Whit Sunday seems to be going out of fashion – I wonder how many people realise it is tomorrow?

It doesn’t help that it’s become detached from the Spring Bank Holiday, but the tradition of Whit Walks and other jollifications seems to have largely died out; even in Lancashire where it seems to have survived longer than in other parts of the country.

Nowadays churches seem to use the name Pentecost, but it’s the same thing – it’s the time when we remember the Holy Spirit, the presence of God himself, coming down on the first disciples and their lives were never to be the same again.

What do you expect to happen when God comes on the scene? Calm? Peace? Comfort? Not this time - what happened was chaos.

The disciples had been praying, hidden away in the crowded city of Jerusalem, but when the Spirit arrived, they were out there in public, praying loudly, and telling everyone what God had done. It was such a chaotic scene they were accused of being drunk, even though it was only 9am.

Many people thought this was terrible, but loads of others were convinced - we're told that 3,000 people joined the church in baptism that day (and there's no evidence they formed an orderly queue.)

Eventually things settled down and order was restored. And even in the chaos people experienced the power and peace of God. But that first Whit Sunday must have been a day with some hairy moments.

I don't know about you, but I hate it when life gets chaotic, and I sometimes panic when I'm not sure what's going to happen next. It's all much easier when life feels under control.

Every year when it comes to Whit Sunday I need to remember that sometimes God works powerfully in chaos, and that however hairy life gets, God is still at work.

And in his own good time, order and peace will be restored.