Spiritual Growth :: Sermons

Sunday, May 31, 2009.
Pentecost. The Rev. Sabeth Fitzgibbons

Julien and I recently watched Bill Maher’s film Religulous It has some funny sub-text as he tries to get observant people from Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to admit that their religions have some ridiculous aspects He ends up by saying that he thinks all religion is ridiculous because they are all based on believing in something no one can prove They all claim power from some mystery that must be taken on faith

It feels like the story of Pentecost and this liturgy that includes celebrations of the Holy Spirit really preaches itself – the power and mystery are palpable

The feast of Pentecost is an ancient Jewish festival to celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt Sinai Just 50 days after Passover, Pentecost was one of three Jewish festivals that required all Jewish men to come to Jerusalem to celebrate it in the Temple This explains why Jesus’ apostles, all observant Jews, were gathered in Jerusalem on this day, which is also 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection – and 10 days after his ascension into heaven

Jesus promised to send the παρακλητος (parakleetos) to comfort the apostles, to bear witness to him, and to guide them As these 11 men sit in a house in Jerusalem, a sound like the rush of a violent wind fills the house and tongues of fire appear and rest upon them Remember that John the Baptist said that the one who came after him would baptize by the Holy Spirit and by fire And the apostles begin to speak in many languages

Jerusalem is filled with people from all over the known world for the feast of Pentecost – and they are amazed to hear their own languages being spoken In a reverse of the tower of Babel story where the many languages created the inability to understand one another, the apostles are empowered with the words to preach the good news of Jesus’ baptism, ministry, death, and resurrection to the ends of the earth

The doubters in the crowd think the apostles are just drunk on wine Peter stands up and connects this experience with a prophesy from Joel, a prophet many who have read the Hebrew Scriptures will know Believing that Jesus, who just left them a week and a half ago, will be returning soon, Peter interprets this gift of prophesy as a sign of the last days

The gift of prophesy, as Paul explains in 1 Cor 14, is for the upbuilding, encouragement and consolation of human beings, and for the sharing of God’s deeds of power with the whole world This gift by which the Holy Spirit is made manifest on the original Pentecost, is given to all – young and old, men and women, slave and free The Holy Spirit isn’t reserved for just the chosen people – it’s given to all people

The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to all humanity, specifically given after Jesus left this earth A gift given to empower us, God’s people, to share our stories of God’s transforming love with the world The Holy Spirit is God’s continuing presence with us, to guide, inspire, comfort and challenge us That’s not a gift of being verbs – not a gift to receive passively – but one that requires active use!

Today we celebrate the gift of baptism by water and the Holy Spirit [At the 9:30 service] We welcome Charlie Abraham and Addie Walsh into the family of God We celebrate with them the gifts of the Holy Spirit poured out upon them – The same gifts of the Holy Spirit we received at our own baptisms Gifts of inquiring and discerning hearts to know God more deeply Gifts of courage to will and to persevere Gifts of a spirit to know and love God And Gifts of joy and wonder in all God’s works

Those are the same gifts we celebrate in Ronelle, Alex, and Lucia, who reaffirmed their baptismal vows as they were confirmed yesterday These are the gifts Jesus promised in the Holy Spirit

Gifts that comfort us in times of sorrow Gifts that strengthen us in times of doubt Gifts that empower us, like the apostles, with language to share God’s message of all-encompassing love and forgiveness with the ends of the earth

We still can’t see the Holy Spirit – as wind or flame or breath of God We can rejoice in the mystery and power of God poured out upon and through us