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PENTECOST: June 3, 2001
“When the day of Pentecost had fully come, the Disciples were all together
in one place.”
Acts 2:1
I was surprised to learn from Jim Sparks the other day- that the Apostles drove a Honda - I asked Jim how he knew that - He said:
“Well in the Book of Acts it says that:
“The Apostles were all in one Accord.”
* * * * *
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was not a one time event.
Praise God there is never an eclipse of The Holy Spirit - for to be sure the Holy Scriptures remind us that the Holy Spirit is not a Homing Pigeon -
For He goes where He wills - but to be sure - when He does moves - He moves in a mighty and a powerful way.
Our understanding of the Holy Spirit is that - when the People of God are gathered together - when they are all in one accord - when they are united - it prepares the way and makes possible the outpouring of the Holy Spirit -
For that is the pre-condition - that we prepare the setting - the setting of Oneness - where He may have His way with us.
Can we all see the comparison? Today is Pentecost - and we have all come together in one place - having one united service. And our prayer is - our united prayer is:
COME HOLY SPIRIT - COME - DESCEND UPON EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US IN A MIGHTY AND A POWERFUL WAY - AS YOU DID THAT FIRST PENTECOST -
FOR WE ARE ALL WAITING FOR THE FULFILMENT OF YOUR PROMISE IN THE PROPHET JOEL:
“In those days, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh - your sons and your daughters shall prophesy - your old men shall dream dreams - your young men shall see visions….in those days, I will pour out my Spirit.”
* * * * *
Thank God that in the latter past of this last century - we in the Church have
begun to understand more and more about the Third Person of The Holy Trinity -
whose dynamic power, whose Holy Wisdom, whose Guidance and Special Grace -
is so necessary for the Church to do its work
Some years ago - at the America’s Cup Races in Australia - at one point - The United States and Australia were in a virtual dead heat. The next day as all the Yatchs were ready to start -
But nothing happened - the Race did not begin - because - because there was no Wind - everything was perfectly still - no Wind - No sailing - no sailing no Race.
It is true - that we have come to know that -The Holy Spirit is the energizing force of The Church- indeed - it is the Wind that propels the Church - so no Holy Spirit - no Wind - So then the Church is dead in the water.
The Holy Spirit is the Presence of the Risen and Ascended Christ among us - for though now out of sight - His Spirit is here present among us - empowering us today, just as He promised:
“Wherever two or three are gathered in my Name - there I am in the midst of them - …..And Lo, I am with you always - even unto the end of the age.”
* * * * *
My most feverent prayer for St. Matthew’s Parish during this Interim Period is -
That the Holy Spirit will descend upon our Congregation and set us on Fire to serve our Lord - so that we may truly be His Servant Church.
For it is true that on that first Day of Pentecost - when the Church was born - the Fire was lit - the Fire was lit - that has never been extinguished - on that Day the Church was catapulted out into the World - to continue our Lord’s Ministry of reconciliation - to be the leaven that leavens the whole lump -
That is that force - that body that by its Witness - draws the World into
Brotherhood and Unity - as the Family of God.
Someone has suggested that one reason why the Holy Spirit is neglected - is that we are afraid of giving up control - that if we give in to the Holy Spirit - He might take us and - only the Lord knows what He might do to us.
However - what I know of the Holy Spirit is that He is a Gentleman -He is quite respectful of our wills - He will never intrude into our lives - unless invited - that is why the Church always prays: “Come Holy Spirit, Come !”
That is why we sang at the beginning of our service the ancient “Veni Sanctus Spiritus,” - “Come Holy Spirit, Come!” - earnestly invoking the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit among us.
We may not know always what to expect when the Holy Spirit comes among us -
but we do know that it will always be a surprise. The Company of Disciples had no idea of what their lives would be like after - in obedience - they waited in that Upper Room for the coming of the Holy Comforter.
The Crowd on Pentecost was bewildered and amazed at what happened to the Disciples - as they heard them speaking - each in their own native language. The people said that the Disciples were drunk on wine -
They were accused of being drunk on new wine - that is new and green, un-aged - wine - possibly something equivalent to our “White Lightning.” that I’m told can make you go blind or crazy. However, Peter said to them: Surely, we’re not drunk - surely, not at nine o’clock in the morning.
What the Spirit of Christ did on the Day of Pentecost was entirely unexpected by the people. I have always imagined that the sure sign that we are following Christ is that He leads us where we did not expect to - and possibly He leads us where we did not want to go.
I love that old Hymn: “I Walk the King’s Highway.”
“I know not where the road will lead - I follow day by day - or where it ends I only know, I walk the King’s Highway -
I know not if the way is long - and no one else can say - but rough or smooth , uphill or down - I walk the King’s Highway.”
Our prayer today on this Pentecost Sunday is that - A mighty and a powerful Wind may shake this place where we are sitting - just as it did on that first Pentecost -
giving us new life and energy and zeal and excitement -
New fresh winds - new fresh winds to revive our spirits -setting our feet on the right path - following where our Lord leads us out to where our true Mission lies.
* * * * *
Father Eugene Kennedy a great Roman Catholic Priest and Author - says that the Church is like a great ship that is tied to the dock - the tide and the waves pull and tug at the Ship’s mooring lines -
As if beckoning it out to sea - as Jesus says: “To launch out into the deep” - to venture out from the shore - to distant and foreign lands - where its true Mission lies - not remaining - tied up safely to the docks.
The Gospels keep telling us that Jesus is on the move - that He has set His face like a flint toward Jerusalem - to fulfill the Mission for which He was sent- and He bids us to follow Him - dare we to follow Him where He leads?
When we let go and let God - when we let go and allow the Spirit to take charge -
when we turn over the controls - then Praise God! - For now God Himself sets the course - and we are on the way - His Way - The Way of Christ.
This the destiny of the Church - a destiny that is somewhat fearful and frightening - and yet it is to this Glorious Adventure that we are called. If the Christian Life is not a Glorious Adventure -
Then it is because we have refused to venture out to where our true Mission lies - for to be sure the Christian Faith is not an Armchair Religion - but it is one that is always on the move.
I’m sure that if we are faced with the choice - I know that - I would rather burn out - than rust out.
Today - we give thanks that the Holy Spirit beckons us toward a World we would have never known without its leading - that we have come to know that God’s plan is so far above anything that we could ever imagine ourselves - with our own limited Vision - that only sees things from our small perspective.
We learn today that God earnestly desires to give us His Holy Spirit - so that our lives may be full of His good gifts - and a joy that is unbounded. A sure sign of the Holy Spirit is that where He is - there is always - always Unity - Unity and Joy -
Joy unbounded.
* * * *
A sour Christian - a dour, dismal Christian is a contradiction - one of my prayers is that when we worship - that our prayers and praises and our hymns will so resound to the Glory of God - that God will be so distracted from listening to His Heavenly Choir of Angels -
That He will turn to listen to us instead - and He will say:
“Wow ! By George - By George - you finally got it.!”
The Peace - the Glory - the Joy - we share and experienced this Day - is multiplied many, many times - as we give thanks that this life is only a foretaste - a preview if you will - of an eternal and everlasting life in God’s Heavenly City.
To be sure -what we do this day is not just a passing, temporary thing - but it has eternal significance.
So today - we empty ourselves -we empty ourselves of all bitterness - and self-will -For as Mother Theresa said - “God cannot fill that which is already full.”
We come to God’s Altar to be filled -
To be filled with what ever God has in mind for each and every one of us - for He alone knows our needs as no one else - the secrets of our hearts - our longings - our dreams.
We are convinced that each and every one of us has gifts - differing gifts -
a diversity of gifts - of all kinds of gifts that God intends for us to use in His Service -
We each have gifts that the Church needs to do its work -
And to be sure - the gifts are all important - there are no un-important gifts.
Some of us have never reached down - reached down and tapped into that creativity that God has given to each and every one of us.
When we use our gifts to the Glory of God - we are blessed in a way that is not possible - when we just sit on our gifts. For it is in the using of our gifts in God’s Service - that we are made and molded into that kind of a person that God intends for us to be.
How do we grow in God’s Grace? - It is the Task that He places upon us -that
makes us. It is the Task that makes us - How often have we heard that:?
“It is the Task that makes the man?”
It is in the doing of His will - it is in obedience to His Call - that we are changed and we grow into that Person God wants us to be.
It is on this day that we Episcopalians are allowed to loosen up - to smile - to laugh a little - to even be a little giddy -
For wherever the Spirit is - that is not only Unity - but there is always un-bounded Joy and Gladness.
For when we are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism - we are marked - we are branded as Christ’s own forever - on that we can rely - on that we live -
and on that - we bet our lives - and in that - we especially give grateful thanks -
and we rejoice on this most Holy Day of Pentecost.
Text:
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come - the Disciples
were all together in one place.”
A M E N & A M E N !!!
jdp+
