The month of May sees three Church festivals. Most people outside the church are probably unaware of them: they’re not the big ones like Christmas and Easter. Quite a lot of people inside the church possibly won’t celebrate one of them, as it falls on a weekday. But because Easter was so early this year, May will contain Ascension Day, Pentecost and Trinity Sunday.

Ascension Day marks the moment when the risen Jesus ascended to heaven. This celebration happens on the fortieth day after Easter and has been marked since the late fourth century. Before he left them, Jesus promised his disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit and told them to continue his work. Ten days later, the Church celebrates Pentecost.

Pentecost is a bit like the Church’s birthday. Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birth, Easter celebrates his resurrection: Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus promised. The arrival of the Spirit caused the disciples to speak in many different languages and tell all sorts of people the good news about Jesus. This was something that was for everyone and everyone should know. From this point on the early Church began and for this reason Pentecost is thought of as the birthday of the Church.

Now that the Church has come to know God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, it can celebrate Trinity Sunday and acknowledge the mystery of God who is three in one.

These three celebrations together remind us that the Church is not just for those on the “inside”. We are called to be outward looking: to baptise disciples of all nations, and teach them as we have been taught (Matthew 28:19-20). What this looks like in practice can vary hugely. But one thing we can say is that your local church is there for you.

You may not choose to come in on Trinity Sunday and listen to someone attempt to explain one of the hardest concepts in Christian theology, but the church door is open to anyone who wants to explore faith for themselves, to experience something of who God is for them and to know that they are loved by God.

Revd. Richard Turk, Assistant Curate Reepham and Wensum Valley Team Churches