I have always wanted to have a flame come out of the baptismal font and this year it happened! There was a lot of positive comments and people felt the power of the image and symbolism!
5/19/13
Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2:1-21
John 14:8-17, 25-27
There is a prophet among us…..
Look do you see them?
Look to your right…
Look to your left….
There is a prophet among us…
Yes it is you. Each of you a prophet!
Now don’t get up and run away … let’s explore
“What does this mean?”
Today we celebrate the Festival of Pentecost. Before the first Pentecost, this day was set aside as a Jewish festival called the Festival of Weeks that took place 50 days after the Passover.
Christians today celebrate Pentecost as the day God breathed the Holy Spirit into His disciples and this marks the beginning of the organized church, as we know it today. This is why some churches celebrate with birthday cake at fellowship time, as you saw the children celebrate a moment ago. The color red, candles, balloons, baptisms, fire and wind are common elements as we retell the story of the first Pentecost, but also take time to remember and tell of our own Pentecost’s and wondering together what the Spirit is currently calling us to right here and now.
Listen again to the first part of our reading from Acts. This time from Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible:
When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
People in the streets are confused and bewildered having no idea what is happening. They are suddenly hearing of God’s great works in their own language. Something they have never heard or been able to understand before. This is crazy, they must be drunk, what does this mean people are asking each other…
Then Peter to the rescue. Of all disciples to stand up and speak to the crowd – Peter. Peter the one who just denied knowing Jesus three times 50 days ago…
Something major has just happened… gale forced winds, flames of fire dancing on the heads of all spreading from one to another like a wildfire.. God’s voice being understood by all! This is something to celebrate!
Although we love to remember stories from our past, this is one story that hasn’t ended yet. This Pentecost story lives on today and tomorrow, This Pentecost story is stilling taking place here and now.
We have a story to tell. The moment we were baptized – we died to our old life and were born into a life with Christ – We were sealed by the Holy Spirit. In our baptisms we were gifted the Holy Spirit, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the sprit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever.
This is something to celebrate! But what does this mean? What does this all have to do with me and you being a prophet?
Prophesy – it is necessary to be clear that I am not talking about fortune telling or future telling, but simply proclamation and truth telling. When we received the Holy Spirit we were set into the middle of a story. We became a main character in God’s story. A story that began way before we came into the picture but a story that has always had a place for us. A specific place for each of us. God’s story without you and without me is incomplete. And on the first day of Pentecost for the first time, but not the last, God’s story was being heard and understood by all of God’s children and this story hasn’t stopped being told or created and continues to be written and proclaimed.
The truth telling that we are called to is what it means for you and I to be a prophet. One who goes out and tells the Good News. Shares God’s story.
What does this mean you might be wondering… I am too shy to tell my neighbor, I can’t … I’m afraid.. I don’t know what to say…
Did you know that sharing God’s story can be done without words? You’ve heard the saying, “Share the gospel and if necessary use words.” That’s right, we can proclaim the glory of God, share God’s story spread the flame of the Spirit in what we do, how we act, how we spend our money, spend our time and how we are as a community of believers.
Sharing God’s story isn’t about inviting your neighbor or friend to worship (although it is nice for you to invite others!) what I mean is that as a community of believers from Our Savior’s Lutheran Church we have an entire community and surrounding communities that are waiting to hear God’s story. That are waiting to be touched by the Spirit’s flame – the flame that you carry. That flame that you can hide and tuck away of you can share and spread.
Who are our neighbors? Who needs a friendly smile? Who needs a home cooked meal? A friend? A phone call?
You see Pentecost isn’t about what happens here in this building. This worship space that we are very comfortable in. Pentecost is about calling us out of this building into a world, a community a neighborhood that is waiting to hear God’s story.
We are called out of our comfort zone into a community that belongs to Christ that we have been called to be prophets in. The Spirit leads us, guides us, and gives us the words. We just have to be open and trust that God is good!
We experience Pentecost’s all the time. Change, growth, new opportunities in our church community and in our own lives. Pentecost is not an ending but a beginning to something great and extraordinary! Our Savior’s has experienced many Pentecost’s over the years and I believe that the Spirit is at work once again here and now on yet another Pentecost.
What do you think it means when you hear, “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than me, because I am going to the Father.”
Greater works than Jesus? The guy who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and raised people from the dead… what could be greater than that? And if he is going to the Father than this is impossible!
The great and powerful Holy Spirit is given to us so that together as a community of believers we can engage each other, our community and the world in the telling of God’s story which is the ultimate gift we could give anyone. We tell the story; the Holy Spirit takes it from there.
Each smile, kind word, helpful gesture, visit to the lonely, gift to the poor is the telling God’s story. We don’t have to be afraid because all the time, God is good!
We have been equipped with a divine guide. This divine guide is in us, it is in our words, our actions, our breathe. The divine guide has been washed over us in our baptism and breathed into us, as it was the disciples. With each natural breath in and out…. We can offer this world, peace, justice, mercy, grace and love. We can be a calm wind. A kindling flame. A rolling wave through the breath we take in and let out. Let the diving guide lead you to great works. Let the spirit in you, out so to fill in the cracks, so to bring together all the pieces that are scattered in this world.
How does the spirit lead you? Is the spirit in your locked up or is it like fire burning in the pit of your belly ready to get out and spread like a wild fire – consuming everyone and everything in its path with the love and grace of God. Is your spirit blowing in the wind trying to find its way? Or maybe your spirit is floating on top of those rolling waves just wanting to find rest while wondering where you might find that flame that once was.
How will the breathe you breath in and let out fill the cracks of this world? Who will you share God’s story with? Are you ready for a Pentecost journey? I know I am and although the Spirit is visible here today in many ways shapes and forms, the Spirit is up to something great and extraordinary right here at Our Saviors! Are you ready?
We can be ready together because we know that God is good ! All the time! All the time God is good!
Let’s try this together ….
P: God is good!
C: All the time!
P: All the time!
C: God is good!
Amen.
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