Acts 2.1-21, John 15.26-27; 16.4b-15
Pentecost, 19 May 2024, Austwick, Eldroth
It will always be Pentecost in the church - because each and every one of us are spiritual people.
Spirituality is in the nature of every being, because we are made in the image of God, who is Spirit.
And whenever people come together in groups, of whatever kind, a particular sort of spirit comes into play, which is distinctive to them, and to that moment.
In Luke’s description of the events in Jerusalem at Pentecost there were three groups of people involved, and three sorts of spirit in play:
First, the disciples who, having been waiting on the Holy Spirit’s arrival, found themselves filled with the Spirit, who gave them the ability to begin to speak in other languages.
Second, the religious festival-goers, devout people coming together from many places in openness to the movement of God’s spirit, and thus able to understand and receive the disciples’ words about God’s deeds of power, each in their own language;
And thirdly, the group we might call the mockers, or the scoffers. This was the group which formed in reaction against that day’s movement of God’s spirit; these were the ones in the crowd who stepped away from the others, and in a spirit of accusation and opposition, sneered at them and accused them of being drunk.
The disciples and those who received them were not under the influence of alcohol, nor were they acting through some sort of hypnosis or human persuasiveness. They were purely allowing God to work in them; consenting to be overpowered and filled by His Spirit.
This was the very beginning of what we now call the church. For, in a liminal place where heaven and earth combined, the organic unity of the mysterious Body of Christ took on shape and form. And, despite those vocal opponents driven by a spirit of mocking accusation, the Church community was born. [1]
Since that day, it has always been Pentecost in the church - because each and every spiritual person who is open to the Spirit, or who is waiting on the Spirit’s arrival, receives God’s Holy Spirit, and lives the spiritual life for which Christ has prepared us, in communion with everyone else who has also received.
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes as a rush of a violent wind, as a flame of fire, and as tongues which speak of God in the language of those who hear it.
Whichever way we look at the symbolism in this story, it is about a mind-blowing, heart-searching moment. And because it is always Pentecost in the church, it is a moment which can repeat, for each of us, each and every day.
Some receive the Spirit as a rush of a violent wind, a wind of change which can challenge and disturb not only individuals but whole communities. Martin Luther King spoke of the storm which will not abate until a just distribution of the fruits of the earth enables all people to live dignified and decent lives. Spirituality does not exist apart from the social context. The Spirit coming is about more than individual inwardness. It means engagement: what you do with the material part of your life. It means catching the wind of change, and joining others in reshaping the world to the way that God intends it to be.
Some receive the Spirit as a flame of fire, an energising hope here, now, in this place, in this world. Because Pentecost isn't a once and for all happening, but an ongoing and energising event, which enables us to live a spirit-filled life bursting out of our encounters with darkness and suffering. The spirit-filled life is characterised by joy - not a shallow cheeriness, or a sober stoicism, but the deep joy of those who live in hope.
And some receive the Spirit as a tongue which speaks of God in the language of those who hear it. Because Pentecost is a power which helps you to have empathy for all other living things, and to connect with those others at a deep level. Through the Holy Spirit our hearts open to the lives of others; our eyes and ears, words and actions attend to their spiritual, emotional and physical needs. [2]
The late Bishop of San Salvador, Oscar Romero, once preached these words:
It will always be Pentecost in the church,
provided the church lets the beauty of the Holy Spirit
shine forth from her countenance.
When the church ceases to let her strength
rest on the power from above –
which Christ promised her
and which he gave her on that day –
and when the church leans rather on the weak forces
of the power or wealth of this earth,
then the church ceases to be noteworthy.
The church will be fair to see,
perennially young,
attractive in every age,
as long as she is faithful to the Spirit that floods her
and she reflects that Spirit
through her communities,
through her pastors,
through her very life. [3]
So, in light of this, let me close with a prayer:
Almighty God, who sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your Church: open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in love and joy and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen [4]
Notes
[1] Eberhard Arnold, How Was the Church Established? Plough Quarterly, 28 November 2012.
[2] Section in Times New Roman font adapted from Joy Mead, Pentecost is Now.
[3] Oscar Romero, Reflections on Ascension, Plough Quarterly, 24 May, 2017. Quoting from Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love (free PDF ebook from Romero Trust). p.61.
[4] Collect from Morning Prayer in the Season of Pentecost, Celebrating Common Prayer.
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