Sermon: Pentecost Promises

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Pentecost Sunday, Year C

The Rev. Vicki K. Hesse,

Director of the Whitaker Institute,

Episcopal Diocese of Michigan

St. James Episcopal Church, Dexter, MI

Sermon Preached on June 9, 2019

May the words of my mouth 

and the meditation of all our hearts

be acceptable to you, O Lord, 

our strength and our redeemer. Amen

Good morning, St. James! What joy to be with you again.

My name is The Rev. Vicki Hesse and I serve as

the Director of the Whitaker Institute,

the educational arm of the Diocese. 

As you may know, Mother Carol is on Sabbatical,

so it is my honor to be with you today on this special feast day,

Pentecost! 

At 8:15am – ask who knows what Pentecost means?

In the early church, “Pentecost” happened

when the Holy Spirit entered the community

after Jesus ascended to heaven.

Jesus promised to send “The Advocate” – the Holy Spirit –

to teach the gathered community and

to remind them of all that Jesus had done. 

Literally, Pentecost translates to “the fiftieth day.”

-         in both the Hebrew and Christian tradition. 

The day marks a Jewish feast seven weeks after Passover

and marks a Christian feast 50 days after Easter, when Jesus died, was resurrected and then ascended – that’s when

the Holy Spirit arrived (as we read infrom Acts).

At 8:15am – ask for us, what is the meaning of Pentecost? 

Pentecost, the arrival of the Holy Spirit,

annually points us to God’s power of Love.

We say we are “filled with the Holy Spirit” when we are:

inspired, creative, argumentative yet persuadable,

or when we are:

broken at the suffering in the world

or moved to pity at the sight of loss and grief.

The Holy Spirit works through the mystery of sitting in prayer and the power of inviting God’s unpredictable presence

to transform us as a community – like we did at the Bishop election last Saturday. (Who was there?)

…. That is Pentecost –the birth // day of the Church!

The reading in Acts today describes Peter’s Pentecost, that day

standing among the disciples,

in the midst of that rush of violent wind,

among all the devout people

hearing in their own languages

the testimony of God’s power. Can you imagine?

Bishop Gene Robinson[1] tells the story of a time when

"…A priest in a large church in Florida…

decided to dramatize the Holy Spirit coming like wind

in a spectacular way.

The priest got [an] engine out of

one of the boats used in the Everglades—

an airplane propeller attached to a big gasoline engine—

and mounted it in the choir loft high

in the back of the church.

{The idea was that} wind from the propeller

would blow out across the congregation

when the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit was read.

It seemed like a great idea.

The priest and an usher gave it a dry run

on Saturday afternoon, and although it was noisy,

it worked just fine, and promised

a spectacular effect for Sunday morning. 

So when the great moment arrived,

and the lector read,

"And suddenly from heaven there came a sound

like the rush of a violent wind and it filled the entire house,"

well, at that moment, the engine coughed once and

then howled into life. 

But the effect was a little different

than it had been at rehearsal. 

The sudden screaming gust of wind sent sheet music

and bulletins flying out over the congregation. 

Coiffures came undone and hair streamed out from faces. 

The preacher's sermon notes were gone with the wind…

Everything was messy, and noisy, and

absolutely unpredictable.”

P1 – they were bewildered and asked what does this mean

Peter’s first Pentecost must have been like that,

when the disciples heard a sound like the rush

of a violent wind, filling the entire house

 and all began to speak in the native language of each.

That Holy Spirit shook things up;

just like Jesus did in his testimony to the truth –

which, of course, got him in trouble. 

That Holy Spirit prompted the disciples

“…to make disturbing, disruptive,

and world-changing testimony

and call into question the values of the world.”[2]

That Holy Spirit bewildered those present,

arriving like a violent wind,

with tongues of flame and

voices speaking in many languages –

this was a totally new moment for everyone!

That Holy Spirit!

So of course, they were bewildered, perplexed,

And asked, “what does this mean?”

P2 – we are bewildered and ask what does this mean

“…And that's just the way it is with the Spirit. 

[The Spirit is] that part of God that

refuses to be contained in the little boxes we create

for God to live in,

safely confined to the careful boundaries

we set for God's Spirit. 

The problem is--and the possibility is—

God just won't stay put. 

And God won't let you and me stay put,

content to believe what we've always believed,

what we've always been taught,

what we've always assumed…”[3] 

See, in Greek, the word for Holy Spirit is “Paraclete,” which means one who “comes alongside another.”[4]

So it is, today, when *that Holy Spirit or Paraclete

comes alongside to strengthen us or

to rile us up for the work ahead or

to prompt or invigorate us into action.

*That Holy Spirit equips us

for the work of ministry

with a bewildering conviction.

*That Holy Spirit pushes us

beyond what we imagined and stirs things up.

*That Holy Spirit reminds us that

God’s way is different than the World’s way.

*That Holy Spirit comes alongside

our visceral anger at other’s incivility.

*That Holy Spirit activates our hearts

with compassionate grief

when someone innocent suffers for no reason.

So of course, we are bewildered, perplexed,

And ask, “what does this mean?”

P3. God surprised them with visions and dreams of what is possible

For those disciples, that day,

*the Holy Spirit promoted new visions and dreams

of what could be possible

when the Spirit moved in their hearts

and fueled them forward.

God surprised them with enormous possibility

through the Holy Spirit.

P4. God surprises us with visions and reams of what is possible

Nd, God surprises us, today, with possibilities too!

The Holy Spirit comes alongside us with newness:

new stories to tell,

new mercies to share,

new love to spread,

new anger to be fueled

new voice to get us out of our box. 

Are you bewildered by your life or this world? 

Great! Because this Pentecost,

God promises to surprise you and to mix things up! 

Perhaps the Holy Spirit might guide you to

·        Begin your meal by holding hands and

saying to the person on your right,

“You are the temple of God

and the Holy Spirit dwells within you.”

OR

·        Find someone who “speaks” another “language” –

(literally or metaphorically) and you take time

to listen with the ear of your heart,

even (or especially) when you disagree.

·        Invite family and friends to your special

to a Pentecost birth day party for the church!  

Standing in a circle you can share Holy Spirit bewilderments or blessings!

The younger people may want to share visions,

and the older people, dreams.

Then, raise your goblets and toast "To the Holy Spirit"!

This Pentecost, the good news is that

the Holy Spirit wants you to experience the power of Love

the possibility of Hope and the promise of Faith.

Happy Birth Day, Church!

Amen

---

[1] The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, In The Eye of the Storm: Swept To The Center By God (Seabury Books, 2008) 9-10

[2] David Lose, “Come Alongside” sermon notes sides here on June 7, 2019.

[3] Ibid. Robinson

[4] Ibid. Lose

Firsts

This week, I started my at my first parish position.

First time in *that* sanctuary.  First time someone called me, awkwardly, "Um, Reverend?..." First time meeting an altar guild of thirty women who know the names of sacred objects and know how to clean them.  First Vestry meeting.  First use of the "split" chalice.  First time wearing a collar in the grocery story.  First time reading this specific Gospel for a congregation, "In my Father's house there are many dwellings..." which is, of course, one of the selected texts for a funeral.

All these firsts, and it got me thinking.

How is God showing up in these firsts?  In some way, I believe that God overflows in those "first" moments.  With awe, with confidence, with delicacy, with color, with surprise.  *That's* a living God, alive!  God - loving me through it all, despite my new-ness.

I hope it always feels "first."

“So I started in, talking. Before I’d spoken half a dozen sentences, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he did on us the first time. I remembered Jesus’ words: ‘John baptized with water; you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So I ask you: If God gave the same exact gift to them as to us when we believed in the Master Jesus Christ, how could I object to God?” - Acts 11:15-17 (The Message)

Sermon ~ Unexpected

Sermon for Easter 2, Year B

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Arlington, VA

Text: John 20:19-31

Last Friday in the Washington Post,

I saw an article[1] about Good Friday –

about faith and doubt. 

At  the author’s Shabbat services,

the prayer leader asked kids

what part of the Exodus story they liked best. 

The children responded –

The parting of the Red Sea!

Miriam’s dance with the tambourine!

The frogs!

However, there was one little child who replied,

“Oh, I don’t believe it.”

While his mother tried to shush him,

the author considered this a “teachable moment.” 

Many of the bible stories are unbelievable,

and yet God keeps visiting in unexpected ways –

a bush on fire that does not burn,

a staff flung down that turns into a serpent,

a Red Sea, parted,

A carpenter, executed as a criminal,

comes to life and greets his followers. 

Death was not the end of these stories –

and God showed up, in unexpected ways.

In today’s Gospel text, we read of one more person

who does not believe the story. 

On the evening of the first day of the week

after Jesus appeared to Mary, the disciples gathered. 

·        There, in the same upper room

as the previous week’s supper,

they huddled together. 

·        There, they locked the doors,

fearful of the Jews (the religious authorities).

·        There, they spoke softly, kept the lights low, and

in the lengthening shadows of that evening,

their eyes shifted as they exchanged glances. 

·        There, they considered Mary,

who had just the day before, said to them,

“I have seen the Lord!”

·        There, unbelievably, Jesus came and stood among them.

He showed up, unexpectedly. 

“Peace be with you!” he said and

he showed them his hands

and he showed them his wounds.

As a wave of relief swept through the room,

their shoulders loosened,

their jaws relaxed,

their breathing deepened,

and their circle widened.

They were overjoyed with Jesus in their midst;

but joy was not his goal. 

They leaned in and to listen to him.

Unexpectedly,

he breathed on them the Holy Spirit and

told them the rest of the story –

that they, as disciples, had the authority and

responsibility to forgive and retain sins.

And in their glee,

they agreed to meet back in this same place.

A week later, Thomas joined them. 

He had not been there earlier. 

The other disciples

had forgotten their disbelief of Mary and

had told Thomas, “We have seen the Lord!” 

Thomas replied like the child at Shabbat Services

that he didn’t believe it.

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

Even though he must have known the stories about

the burning bush,

the serpent-turning staff,

the parting Red Sea,

he still wanted proof.

The story had to fit into a narrowly defined,

concrete way of looking at things. 

He was unwilling to accept secondhand testimony. 

He seemed to know that

there would be others, like him,

who had not seen Jesus and

would not believe that

God really did have victory over death. 

For him, the story was over.

Does this sound familiar? 

Many people today have a narrowly defined,

concrete way of looking at things. 

They need proof that God is going to show up…

and a resurrected Jesus is just unbelievable.   

“Those people” may even be us. 

Sometimes we lock the door to our hearts,

hearing the familiar ker-thunk,

for fear of what others might say or do. 

We do not share our hope, faith or love.

We huddle close with our friends.

We keep to ourselves and sometimes we, too,

need proof that God will show up.   

We doubt. 

·        I have applied for how many positions so far?

What if I don’t find work? 

·        What will happen if something goes wrong

with that work project –

the one over which so many people have anguished?

·        How can education be effective if the

school superintendant does not take into account creative perspectives?

For many people,

it is Good Friday every day. 

It seems that the powers and principalities

have the last word. 

We give to Arlington Food Assistance Center

through the basket each week,

we make sandwiches every month, and

yet for many,

food security continues to be a critical, daily issue.

It hits those who cannot help it – children. 

In the Metro DC area, nearly 1 of 3 kids

do not know where their next meal is coming from.[2]

They think that is the end of the story. 

Our scientifically-oriented,

need-for-clear-answers,

desire-for-instant-gratification culture

relies on facts.

Cultural norms require proof.

And yet, God keeps showing up unexpected ways.

What we see is not the whole story. 

Jesus came through the shut doors,

inviting Thomas to

“put your finger here and see my hands,

reach out your hand and put it in my side.”

·        In that invitation, Thomas recognized Jesus –

his carpenter hands, his road-calloused feet, his kind smile. 

·        In that invitation,

Thomas responded with an unexpected cry,

“My Lord and My God!”

·        In that invitation,

Thomas’s desire for a first hand experience

of the risen Jesus was granted.

Jesus showed up just how Thomas needed him. 

Jesus refused to let deadbolts block any movement of love

Jesus gave proof, in an unexpected way,

that his death did not have the final word.

He revealed himself. 

·        Despite the locked doors and high anxiety. 

·        Despite the strong need for proof.

·        Despite Thomas’s disbelief.

Jesus showed up.  Unexpectedly, intimately, lovingly. 

This three-part poem by Tom Troeger[3] says this so well:

These things did Thomas count as real:
the warmth of blood, the chill of steel,
the grain of wood, the heft of stone,
the last frail twitch of flesh and bone.
The vision of his skeptic mind
was keen enough to make him blind
to any unexpected act
too large for his small world of fact.
His reasoned certainties denied
that one could live when one had died,
until his fingers read like Braille

the markings of the spear and nail.

I wonder if we can relate to Thomas. 

“…The vision of his skeptic mind /

was keen enough to make him blind /

to any unexpected act /

too large for his small world of fact.” 

This poem reminds us that

God is bigger than our own view.

But wait, there’s more!

After this intimate encounter with Thomas,

Jesus promised fullness of life for

“those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

In other words, Jesus said that

anyone from then on,

who believes without seeing,

is blessed and will have unexpectedly full life.

Through the proof-needing Thomas,

we are assured of God’s presence

in our believing-without-seeing state.

Death is not the final word.

God shows up in unexpected ways. 

Answers to our most profound and desperate questions

come not because we seek them with focused determination,

but because God comes seeking us

and offers love at the very moment

when it all seems a farce. 

God shows up in unexpected ways. 

·        In unexpected solutions that occur on work projects

·        In abundance of food networks to those who are hungry

·        In creative ideas that become a supervisor’s passion

·        In prophetic voices that speak out for God’s dream

·        In the Vestry affirmation of St. Andrew’s amazing Petty-Madden Organ

Jesus seeks us, finds us, and shares with us –

through locked doors, in intimate ways,

with carpenter hands and road calloused feet. 

And when he comes to find us,

we may not recognize him,

even if he is 2 inches from our face.

However he comes,

it will be unexpected and

larger than we can conceive. 

It will be with a proclamation of peace

and an intimate love that is

stronger than even violent death itself. 

In the wonder of his wounds, he finds us.[4]

May we, O God, by grace believe /

and thus the risen Christ receive /

whose raw imprinted palms reach out /

And beckoned Thomas from his doubt.[5]

Today – look around. 

Look away. 

Look up close. 

God keeps showing up in unexpected ways.

This is not the end of the story.

Amen. Alleluia!

---

[1] http://wapo.st/HCJ7FR cited on April 12, 2012

[2] http://bit.ly/HOvpsZ cited on April 12, 2012

[3] Susan A. Blain, Ed., Imaging the Word: An Arts and Lectionary Resource, Vol. 2, (United Church Press: Cleveland, 1995), Thomas H. Troeger, “These Things Did Thomas Count as Real,” 186

[4] Serene Jones, Theological Perspective, Feasting on the Word, Second Sunday of Easter, p. 404

[5] Troeger, Tom – prayer on p. 188