St Nicholas Church
Welcome to our 12th Century church on Thorney Island in Chichester Harbour
Introduction to the Season - Ascension and Pentecost
The Great Fifty Days of Eastertide form a single festival period in which the tone of joy created at the Easter Vigil is sustained through the following seven weeks, and the Church celebrates the gloriously risen Christ. Ascension and Pentecost are closely linked. The Church is now to be the new body of Christ, filled with his life through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Since the late fourth century, on the fortieth day of Easter the Church celebrates Christ’s ascension to heaven. The Ascension is the last resurrection appearance of Jesus to his disciples, and in St Luke’s account, Jesus tells the apostles to stay in Jerusalem. He assures them that he will send the gift promised by God: they will be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24, 53) This marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He commissions his disciples to continue his work, he promises the gift of the Holy Spirit, and then he is no longer among them in the flesh.
The feast of Pentecost celebrates the account of the Holy Spirit coming on the disciples empowering them for mission and completes and crowns Easter.
In Acts 2, Saint Luke recounts the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ. He describes the sound of a “violent wind” filling the house in which the Apostles were meeting, followed by “tongues as of fire” which separated and came to rest upon the head of each Apostle. Thus, filled with the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were especially equipped to do the work that Jesus had given them to do – to “Go…make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you” (Mat.28. 19-20)
“Almighty God, your ascended Son has sent us into the world to preach the Good News of your kingdom: inspire us with your Spirit and fill our hearts with the fire of your love, that all who hear your Word may be drawn to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen”
Remembering our friend Andy Walkley
Our congregation was deeply saddened at the loss of our friend Andy Walkley. On 11th May we will remember and honour his life, and the great contribution he made to our church community.
Andy led the way in overseeing significant renovations to the church, the development of this site and the installation of our exhibition which you can enjoy online and in the church itself.
His dedication to the church community has not only preserved the history of the Church, but ensured that the worshipping life of the Church can continue.
