Short SERMON for PENTECOST

A few weeks ago, I found myself strangely drawn to the program, ‘you’ve been framed’. Without much thought, I was able to watch the misfourtune of others, recorded for me in short bursts, with a rather jolly person introducing the themes. They appeared to be broadly sorted into categories that included WEDDINGS, GARDENS, PETS, CHILDREN and finally accidents that involved FALLING INTO WATER.

Apart from feeling a slight twinge of guilt for laughing at the misfourtune of others, I took solace in the fact that they were getting 200 quid each for sharing their pain with the nation.

As I was typing this sermon, I looked at the reading from the Acts of the Apostles and wondered what would it be like if WE had a video of the disciples in the room, looking rather scared;

– there is a festival going on and the city is full – suddenly the walls shake – there is a rush of a violent wind – and then to cap it all, fire appears above them – and then the fire comes down to rest upon them. Something seems to happen, and then they start speaking in different languages.

Would they have got the 200 quid for that one, I wonder!

The reason why I would have like to see the video of the Holy Spirit descending on the disciples is because. I really have no idea what to make of the whole episode, from what it says in the text.

The group of disciples had just had their world turned upside-down, they were literally speaking a whole new language. The next line of the reading tells us that they were OUT, they were in the crowd, preaching – showing their faith – being ridiculed and berated – but they were there – DOING THE WORK…

The reading doesn’t even tell us what they said after the Holy Spirit descended…did they look at each other and shrug their shoulders? Did they make a ‘nice cup of tea’ to recover from the ordeal. Did they take a vote on whether they should go outside? None of this is important to the writer of the ACTS. They appear to just ‘get up and go’.

God had given them a gift too precious to waste. They are up and out…doing the work of God. We then hear the sermon of Peter, who puts the whole thing in context, firstly by promising that they aren’t drunk! And then he tells them what the Prophet Joel said concerning these things. He tells them a horror story of the sun being turned to darkness and the moon to blood. He tells them of the glory of the coming of The Lord to give salvation to all who call upon his name.

The reason I find it hard to understand is because IF the Holy Spirit was sent for, to give us the courage and strength to be in the world, proclaiming the kingdom of God, lives restored and sins forgiven. The Holy Spirit was NOT sent to help us to make us pious, or convince us of the existence of God, or even to make us into the Church we are – none of these things were even reported about the first disciples. It was unimportant.

The Holy Spirit was sent to the disciples then (and is sent to us today) to enable us to live and spread the good news of Christ to this world. To our neighbours, friends, families and all who we meet in the course of our lives. There was something URGENT that the disciples felt about being filled with the Holy Spirit. Something that drove them on…

It is this; It is not a matter of using only ONE language – the language of Church and holiness, but being able to UNDERSTAND one another. The text is clear, the people hear the disciples “speak in other languages”. We need to speak a different language, a language that we can speak to the community outside. A language that speaks of God’s love for everyone, not just the HOLY and PIOUS.

The feast of Pentecost calls us to have the courage to proclaim the Gospel and the true meaning of “the body of Christ”. Before we go into ordinary time, we are being given a question, and that question is whether ‘we too want the Holy Spirit, to come to us’?

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles is a glorious connecting with God. From their desolation and despair, their trust in the truth of God has brought them close to the will and purpose of God, through the earthly life of Christ. Wonderful Stuff! For those gathered at Pentecost, it was a leap of faith, a jump into the unknown. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all be so courageous – we might even be on the telly! AMEN