John, I'd like to say thanks too -- a lovely essay and a very stimulating one. I wish I could say that your thoughtful conclusion reminded me more of our own church:

The Holy Spirit is a very political dove flying over national boundaries and interests, structures and differences to bring together a people, seeking to live in the power of the new creation; giving courage to ordinary people to break with traditions, to be open to the new, to let Truth invade into their own experiences of reality and offer a new expression of it to the world around them.

Sounds like something Transatlantic to me! But that is not a sarcasm -- I pray that we can all learn the courage that the Spirit calls us to this weekend. Thanks again: Tony

Much appreciated, John. Here's hoping and praying for time to be given to you to complete the larger project!

Thanks SteveWB for your encouraging words - feel free use what you want in your talk. The sources for the quotes are as follows:

St Basil - Homily to the Rich

St Ambrose -De Nebuthae, 1,2

St John Chrysostom - Homily 25 on Acts

Hope this helps. BTW, this is part of a larger project which may make its way into a book one day, depending on time!!!

It's just not fair - I had time only to skim through this article and now I've got to invigilate a Uni examination, when all I really want to do is go on reading and digesting it! I appreciate the balance of Old Testament, Jewish tradition and New Testament exposition. The quotes are excellent - (it would be so good to have source references). And having been asked this week to preach at a Christian Aid Service on Sunday afternoon I might just be committing wholesale robbery of this material.

It is significant, I think, in this context that one of the clearest instances in Acts of a local church responding to prophetic ministry was the response to a prophetic warning of famine, which led to sacrificial relief work.

Thank you so much, John, for a perceptive and provocative article. Could this grow into a book? If so, put me down for an autographed copy. 

Dear Friends

we have just published 'The Politics of Pentecost', by John Watson

Please use this thread for your discussion.

blessings, Jody