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May 13, 2007 Rev. Steve Gehlert "What does this mean?" That's the question asked by those who witnessed the dramatic opening of hearts to God's Spirit on the first Pentecost when Jesus' followers gathered after his resurrection. It's a question many people, including people like us, are still asking! "What does this mean?" The Jewish followers of Jesus were gathered to celebrate the feast of Pentecost when this amazing opening of hearts to God's Spirit - God's unseen presence - took place. Without a doubt, they were grieving the loss of their teacher, spiritual guide, and example. Without a doubt, they were anxious and uncertain of what to do or expect, fearful that the authorities might do to them what they'd done to Jesus, arrest them, torture them, make them suffer a slow and painful death. All they knew to do is what Jesus had told them - "Wait! Wait till you are clothed with power from the Holy Spirit." But wait is one thing they could do. They might not have the courage to stand up and show themselves as his followers, but at least they could wait in hiding as his followers. That was better than what they'd done before - betrayed, denied, abandoned him. The easiest thing for his followers to have done would have been to throw in the towel and get back to the lives and religious practices the way they used to be, before Jesus helped them think in new ways. At least they didn't do that. The disciples gathered for the Pentecost celebration had already been inspired by Jesus more than they realized. Since the resurrection they'd found the courage and resolve to at least stick together, and try to trust in his promise in the face of what would have seemed a hopeless situation. Jesus had called them to wait, wait and trust in the promise, the coming of the Holy Spirit to be their comforter. With all this jumbled up in their hearts and minds, and overwhelmed all the anxiety and fear, with trust and hope. The fear and anxiety were more than overcome, they were transcended, so that they eagerly went out into the streets to start telling about what they known for over a month - God had raised Jesus, the healer, teacher, and prophet, from the dead. God had said that his way, his life, were good and true. God had made him Lord of all. Now, finally, they wanted to talk about that, they had passion to do it. What a difference passion makes. It's so telling when we do worship, and people mumble the words, and stand mouths closed through the hymns. We're saying, "I'm here, but not really. I really don't care." Finally, the disciples got the passion, the courage, the energy, to care and to show it. What a difference that passion made in those who witnessed and heard it. Not only was a speaking gift bestowed upon the disciples, who were able to talk about Jesus and share the good news about him in ways that people from all over the world could understand, but a hearing gift was also bestowed on those who heard what they said, so that they could understand, trust, and believe it. So that they could entrust their hearts and minds, lives and futures to it. Sure, some were skeptics. Some said, "They are filled with new wine!" That's all they could imagine. Those who journeyed to Jerusalem from distant lands, were those with the wealth to be able to afford such a major undertaking. They were educated, affluent people. The followers of Jesus, on the other hand, were mostly common folk, working class, poorly educated, and probably poorly spoken, and, if not poor, then rarely wealthy. They probably looked crude and coarse to the wealthy who'd come so far, paid so much, to make the journey. If they heard strange words coming out of the mouths of such people, the only reason imaginable was wine, and lots of it. Yet, in spite of the skeptics, the work of the Spirit, which surely inspired the boldness of Peter, won many for Jesus that day. The Spirit enabled people from all kinds of backgrounds to hear God's word, trust, and believe it. The Spirit began to overcome centuries of separation. This first "Christian Pentecost" has been called "the reversal of Babel." In the Tower of Babel story, God confused the languages of those who lacked faith to keep them from being able to conspire on an evil project. At the first Christian Pentecost, through the power of God and despite language differences, everyone was able to hear the message about God with understanding. (Any pastor who has ever had an enthused worshiper say, "I agreed completely with you when you said…" - which the preacher knows she or he didn't say - knows just how much of a miracle this was!) Peter was so caught up in it all that he couldn't imagine anything so dramatic happening unless it was an indication that the final days were dawning. The prophet Joel stated that when the end was nigh, everyone would be prophesying, having dreams, and seeing visions: old and young, female and male, slave and free - all because Gods Spirit would be poured out. But this isn't about the end coming near, but a new beginning, a new beginning that's been made possiblem first through the coming of Jesus, then through the gift of the Spirit. Both proclaim God's refusal to give up on humanity. God's saying that even our self-centeredness and short-sightedness won't be allowed to do us in. God loves us too much, with a love that is too powerful. What does Pentecost mean? It means that God's gracious power has an amazing and unexpected impact on all who open themselves to God. It means that God doesn't give up on those who judge themselves failures. It means that God is with us in our lowest moments of fear and despair. It means that the typical, uninvolved observer of God at work won't have a clue what they are seeing. It means that God's love and God's message are universal. It means that there are ways to communicate God's good news even to those we think understand it least. It means that God doesn't write off the whole human race because of the evil acts of few. |
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