It’s been 50 days since Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection…
50 days filled with doubt and wonder and the bare beginnings of our mother
church. But even when Jesus was among them again, teaching them and breaking
bread with them, the disciples were still trying to figure it all out. They
were still missing a piece of the puzzle. They were still trying to understand
what it would be that would hold them all together, and give them their new,
true identity.
Do you remember the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis
9? That story begins with a united people, with a common language and purpose,
but ends with many languages and confusion, and the scattering of people who
were no longer “a people”. But the day of Pentecost is the natural solution to
those many generations of people looking out for themselves. At Pentecost, the
story begins with many languages and ends with many languages, but in the
middle of the story, something amazing happens. Tongues of fire rested on each
of the disciples, and God gave them the ability to speak and understand in
languages that were not their own. And if that were not enough, the crowd of
strangers that gathered understood the message of God in their own languages,
to the amazement of all. The message of the day was simple: the power of God
will make you one if you will call upon the name of the Lord.[i]
It’s a powerful and amazing story – and frightening at the
same time. What would we do if something like that happened here? I imagine
that we would follow proper military protocol, usher everyone out in an orderly
manner, reassemble at a safe distance away from the building, and wait for the
fire trucks to arrive. But the disciples didn’t seem so much afraid as they
were amazed. And Peter was ready to speak a word of truth to the crowd that
gathered.
This gathering of disciples happened only ten days after the
ascension of Jesus. I am sure they were still basking in the glow of his
presence and planning what their next steps would be. The coming of the Holy
Spirit, as promised by Jesus, was not just a spirit of counsel or peace. It came as fire and wind, two of the most
powerful forces on earth. The events of this day provided an important example,
where Jesus said to the church, “Don’t do this without me.”
I think that Pentecost gives us some important reminders of
what it means to be the church. First,
we are called to be one. We are called to gather in his name and proclaim
the message that Peter proclaimed – that “…everyone who calls on the name of
the Lord shall be saved.” Over the last 2000 years of Christianity, we
have seized every opportunity to break apart over differences in the way we
think about and practice ministry in Jesus’ name. In our confirmation class at
Patch, we spent a whole lesson looking at the history of the church and seeing
how the same controversies keep repeating themselves, over and over. We forget
that the Holy Spirit’s first gift was to make us one… by helping us speak and
listen in a common language – the language of love.[ii]
In today’s church climate, it seems that people are looking
for an excuse to break apart. Many church traditions are struggling with how to
apply scripture to their own lives and in the world. The Great Schism happened
in 1054 and describes the split between the church in Rome and the church in
Constantinople, giving us Orthodoxy and Catholicism. And ever since, more
people have splintered off – often for good reasons, but our oneness is less
and less evident as the years go by.
But what would happen if we didn’t think so much about what
makes us different, and instead about what makes us the same? What if we
regularly crossed denominational and racial boundaries and showed the world a
glimpse of that first Pentecost Sunday? Would that help our churches grow? Would
that turn people toward Christ, rather than away? When non-Christians are asked
to use one or two words to describe Christians, they often come up with
“hypocrite” or “two-faced” or “closed-minded.” But today’s celebrations remind
us that Jesus and this day of Pentecost are our salvation from who they think
we are.
Jesus rescues us from the law… being a Christian isn’t about
following a prescribed set of rules, but is about living a life of love in
response to what Jesus did for us. But we forget that, over and over again. We
fall back into familiar patterns. We forget that we are free, and creep back to
the shelter of old ways. And we tell people if they want to join us, they have
to follow our rules, our interpretations of Jesus’ teachings. But that’s not
what Jesus wanted for us.[iii] Today reminds us that the Spirit makes us one.
Second, we are called
to tell the story. Sometimes, the only part of Jesus’ story others will
hear is the story you live. I think a lot about whether my words about Jesus
and my actions tell the same story. Sure, it’s important to know the story, how
to talk about who Jesus is and why he came and who he is calling us to be. But if
Jesus only occupies an hour or a day of our week, then we have really missed
the point of Jesus coming at all. And if the way we talk about Jesus and the
way we live for Jesus are not rooted in love for God and for one another, then
we are really missing the point.
When we are confronted with stress and discord in our
relationships with others, our base instinct is to flee to a safe corner and
remind ourselves our why we are right and they are wrong. The more difficult
task for healthy and growing relationships is to stay and work through
differences, sometimes coming to a satisfactory compromise, but at least
understanding a little more about another person or group’s perspective.
Nothing about that process is easy, nor is it painless. But it is the way that
the early church stayed united for as long as they did. And it is how the
church grew so quickly in the beginning, because people out there were saying,
“I want you have. Introduce me to Jesus.”
Third, we are called
to trust the Spirit. In Jesus’ last discourse, he told the disciples, “But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of
the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there
is. He won't draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is
about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said.” (The
Message) Other translations use Companion or Advocate or Paraclete, but in
every case, this is the description of one who stands beside us, no matter
what. The Spirit will show the world, as was witnessed at Pentecost, that Jesus
has not abandoned us.[iv]
Now, trusting the Spirit does not mean that nothing bad will
ever happen to us, or that prayer or tithing or acts of faith will magically
solve all of our problems. Many of the early followers of Jesus suffered
tremendous hardships, some even to death. And ever since, when dedicated
Christians have chosen to follow Jesus, their lives have not always gone
according to plan. But they did it because they knew something special – as
Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “… the
Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:22).
Let’s face, there’s a lot about the world that doesn’t make
sense. The enmity between religions, especially between Christians and Muslims,
the destruction of holy sights of many religions, the persecution of people of
faith and people of different races, the effects of climate change, the
political climate in many countries… we have a lot of the be concerned and even
afraid of these days.
But our fears are not that much different than the fears of those
first Christians. And they spiritually overcame the obstacles before them.
Let’s be clear: they were not considered powerful by the standards of the
world. But the influence of the church spread like wildfire through the
Mediterranean world. Paul’s missionary journeys and the Christians he left
behind in each place grew a Church that could not be contained by the
governments of the day.
Eventually, the Church became one of the most powerful
institutions in the world. And looking to the near and distant past, we can see
that as a player in the power game, the message of unity and love can get
distorted. Some days I wonder if our allegiance to our denominations or
theological persuasions gets in the way of living out the gospel in the most
authentic ways. Turn on the television, read the paper, look at Facebook or
other social media and you will probably see more messages of shaming than
messages of love. Is that really what the gospel is about?
In his book, Crazy Love, Francis Chan begins with
this quote from 17th century French priest Francois Fenelon, “To just read the Bible, attend church, and
avoid “big” sins – is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?”[v] And yet that’s the way many of us live. But what would it be like if we really got to
know God in all of his infinitely amazing ways? What if we took Jesus seriously and
committed to loving others wholeheartedly?
What if the Bible and its story weaving through time became our
story? What if we acted like we ARE the
holy catholic church that we profess in the Apostle’s Creed? What would life
look like then?
The church at Pentecost knew something that we can also
know. They experienced the love of Christ and through their interactions with
him they were convinced that Jesus was God in the flesh. And that love could
not be stopped once it gained a foothold.
It melted barriers of fear, guilt and self-centered-ness, and poured
through them like a raging stream. It changed the kind of love they felt for
each other and for strangers. And a new definition of love was born – agape
love – that transcended all definitions of love that they had ever known. This
love embraced sinners and outcasts, Samaritans and enemies. It gave, not in
order to receive, but because giving was its nature.[vi]
Every minister has a favorite illustration, and I’m closing
with my favorite one today. Tony Campolo, American Baptist minister and
professor at Eastern College in PA was in Hawaii preparing for a speaking
engagement, and on the first night there he couldn’t sleep, so he went to an
all-night diner. About 3am a group of
eight women came in, laughing and talking loudly. Overhearing their friendly conversation, he
learned that the women were professional escorts, finished with their night’s
work and relaxing before going home. He
also learned that one of the women would be celebrating her 39th
birthday the next day.
After the group left, Campolo got an idea. He talked the diner owner and his wife into
helping throw a birthday party for her the next night. 24 hours later the diner was decorated with
streamers and balloons. Customers who
heard about what was happening stayed around to help with the surprise. As the ladies entered the building, everyone
inside shouted, “Happy Birthday, Agnes!”
Agnes was in shock. People
laughed together and hugged her, and after being reminded to cut the cake, she
begged them to let her keep the cake as a reminder of the wonderful day. “I’ve never had a birthday cake before –
please let me take it home to show my kids.”
As surprised as they all were, they couldn’t think of a good
reason to refuse her request, and so she left with the cake intact, as if it was
the best gift ever.
Tony broke the awkward silence in the room by saying, “Why
don’t we pray?” and without hesitation prayed for Agnes in her life, asking God
to bless her on her birthday, bring peace into her life, and save her from all
that troubled her. After the “Amen,” the owner said, “You didn’t tell me you
were a preacher. What kind of church do
you preach at?” Tony thought for a
minute and said, “Well, I preach at the kind of church that throws birthday
parties for prostitutes at three o’clock in the morning.” To which the owner replied, “No, you
don’t. There is no church like
that. But if there was, I would join a
church like that. Yes, I would definitely join a church like that.”[vii]
Through Jesus Christ, God calls us to be one. When we eat
and drink at the table, when we turn to God, when we believe and seek him in
prayer, in church, and in the world around us, he comes. He awakens in us gifts
for service to one another and the world. And he has begun a new work in us,
and through us, so that his kingdom may be as alive in us as it is in heaven.
So let’s go be the church. Amen.
Peace, Deb
