May 31, 2020 Pentecost
Scripture: John 7:37-39, Acts 2:1-4 The Coming of the Holy Spirit
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
(Acts 2) When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
I think we all get that its Pentecost! Thank you for wearing red, finding a background picture. I loved rethinking the PowerPoint. And yet, compared to Christmas and Easter we are not big on Pentecost. We don’t send out cards, we don’t decorate our homes, we don’t have Pentecost parades. We are good with celebrating the birth of Jesus and his resurrection, but we seem to be a little uncomfortable celebrating the arrival of the Holy Spirit.
One commentator asks, “Have you ever wondered why that is? Why is Pentecost, the lost celebration within the church? Maybe people do not want to get too close to the Holy Spirit. Maybe we do not understand it, but we do not understand Christmas or Easter either. I can celebrate the birth and resurrection of Jesus, but celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit on all human flesh, including mine, may be too much” (Feasting on the Word, A3, 22). He continues by asking, “Perhaps we should get rid of Pentecost?” But before we do that, I want to look at Pentecost, through three lenses: through the eyes of Jesus, Luke, and Paul.
Almost every year we focus on the full Acts passage of speaking in tongues, and the prophesy. I love this passage- its power, movement, revolution, and the spreading of the gospel beyond culture and language. But Jesus also spoke of Pentecost. Not the day and celebration, but the coming of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost, as you know is named for the 50 days from the end of Passover/Easter to the arrival of the Holy Spirit. “Pente” means five in Greek. Jesus chose to speak about the Spirit’s arrival during a long-standing festival- Feast of Tabernacle. It marks Solomon’s dedication of the Temple and then became a fall harvest celebration, but ultimately became a time of hope when God’s life-giving presence would flow out in rivers from the Temple like water from the rock in the wilderness. Jesus crying out about thirst now has new meaning. As we are now in the 10th week of this lock down, we are thirsty for hugs, thirsty for time with family, thirsty for a sense of safety. Minneapolis thirsts for justice and calm after days of protest following the death of George Floyd. Our nation thirsts for justice. Steven Easton writes, we are in “an epidemic of thirst. There is dryness in the land- a dryness in relationships, a dryness in leadership, and a dryness in dreams for the future… We are thirsty and in need of some Spirit. Jesus cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me’” (Feasting on the Word, A3 20). Jesus knows our thirst. How it changes and yet, he through the Holy Spirit, is always the drink that will quench our thirst.
Pentecost is not about one day 2,000 years ago. Pentecost is about Jesus giving you and me the Spirit that quenches our thirsts today. The parchedness of our economy, the dryness of our response to COVID19, withdrawing from social interactions is taking the fluids out of life. We drink in Jesus and we have grace to continue. Your belief and faith in Jesus, gives you the Spirit, the life giving, thirst quenching, Holy Spirit. But then we, as believers, are promised to become “rivers of living water.” We get to share the love of Jesus in ways that re-hydrates what is parched. Your words of encouragement to a friend, your companionship to your spouse, your smiling eyes at the grocery store that lets one know that they are not alone, that is how the rivers of living waters are shared through you. Because once we receive the Holy Spirit, we don’t just keep it. We share it, we give it away. In so doing God’s love flows through us, to those around us, like a river of living water! Holy Spirit splashing all around!
Luke the author of Acts gives us the full account of Pentecost, but today I focus on the expression of the Holy Spirit- the wind and the fire. Both wind and fire are unpredictable and powerful and help to shape the imagery we use for Pentecost. Wind can whip up fire or be a gentle breeze that can nudge you in a direction. Wind can be God’s calling card in creation, wind can all be the force in a storm. Taking the living water image from Jesus and the wind of the Holy Spirit we may have a better understanding of how the Spirit moves.
“Several years ago a submarine was being tested and had to remain deeply submerged for many hours. When it returned to the harbor, the captain was asked, “How did the terrible storm last night affect you?” The officer looked at him in surprise and exclaimed, “Storm? We didn’t even know there was one!” The sub had been so far beneath the surface that it had reached the area known to sailors as “the cushion of the sea.” Although the ocean may be whipped into huge waves by high winds, the waters below are never stirred.
This, I believe, is a perfect picture of the peace that comes from Christ’s Spirit. The waves of worry, of fear, of heartbreak, cannot touch those resting in Christ. Sheltered by His grace and encouraged by His Spirit, the believer is given the perfect tranquility that only Christ can provide.”
(Adrian Dieleman, Receive the Holy Spirit) Holy Spirit can be the harbor in the storms of life.
Holy Spirit for Jesus is the water that quenches our thirst.
Holy Spirit for Luke is God nudging you while you rest safely in the calm sea of Christ’s peace.
Holy Spirit for Paul is the fruit of the Spirit. In Galatians we hear, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (5:22-23) Right now as we isolate, I think patience and kindness are the ones more in demand. Patience as we wait for things to reopen, and treatments to be developed. Kindness for people who seem to disregard wearing masks. I guess I would also add gentleness in the hopes we will be gentle with ourselves as we journey through this unprecedented time. Each gift has its value and comes from the Holy Spirit. Paul encourages us to walk in the Spirit embracing these spiritual and life enhancing gifts.
Pentecost is the day we celebrate the Holy Spirit being poured out on each human, transforming language to further the gospel and also demonstrating the power of God. But when we see these three images of the Holy Spirit- rivers of living water that quench our thirst, the cushion of the sea that gives us peace, and the gifts of the Spirit that help us navigate life, then even if we still do not understand the Holy Spirit, we know we NEED the Holy Spirit. Today if you admit that you need the Holy Spirit and ask God to fill your heart with this power then we will have truly celebrated the Day of Pentecost! The day the Holy Spirit came to dwell on earth and connect us to all the grace, mercy, peace, power and love of God through Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Rather than getting rid of Pentecost, may we celebrate it with fresh conviction!
Let us drink from living waters so that we can share Christ’s love with others.
Let us welcome the winds in our lives, knowing we abide in Christ and the depth of the Holy Spirit.
Let us practice the gifts of the Spirit and ask God’s help in doing so, trusting that all of this, is an act of faith as we lean into and embrace the Holy Spirit! Amen.
