Pentecost
04/06/06
Readings: Acts 2: 1-21; Romans 8: 22-27; John 15: 26-27, 16: 4-15
You might have noticed that a lot of TV shows memorable catchphrases
associated with the main characters. All my best examples come from sci-fi shows
and one of my favourites was from a spaceship pilot who would often find himself
in difficult and dangerous situations – you know the kind of thing I mean, he’s
flying away from the bad guys and the left engine starts to splutter and you
know they’re in trouble – and in these moments he’d say “I am a leaf on the
wind.” …And whatever that meant, it always seemed to focus his mind and help him
pull the near-impossible manoeuvre out of the hat that saved the ship from
destruction.
It reminded me of the Celtic Christians’ image of the Holy Spirit as a wild
goose, an untameable creature following the wind wherever it went. It’s possible
that’s where we get the term “wild goose chase”, which subsequently has come to
mean a pursuit of something unattainable or an attempt to achieve the
impossible.
In our reading from the Acts of the Apostles the Holy Spirit is described in
terms of “a sound like the rush of a violent wind” and in appearance “tongues,
as of fire”. The Holy Spirit is compared to the wild power of the elements,
uncontrollable and potentially dangerous. But the Holy Spirit is also the
Advocate, a helper, one who intercedes for us with God; the Spirit of Truth; the
breath of life; the creative spirit of God; the giver of gifts from God.
We cannot control the Holy Spirit but, if we allow the Spirit to enter our
lives, he will lead us on our journeys, heal us, inspire us to see the world as
God sees it and to love it as he loves it. That’s what happened on the festival
day of Pentecost recorded in today’s reading from the Acts, when the Spirit
filled the disciples and gave them the ability to speak in other languages so
that Jew and gentile alike heard them speaking in their own languages “about
God’s deeds of power.” The Spirit entered them and helped them to do something
impossible. And so the Christian church was born.
Jesus did a lot of impossible things and he asked his disciples to do as he did,
and that includes us. But he didn’t ask us to do it alone. He promised to send
an Advocate, “the Spirit who helps us in our weakness”, even praying through us
when we don’t know what to say.
In today’s service we’re doing things differently, setting the scene for the
Holy Spirit to enter into our worship. We’ve put the service books away, so
there are fewer things to juggle and more room to concentrate on what’s going on
around us, especially more room for us to just be in the presence of the Holy
Spirit: to receive his peace, his energy, his love and guidance.
As we said earlier in the service, we’ve come from many places, all of us with
different lives and experiences, but God has lead us here and sends his Spirit
of unity into this place where our journeys meet. It might be for some of us
that this Spirit is the only thing we have in common, but it’s a big thing, an
important thing.
God lead us all here this morning and invites everyone to follow and join in his
plan. And this morning we’ve invited many people to contribute to our worship
experience, singers, musicians and our Junior Church too. You might have noticed
the basket of candles placed before the cross at the front of the church this
morning. Shortly the children will be invited to take those candles and surround
the prayer area, representing the comfort of the Christ-light while Pamela
offers us the opportunity to be anointed with holy oil.
Some of us here today have received anointing for healing: we know that God
doesn’t protect us from pain and heartache in this life but he does offer
healing in body, mind and spirit. But anointing can also be a sign of dedication
and what better day to dedicate ourselves to Christ than on the birthday of the
church. Pamela will say more about that when the time comes.
This service has been shaped very much around music and singing, with many and
various contributions: we’re celebrating after all. But remember that worship is
not just about singing. Worship is about honouring God: it includes singing,
includes prayer, includes coming to services, and reading the Bible; but worship
also means dedicating our other church and non-church activities to God, taking
him with us when we go home from church and when we go to work in other places
and jobs.
We can achieve a certain amount of good, and a certain amount of change, by our
own efforts and influence; but we can achieve so much more with God, who wants
to achieve so much more than we can imagine. And he has invited us to share in
that work and sent his Spirit into the world to help us do that work: the work
of building his kingdom.
Jesus commissioned his followers, in Matthew’s gospel, chapter 28, to “go and
make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you.” It’s the mission that the disciples began on the first Pentecost
and we will honour that mission again next Sunday when we baptise two children
into the church family.
Let’s make a leap of faith, like the two of them; the wind of the Holy Spirit
isn’t out of control, just out of our control; let’s see how impossibly high and
far it will take us. Let’s see where God will lead our journeys next.
…
Come, Holy Spirit, guide our hearts today. Amen.