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AUDACIOUS DEMONSTRATION Breakdancers as part of the Pentecost Festival. Photo by Alison Whitlock
Andy Frost shares what God’s been doing through the Pentecost Festival in London over the last three years and encourages us all to take the good news about Jesus onto the streets
“What do you mean, ‘The church has left the building?’” asked the man with a quizzical look on his face, his eyes transfixed on the words printed across my T-shirt. Standing in the heart of London, he was wrestling with what the caption could possibly mean. Leicester Square was awash with noise. Street performers were entertaining the crowds as an impromptu audience whooped at breakdancers flying through the air. A stream of drummers marching and laughing navigated their way along the row of bars as a Ghanaian choir began belting out powerful harmonies. And outside the pubs and cafés, actors, comedians and artists were welcoming passers-by to come and see their productions. A cacophony of sounds and colour was colliding with the crowds of Londoners and tourists under the warmth of the midday sun. But there was something different. This was no ordinary Saturday afternoon in central London. This was Pentecost weekend. The street performers were demonstrating God’s heart for the poor. The breakdancers were sharing snippets of their personal stories of faith. The drummers were worshipping.
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And the choir, the actors, the comedians and the artists were communicating the gospel story. “The church is not the building. You see, this is the church”, I said to the man. “The church is ordinary people who have encountered an extraordinary God.” The man smiled as he looked around at the surrounding commotion. “Right, I see”, he nodded.
A time to celebrate
The church is good at celebrating Christmas and Easter, but we often fail to celebrate Pentecost in the same way. And yet Pentecost should be a huge deal. It is at Pentecost we celebrate God’s redemptive plans at work through us, his people. It is at Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is at Pentecost we celebrate the birth of the church. Fifty years ago, the church made a big deal of Pentecost. The church would organise marches in town centres and special services to mark this important date on the church calendar. I think it is time to rediscover this festival today. And so, over the past three years I have been helping to host Pentecost Festival in London, bringing together different church streams