by the Rev. Frances A. Hills, Rector
The story of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, as
it’s told in the Book of Acts, is so full of vivid images and energy! It’s
obvious…
Something really different is
going on here!
Jesus’ followers were in Jerusalem, “All together in one
place”. It was the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, 50 days
after Passover. It’s when the first-fruits of the corn harvest were
traditionally presented, and later it’s the celebration of the giving of the
Law.
But that year, on
that Jewish Feast Day, there’s the rush of a violent wind that fills the entire
house. ‘Sounds like a cyclone or something blowing through it! Although the
house is filled with the rush of this great wind, somehow Jesus’ followers live
to tell about it!
And then there’s those tongues “as of fire”—Divided tongues
that rest on the disciples. I have no idea even how to speak of that, but Acts
tells us, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” Then they begin that
mysterious speaking in other languages, the sound of which drew the Pentecost
crowds to them. The words of these Galileans were somehow understood by everyone,
no matter where they came from or what language they spoke. What a turn of
usual events…Instead of dismissing each other because they can’t
understand each other, their different languages or points of view,
people—coming from different directions, different countries, different places— somehow understand each other! Instead of their languages being confused, as they are in the Older
Testament story of the Tower of Babel, their languages become comprehensible! Surely this is a
glimpse of the Kingdom of God that the Holy Spirit offered on that
Pentecost day. Contemplative Franciscan Richard Rohr calls Pentecost, “The day
of the great outpouring of fire-laden love.”
It’s really hard to imagine all this…The wind rush. The
tongues of fire. The languages. Maybe if we’d been there, we’d initially join
the skeptics and say they must be drunk (or high); but I’d hope we could also
then really hear the words of Peter
in his bold Pentecost speech, when he reminds us of the prophecy that God will
pour out God’s Spirit on all flesh. Just imagine that for a moment…What would it
look like or feel like for God to be pouring out the Spirit? I can imagine it sort of washing over us in a big, cleansing whoosh, and
washing away all in us that is not of God, that is not of Love, and that is not
of Truth. Then we’d be filled with the Spirit.
Let’s not forget the rest of that phrase, “I will pour out my
Spirit upon all flesh.”
God’s gift of the cleansing Spirit of Love is for absolutely
everyone—ALL FLESH! “Your sons and
daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old
men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days
I will pour out my Spirit and they shall prophesy. “So we’re reminded again that
God loves everyone God has made. God
has made us all good, and God desires
to bless and empower each person on
this earth by pouring out the Spirit! Thinking of that makes it really hard to decide or defend the idea
that we Christians/Episcopalians somehow have the corner on the spiritual
market.
God will pour out God’s Spirit on all flesh!
Since this great pouring of the Holy Spirit took place on the
Jewish Feast of Pentecost, the
Christian Church eventually appropriated the name “Pentecost.” So we use “Pentecost” to commemorate this coming of the Holy
Spirit as it’s described in Acts. We also consider Pentecost “The Birthday of
the Church” because the coming of the Holy Spirit is what empowered Jesus’
followers to go out in mission and ministry. They are fortified with
the Spirit of Love and Truth; and they know they are heirs of a tradition of
dying and rising, of trusting God and one another, of believing Love is
stronger than death, and of knowing they are not alone. They are blessed with the
Fruits of the Spirit, which include (Galatians): Love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
So here today at Crissey Farm in 2012, it is still the Holy
Spirit that empowers us to go out in mission and ministry. It’s why the group of
people gathered here today is essentially different from, say, some kind of
club—even a club that does good works. We’re a group of people called to listen
to and understand each other, even if we’re coming from different places. We’re
a group of people who recognizes God loves and gifts each person…all flesh…not just a few.
We are here today as two congregations on the verge of
courageously consolidating and becoming a new parish, because we believe that
as Jesus died and rose again, so also will we. We believe the gospels when they
say, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose
their life for my sake will find it.” (MT 16:25)
Because we are learning to really trust God and to trust that
the Spirit is with us,
We as St. James and St. George are stepping out in faith, exhibiting
some of those spiritual fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
Something really different is
going on here!
And I hope we realize that!
God has poured out the Spirit here in a lavish whoosh! I hope
we recognize that, and I hope we are really learning to expect that. The “great outpouring of fire-laden love” is here for
us now! Today! Everyday! Our job right now is to vividly and energetically testify
to these things in all that we are, all that we say, and all that we do. Amen
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