture
Exodus 3:1-6, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Matthew 28:16-20, When they saw him, they worshipped him.
Meditation When the Magi arrived at Bethlehem and saw the child with his mother, they worshipped him. Similarly at the sight of the burning bush, Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God. When the disciples saw the risen Christ on the mountain in Galilee, they worshipped him. In the heavenly liturgy, the twenty-four elders fall before him who sits on the throne. Encountering God’s presence, we respond thus: gazing, followed by amazement, leading to worship.
Do we see? Are we amazed? Are we truly worshipping? In our narrow vision, too often we see only our tangled disagreements, forgetting that the one Lord has given his saving grace to us all, and that we share in the one Spirit who draws us into unity.
As communities enlivened by the Holy Spirit, our churches call us to walk together towards the Christ Child to offer him homage as one people. The Spirit of compassion guides us to each other, and together guides us to our one Lord.
Prayer Compassionate God, you gave the blind the insight to recognize you as their Saviour, enable us to repent. In your mercy, remove the scales from our eyes and lead us to worship you as our God and Redeemer. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be upon us, so that together we glorify you in the Spirit’s fellowship, and witness to all those around us. Amen.
The Holy Spirit moves the church towards a new vision
A message from the Presidents of the World Council of Churches for Pentecost 2022.
A symbol of the trinity, cross and resurrection decorates the pulpit in the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, March 2020, Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC
As these days of Pentecost arrive, we recall the commitment of the church to bring good news to those who suffer the most from armed conflicts, from the harmful effects of economic ambition throughout this time of pandemic, and from the devastating damages that we have caused the planet.
Acts 1 and 2 relate that, in Jerusalem, the apostles received the promise of the power to witness and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit to bring the good news to all ends of the earth. It is not until Act 8 that these geographical advances in evangelisation are reported: not through the mouths of the apostles but instead though Philip, a deacon. This happens as a consequence of the persecution against the church.
In the Acts, the Holy Spirit brings new gifts, new ways to evangelise, new places to reach, new ways to live life, and pathways to reach those who have been discriminated against; it takes lives lived in the service of persecution and death and transforms them into lives in the service of Christ’s name and his good news; it gives power to confront political, military, and economic powers. The church understood the need to build safe spaces and thus save lives.
We pray that the impetus of this Spirit continue to move us in that direction. That it keeps putting words of eternal life into the mouth of the church. That its creativity is manifested through its unexpected actions and that, through its breath of life, take us wherever it wishes.
