Almighty and everliving God, whose servant Thomas Cranmer, with others, did restore the language of the people in the prayers of thy Church: Make us always thankful for this heritage; and help us so to pray in the Spirit and with the understanding, that we may worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer wrote and compiled the first two editions of the Book of Common Prayer, a complete liturgy for the English Church. The use of the new prayer book was made compulsory on June 9, 1549. https://t.co/tPkaLQ2n8f pic.twitter.com/ozKIChy6TF

— Trivia Encyclopedia (@edpearce080759) June 9, 2025

O God, who according to thy promise hast given thy Holy Spirit to us thy people, that we might know the freedom of thy children and taste on earth our heavenly inheritance: Grant that we may ever hold fast the unity which he gives, and, living in his power, may be thy witnesses to all men; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A nice morning out at Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado. #Colorado #COwx #photography #stormhour pic.twitter.com/WW2WeWDAFs

— Michael Ryno Photo (@mnryno34) June 12, 2025

And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, saying, “Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a den of robbers.”

And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people hung upon his words.

–Luke 19:41-48

Friday morning sunrise a rather wild affair 😎 pic.twitter.com/NWO5SgOddU

— graham ross (@grahamr27165817) June 13, 2025

Distributing large sums of the Church Commissioners’ funds to dioceses through the Strategic Investment in Mission and Ministry Board (SMMIB) is a mistake, the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Revd Richard Jackson, said this week.

Bishops would prefer to have sufficient funds to prevent further cuts to stipendiary clergy posts and pastoral reorganisation.

“When I talk to my colleagues, I think the reality is that a number of them are applying for grants from SMMIB for projects they are not that convinced are going to make a huge difference to the life of their diocese,” he said on Wednesday. “What they would really like is, ‘Just give me some more money so I can keep my stipendiary head-count up.’ There is very clear evidence that maintaining levels of stipendiary clergy leads to church growth.”

Read it all.

‘What will stabilise things is a well-motivated clergy workforce which is well-supported and well-financed’. My interview with Bishop of Hereford who’s calling for less of Commissioners’ money to be allocated through grants & more to prevent clergy cuts https://t.co/bt9dSr4rRH

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) June 12, 2025

On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.

–Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters (New York, Harper Perennial ed., 1988 of 1982 original), pp. 52-53

The apostles are said to have baptized three thousand on the very day of Pentecost when they had received the Holy Ghost. pic.twitter.com/ACLbOCw9tz

— St. Thomas Aquinas (@Aquinas_Quotes) May 19, 2024

One of the perennial challenges of older generations is providing guidance to younger generations without becoming bitter old scolds. One of the perennial challenges of younger generations is retaining their agency while being open to the wisdom of their elders. 

And perhaps no conversations are more sensitive in these intragenerational dialogues than those concerning marriage and childbearing. Whether elders are warning against the losses of ease and freedom that come with settling down or asking when they can expect grandchildren, the pressure to get it right can be intense. 

For Christians, added pressures come from Scripture and tradition. The Bible clearly teaches that “he who finds a wife finds a good thing” (Prov. 18:22, ESV throughout) and that “children are a heritage from the Lord” (Ps. 127:3). And in many evangelical churches, young people feel a certain expectation to marry young and have children promptly. But at the same time, the world—and often fellow Christians too—pressures young people to be autonomous individuals. Maximize your liberties, they’re told. Trim your responsibilities and pursue pleasures and success….

This need is urgent, because there’s reason to think younger generations are abandoning the basic institution of society: the family. Birth and marriage rates in America are both in decline, and a recent Pew study showed that American teenagers value career, friendship, and wealth over marriage and children. In fact, they deemed having a lot of money nearly twice as important as having kids. 

Read it all.

Of Note: Young people who feel anxious and conflicted about marriage and family need a positive example, not a lecture.https://t.co/SWqENMJbB8

— The Institute for Family Studies (@FamStudies) June 12, 2025

IBM earlier this week said it has a plan for building what it calls the world’s first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer at its New York data center before the end of the decade.

The computer, called IBM Quantum Starling, will be housed in its Poughkeepsie, N.Y., center and have 20,000 times the computational power of today’s quantum computers, the tech giant said.

“I feel more comfortable than ever that a fault-tolerant quantum computer will exist before the end of this decade,” said Jay Gambetta, IBM’s vice president of quantum. “We are putting error-correction in detail on our roadmap because we believe now we’ve solved all the scientific challenges.”

Read it all.

We’re excited to share our plans for IBM Quantum Starling, expected to be the world’s first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer.

This new system, to be delivered to clients by 2029, is expected to perform 20,000x more operations than today’s quantum computers. Read more… pic.twitter.com/zFitqHly4U

— IBM (@IBM) June 10, 2025

Almighty God, who didst lead thy pilgrim people of old by fire and cloud: Grant that the ministers of thy Church, following the example of thy servant Enmegahbowh, may lead thy people with fiery zeal and gentle humility. This we ask through Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Enmegahbowh, Priest & Missionary, 1902

An Odawa Indian from Canada who came to the US as Methodist missionary in 1832, he is the 1st recognised Native American priest in the Episcopal Church, having been ordained deacon 1859 & priest 1867 pic.twitter.com/xZMWe8mIQc

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) June 12, 2024

O God, who didst graciously send on thy disciples the Holy Spirit in the burning fire of thy love: Grant to thy people to be fervent in the unity of faith; that abiding in thee evermore, they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

🌞💙Guten Morgen, ihr Lieben 💙🌞
Ich wünsche euch einen schönen Donnerstag, mit herzlichen Grüßen aus dem Tuxertal! pic.twitter.com/XltRl9IWNC

— Brigitta Neurauter (@BrigittaNeurau2) June 12, 2025

And when he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Beth′phage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here. If any one asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. And as he rode along, they spread their garments on the road. As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

–Luke 19:28-40

Morning everyone I hope you are well. Pre dawn tranquility along the River Brathay. And to think this was totally flooded 24 hours earlier after the overnight rain! Have a great day.#LakeDistrict pic.twitter.com/8RMMHKt6Yy

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) June 12, 2025

Three

very different people — C. S. Lewis, W. H. Auden, and T. S. Eliot — all thought that Charles Williams was the most genuinely good person that they had ever met. Eliot for example wrote: “He seemed to me to approximate, more nearly than any man I have known familiarly, to the saint.” On the other side, it has to be noted that he had a troubled marriage and, like Eliot, a “Beatrice” figure in his life.

Seventy years ago, the works of Williams, with their strong Christian themes, were widely appreciated. Today, he is little known, though an excellent Wikipedia article on him indicates the extraordinary range of his writings and the influence that he had not only on Eliot and Lewis, but on Dorothy Sayers and Dante studies more generally — all this while he had a full-time job at the Oxford University Press.

Stephen Barber however, has remained a big fan not only of his novels, but also of his much more difficult poetry. In this book, he assembles writings of his own on Williams, of varying length and purpose….

Read it all.

Book review: Richard Harries reflects on lesser-known work of a spiritual influencerhttps://t.co/HBvAOS57BX

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) June 10, 2025

Herewith the NBC preview–‘Joan Alexander was awarded a teaching degree by the University of Maine after being denied more than six decades prior. The 88-year-old says she was barred from student teaching, a requirement for her degree, because she was pregnant with her first child. Tom Llamas speaks with the recent graduate and has her story.’

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
James 1:17

Brothers and Sisters,

On April 20, 2021 the Supreme Court of South Carolina released a verdict which set us on a course of great change and uncertainty. Two years later, after filing an unsuccessful request for rehearing we were forced to vacate our home on MilesDrive. Since then we have been a tabernacling people.

Following God’s lead towards a new land that we believed he would show us, we have been blessed to
find a temporary dwelling place on the campus of Northbridge Baptist. Shortly after we lost our property, a kind and wonderful soul approached me with a simple offer. This friend of Good Shepherd told me, “we must find a new home for Good Shepherd, and I’m willing to help make it happen.”

In the two years that have past, this individual and a few others have made pledges and sizable contributions towards the acquisition of a new home. These contributions made it possible for your vestry to pursue several potential locations, most of which have not panned out. But the tide seems to be turning. I am ecstatic to report to you that as of Wednesday, May 21 we are under contract to purchase 2.7 acres of land in the heart of West Ashley. Just a stones throw from where we have made our home in West Ashley since leaving the peninsula of Charleston in 1974, this property is located at 1231 Fuseler Drive. It is embedded in what we have long considered our core area of ministry, and walking or biking distance to the homes of a good number of Good Shepherd faithful, including your rector.

Read it all.

The Church of the Good Shepherd, #CharlestonSC, announces they entered a contract to purchase new land–'It is embedded in what we have long considered our core area of ministry, and walking or biking distance to the homes of a good number of Good Shepherd faithful, including… pic.twitter.com/PVZrAI44mn

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) June 11, 2025

Companion Relationship with the Anglican Province of Alexandria Affirmed

Bishop Edgar and the Diocesan Council recently affirmed the continuation of a companion relationship between our Diocese and the Anglican Province of Alexandria. Early in the episcopacy of Bishop Mark Lawrence, a companion relationship was initiated with the Diocese of Egypt. This diocese has since grown into a Province with four dioceses: Egypt, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and Gambella.

Read it all.

The latest Enewsletter from the #Anglican diocese of #SouthCarolina https://t.co/NSfiqsiLu1 #parishministry #lowcvountrylife #media #communication pic.twitter.com/YPA2kjdGuy

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) June 11, 2025

Bountiful God, giver of all gifts,
who poured your Spirit upon your servant Barnabas
and gave him grace to encourage others:
help us, by his example,
to be generous in our judgements
and unselfish in our service;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

#OTD 11 June: feast of St Barnabas, the ‘Son of Consolation’, martyred at Salamis. pic.twitter.com/EI4pMquwRU

— Caroline Murray (@Prof_hedgehog) June 11, 2025

O God, who hast made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and didst send thy blessed Son Jesus Christ to preach peace to them that are afar off, and to them that are nigh: Grant that all the peoples of the world may feel after thee and find thee; and hasten, O Lord, the fulfillment of thy promise to pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All gold at the Queen's view, Loch Tummel – happy midweek, friends #ScotlandisNow #StormHour #photography #photooftheday #landscape #OutAndAboutScotland #landscapephotography @VisitScotland @ScotsMagazine #friends #ThePhotoHour #beautiful #sunset pic.twitter.com/0wlf1g7dmt

— Mike Wood (@MikeMikwd) June 11, 2025

Then Moses spoke the words of this song until they were finished, in the ears of all the assembly of Israel:

“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;
and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
May my teaching drop as the rain,
my speech distil as the dew,
as the gentle rain upon the tender grass,
and as the showers upon the herb.
For I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
Ascribe greatness to our God!

–Deuteronomy 31:30-32:1-3

Sunrise from Glastonbury Tor today, looking down over the mist streaming through the trees. A few closer up ones of that mist to follow. pic.twitter.com/IpQHFas0xY

— Michelle Cowbourne (@Glastomichelle) June 11, 2025

-..’in an odd way, I suspect that is the way it is supposed to work – namely, that the Spirit is quite good at catching us unaware. The Spirit is, as Pentecostals remind us, no tame Spirit. Rather, the Spirit is full of unanticipated surprises….

Stephen Pickard ends his book with reflections on the current state of the church in what were once presumed to be Christian cultures. It is no secret that the church has rapidly lost its standing in those cultures, leading, at least according to Pickard, to two equally disastrous strategies. One alternative Pickard characterizes as the “fast-asleep church,” which he associates with churches that continue to rely on the general presumption that religion is a “good thing” so nothing about the church needs to change. The other strategy he characterizes as the “frenetic church,” which he describes as the attempt to force new life into a dying church by meeting consumer demand. He doubts either response to the loss of the church’s status will be successful. Each in their own way fail to rely on the Holy Spirit.

Pickard proposes an alternative understanding he calls “the slow church.” We are a culture of speed, but Pickard draws on the example of monasticism to argue that the work of the Spirit is work for the long haul. It is the work of Holy Saturday in which patience and perseverance are made possible and required. Pickard refuses any suggestion that a slow church is a church that no longer has passion for justice and change, but the change sought is not that of solutions that do not last. Rather, it is the kind of church that makes possible companionship in a world based on isolation. The Spirit rests on our bodies making us capable of friendship.

I call attention to Pickard’s account of what it would mean for the church to be a slow church, because I am confident that is pointing the church to where the Spirit is leading us.’

You may read his whole reflection (from 2015!) there (quoted by yours truly in the Pentecost sermon).

Louis Galloche, The Pentecost, 18th Century pic.twitter.com/QMy0ifvNiK

— Solas (@solas_na_greine) June 8, 2025

“Verse 6, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? It’s a really amazing question. Calvin says, there are as many mistakes in that question as there are words.

It’s terrible. They just don’t get it. They don’t understand.

They don’t understand. They don’t understand. Why are they in the story?

Because they’re us. Because apart from the Spirit of God, we just don’t get it. Whatever else is going on, this is a people that don’t have understanding unless God gives it to them.

Do you see yourself in them? Only just getting started. That’s not the only thing that they lack.

They lack understanding. They also lack power. We know that because Jesus told them to wait.”

You may listen directly here:

Or you may download it there.

This radiant miniature from the famous “Grandes Heures de Rohan” (1430/35) offers a highly original vision of Pentecost – one that breaks with standard iconography. The Virgin Mary is absent, and the apostles gather outdoors, gazing upward in expectation, hands raised in prayer.… pic.twitter.com/YaviyTBw3m

— Vir Desideriorum (@VirDesideriorum) June 8, 2025

‘The Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit that has always intrigued me. They called Him An Geadh-Glas, or “the Wild Goose.” I love the imagery and implications. The name hints at the mysterious nature of the Holy Spirit. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed.

An element of danger and an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious at first earshot, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to pursue the Spirit’s leading through life than Wild Goose chase. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something that institutionalized Christianity has missed out on. And I wonder if we have clipped the wings of the Wild Goose and settled for something less—much less—than what God originally intended for us.’

–Mark Batterson, Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God (New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2008), pp. 1-2

Let me share with you my favorite depiction of Pentecost from Ethiopia! ❤️‍🔥

The caption on top says: "How the Paraclete descended upon the Apostles on the Fiftieth Day and they drank the medicine of the Holy Spirit."

Ethiopia, 15th c. #apostles #pentecost #africanart pic.twitter.com/8EsVtuuptp

— EthiopicManuscriptArt (@ArtEthiopic) June 9, 2025

From there:

From God Christ’s deity came forth,
his manhood from humanity;
his priesthood from Melchizedek,
his royalty from David’s tree:
praised be his Oneness.

He joined with guests at wedding feast,
yet in the wilderness did fast;
he taught within the temple’s gates;
his people saw him die at last:
praised be his teaching.

The dissolute he did not scorn,
nor turn from those who were in sin;
he for the righteous did rejoice
but bade the fallen to come in:
praised be his mercy.

He did not disregard the sick;
to simple ones his word was given;
and he descended to the earth
and, his work done, went up to heaven:
praised be his coming.

Who then, my Lord, compares to you?
The Watcher slept, the Great was small,
the Pure baptized, the Life who died,
the King abased to honor all:
praised be your glory.

by Ephrem of Edessa, translated by John Howard Rhys, adapted and altered by F Bland Tucker, (Episcopal) Hymnbook 1982.

Today in @The_ACNA is the commemoration of Ephrem of Edessa, Deacon and Teacher of the Faith, 373 pic.twitter.com/Pcu5TeKx7v

— JoS. S. Laughon (@JoSLaughon) June 10, 2021

Pour out upon us, O Lord, that same Spirit by which thy deacon Ephrem rejoiced to proclaim in sacred song the mysteries of faith; and so gladden our hearts that we, like him, may be devoted to thee alone; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

June 9th is the feast of Saint Ephrem of Nisibis, “the Harp of the Spirit”: Assyrian deacon, Son-of-the-Covenant, theologian, exegete, mystic, poet, hymnographer, heresiographer, opponent of Arianism and Gnosticism, and Doctor of the Church—who died at Edessa on this day in 373. pic.twitter.com/QtQnnRTepV

— Tradical (@NoTrueScotist) June 8, 2020

O Lord, from whom all good things come:
grant to us your humble servants,
that by your holy inspiration
we may think those things that are good,
and by your merciful guiding may perform the same;
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Good morning everyone wishing you a lovely day 😄yesterday’s wonderful Wainwright walking started at Sadgill and finished in this beautiful little hamlet of Kentmere 💚#LajeDistrict pic.twitter.com/t4ppqhBcCl

— doristhehat (@doristhehat) June 10, 2025

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchae′us; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchae′us, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchae′us stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.”

–Luke 19:1-10

Ey up! Morning 👋 pic.twitter.com/vpOaXfbD1Y

— Visit North Yorkshire (@visitnorthyork) June 10, 2025

O God, who in the exaltation of thy Son Jesus Christ dost sanctify thy universal Church: Shed abroad in every race and nation the gift of the Holy Spirit; that the work wrought by his power at the first preaching of the gospel may now be extended throughout the whole world; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today is Pentecost. This 16th c. devotional card showing the Holy Spirit descending on the Virgin Mary and the Apostles is sewn into LPL's copy of Thys prymer of Salysbury use (Paris, 1534) [ZZ]1534.46 #pentecost #whit pic.twitter.com/c37Q5Fflup

— LambethPalaceLibrary (@lampallib) May 19, 2024

“Since God has put His work in your weak hands, look not for long case here: you must feel the full weight of your calling: a weak man with a strong God. The pain is but a moment, the pleasure is everlasting….”

A remarkable piece of Scottish history for Pentecost

I love this woman and her letters. Meet if you do not know her Lady Culross (aka Elizabeth Melville cc. 1578-1640)

[Quoted by yours truly in yesterday’s Pentecost sermon]

———————
It was now winter with John Livingstone. The persecution had overtaken him, and this is how her ladyship writes to him:

‘My very worthy and dear brother: Courage, dear brother: it is all in love, all works together for the best. You must be hewn and hammered and drest and prepared before you can be a Leiving-ston fit for His building. And if He is minded to make you meet to help others, you must look for another manner of strokes than you have yet felt, . . . but when you are laid low, and are vile in your own eyes, then He will raise you up and refresh you with some blinks of His favourable countenance, that you may be able to comfort others with those consolations wherewith you have been comforted of Him. . . . Since God has put His work in your weak hands, look not for long case here: you must feel the full weight of your calling: a weak man with a strong God. The pain is but a moment, the pleasure is everlasting, . . . cross upon cross. the end of one with me is but the beginning of another: but guiltiness in me and in mine is my greatest cross.’ And after midnight one Sabbath she writes again to Livingstone: ‘You cannot but say that the Lord was with you to-day; therefore, not only be content, but bless His name who put His word in your heart and in your mouth, and has overcome you with mercy when you deserved nothing but wrath, and has not only forgiven your many sins, but has saved you from breaking out, as it may be better men have done; but He has covered you and restrained you; has loved you freely and has made His saints to love you; who will guide you also with His counsel, and afterwards receive you to His glory.’

You may read more there.

It’s a beautiful sunny day! I’ve spent my morning visiting Culross Abbey and the West Kirk ruins. pic.twitter.com/BUMstz3BfB

— Madison Dunn (@OfficialMadiD) October 15, 2021

Our attitude to our fallen nature should be one of ruthless repudiation. For ‘those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires’ (Gal. 5:24). That is, we have taken this evil, slimy, slippery thing called ‘the flesh’ and nailed it to the cross. This was our initial repentance. Crucifixion is dramatic imagery for our uncompromising rejection of all known evil. Crucifixion does not lead to a quick or easy death; it is an execution of lingering pain. Yet it is decisive; there is no possibility of escaping from it.

Our attitude to the Holy Spirit, on the other hand, is to be one of unconditional surrender. Paul uses several expressions for this. We are to ‘live by the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:16, 18. 25). That is, we are to allow him his rightful sovereignty over us, and follow his righteous promptings.

Thus both our repudiation of the flesh and our surrender to the Spirit need to be repeated daily, however decisive our original repudiation and surrender may have been. In Jesus’ words, we are to ‘take up (our) cross daily’ and follow him (Lk 9:23). We are also to go on being filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), as we open our personality to him daily. Both our repudiation and our surrender are also to be worked out in disciplined habits of life. It is those who ‘sow to the Spirit’ (Gal. 6:8) who reap the fruit of the Spirit. And to ‘sow to the Spirit’ means to cultivate the things of the Spirit, for example, by our wise use of the Lord’s Day, the discipline of our daily prayer and Bible reading, our regular worship and attendance at the Lord’s Supper, our Christian friendships and our involvement in Christian service. An inflexible principle of all God’s dealings, both in the material and in the moral realm, is that we reap what we sow. The rule is invariable. It cannot be changed, for ‘God cannot be mocked’ (Gal. 6:7). We must not therefore be surprised if we do not reap the fruit of the Spirit when all the time we are sowing to the flesh. Did we think we could cheat or fool God?

—Authentic Christianity (Nottingham, IVP, 1995)

At the church I’ve recently started attending, the sermon on the Pentecost featured this painting by Peter Paul Rubens. The most striking feature is Mary in the middle, which is supported by scripture (Acts 1:14).

1/2 pic.twitter.com/b5tWNw3Fl2

— Karen Swallow Prior (Notorious KSP at The Priory) (@KSPrior) June 9, 2025

O God, who by the preaching of thy blessed servant Columba didst cause the light of the Gospel to shine in Scotland: Grant, we beseech thee, that, having his life and labors in remembrance, we may show forth our thankfulness to thee by following the example of his zeal and patience; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

June 9: Feast of Colum Cille (Columba) (†597), founder-abbot of Iona. Irishman who anointed Áedán mac Gabráin as king of Dál Riata, preached to ‘the tribes of Tay’, became apostle of the northern Picts and reputedly banished a monster from the River Ness. 📸Bodleian Libraries pic.twitter.com/swpnFAqMi3

— North Ages (@NorthAges) June 9, 2025

O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

It's Whitsun, Pentecost, the summer festival when the Holy Spirit descends with fire. In this Anglo-Saxon image the flames touch the lips of each apostle, and even the sky has turned a fiery red.

'Tongues of fire they had, when with love they preached the glory of God' (Ælfric) pic.twitter.com/lAsxZglgkB

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) June 8, 2025