Celebrating Pentecost is important part in the life and faith of Christians. For the second year in a row, the most important message in the world was shared across borders and nations as we gathered as a digital church during Pentecost.
By Berit H. Nilsen / Photo by Øystein Vårdal
The Pentecost conference began Friday evening with an international gathering, with a message which greatly enlightened both the viewers and those participating in the meeting. Many fellow believers, men and women from several continents, participated with words and testimony, and members from local churches in Telemark and Vestfold in Norway contributed with song and music.
Pentecost is an important holiday for Christendom, and the power that came to earth through the Holy Spirit is still needed today when we are to walk in the light of which Jesus spoke.
“The Holy Spirit came to Jerusalem with a bang, and the disciples received a Spirit that had never been there before. Now they had something to testify for the people: “Jesus our Lord is truly risen! He now lives with God and intercedes for us who believe,’” said Kåre J. Smith, who opened the broadcast.
Opening meeting with inspiration to be in God’s light
Due to its length, the content-rich meeting cannot be reproduced in its entirety in this article, but we will mention some of the content that inspired the participants in the digital gathering.
The message was based on Colossians 1:12-13: “Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. ”
“We are not of ourselves fit to partake of the heritage of the saints in the light; it is God who makes it possible,” said Kåre J. Smith. “We labor so children and young people can experience the kingdom of the Son of God, and we plan to make even better activities for our children and young people, so they can be apprehended by Jesus,” Smith continued.
The work we do for our children and young people is one of the focus areas in BCC. This has proven to be extremely valuable, especially in the past year and a half. The foundation that was laid with active mentors and common activities and goals, has meant that many young people have been seen and taken care of instead of being lonely when both schools and leisure activities have been closed for periods of time.
Later during the broadcast Acts 26:22-23 was read, where Paul says it was prophesied that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first among those resurrected from the dead, would proclaim light to the people and to the Gentiles.
“Imagine preaching light – you can only do that with your life. When you are a child of light and walk in the light, you yourself become a light of life for people,” Smith said.
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)
“We will walk in the light, serve and give in order to help people, strengthen them and ease the burdens where we can. That is what a servant of the Lord should do,” Smith said.
Five digital gatherings – Pentecost weekend concludes with a mission feast
On Saturday, the program continued with an online Sunday school, this time produced in collaboration with local churches in England. This was a program for both the very youngest, and for children up to 12 years. The broadcasts are dubbed so children from all corners of the world can see and hear in their own language.
View the broadcast here, and choose from the language menu: Sunday school online May 22
The other broadcasts are also adapted to a wide international audience and are also translated into many languages. On Saturday night there was a separate broadcast for the youth, where a new episode in the “From the Beginning” project was broadcast.
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On Sunday, the Pentecost holiday ended with a mission feast, which we will tell more about in a separate article.