PENTECOST

June 11, 2000 - The Day of PentecostActs 2:1-21 Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Romans 8:22-27 John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15





GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY
WHOSE BIRTHDAY YOU MIGHT ASK
IT’S ALL OF OURS
BECAUSE PENTECOST IS THE DAY THE CHURCH BEGAN

ON THE DAY THE CHURCH BEGAN
THE APOSTLES WERE GATHERED IN THE UPPER ROOM
TO CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF SHABUOT
IT WAS A HARVEST FESTIVAL
IT WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF OUR THANKSGIVING DAY
THEY FELT THEY HAD LITTLE TO CELEBRATE
JESUS HAD GONE HOME
LEAVING THEM FEELING LIKE ORPHANS
BUT THEY WERE LOYAL JEWS
THEY OBSERVED THE LAW
THE LAW SAID
THANK GOD GOOD TIMES AND BAD
ESPECIALLY ON THIS DAY
FIFTY DAYS AFTER PASSOVER
FOR IT COMMEMORATED THE FIRST HARVEST
THEY HAD AS FREE MEN

BUT PETER WAS PUZZLED
AS HE OFTEN WAS
AS THE OTHERS OFTEN WERE
FOR JESUS HAD SAID TO THEM BEFORE HE LEFT
JESUS HAD SAID
WHILE HE WAS EATING WITH THEM
I GIVE YOU THIS COMMAND
THAT YOU DO NOT LEAVE JERUSALEM
BUT WAIT FOR THE GIFT MY FATHER PROMISED
WHICH YOU HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK ABOUT
FOR JOHN BAPTIZEDYOU WITH WATER
BUT IN A FEW DAYS YOU WILL BE BAPTIZED
WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

AND PETER THOUGHT
I AM WELL NAMED ROCK
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE MEANT
AFTER THREE YEARS AND HIS LEAVING
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE MEANT
AND SO THOUGHT ALL THE OTHER APOSTLES
GATHERED TOGETHER
IN THE UPPER ROOM
TO GIVE THANKS FOR THE HARVEST
WHICH WAS YET TO COME

WE ARE TWENTIETH CENTURY CHRISTIANS
AND YET WE ARE OFTEN NO MORE AWARE OF GOD’S PLAN
THAN THE APOSTLES WERE AT THIS TIME

LET US BEGIN OUR STUDY
AS WE BEGIN ALL THINGS
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER
AND THE SON
AND THE HOLY SPIRIT


LET US BEGIN
AS WE BEGIN ALL THING
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE FATHER
THE CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
WHO MADE TIME BEGIN
LET US LOOK AT GOD THE FATHER

WHEN I WANTED TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE.
I STUDIED
PASSED A TEST
AND WAS GIVEN MY DRIVERS LICENSE

WHEN I WANTED TO BECOME AN ENGINEER
I STUDIED,
PASSED TESTS
AND WAS GIVEN MY DEGREE

WHEN I BECAME A PARENT
THE NURSE HANDED ME A BABY
AND SAID
HERE’S YOUR CHILD
NO OWNERS MANUAL
NO WEB SITE
NOTHING
ONLY HERE’S YOUR CHILD

IN JEWISH TRADITION
THE BOOK OF GENESIS
IS OFTEN READ
WITH THE THOUGHT
THAT GOD IS A NEW PARENT
LEARNING HOW TO HANDLE A CHILD

LET’S LOOK AT THE STORY OF GENESIS
IN THAT LIGHT

GOD MAKES ADAM
BUT ADAM IS MADE WITH A DESIGN FLAW
WHERE ALL THE OTHER ACTS OF GOD’S CREATION
LOVE GOD INSTINCTIVELY
ADAM GOD THINKS
I SHALL MAKES DIFFERENT
THIS CREATURE
THE PEAK OF MY CREATION
IS TO HAVE THE ABILITY
TO CHOOSE WHETHER TO LOVE ME
OR NOT.
BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE
FROM HIM
THE LOVE OF A FREE PERSON
NOT THE SERVILE FEAR OF A SLAVE
OR THE UNTHINKING LOVE OF AN ANIMAL




GOD PUTS ADAM
IN THE BEAUTIFUL GARDEN
CALLED PARADISE
AND SAYS TO HIM.
EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT
EXCEPT FOR THE FRUIT OF THAT TREE.
IF YOU EAT THE FRUIT OF THAT TREE
SURELY YOU WILL DIE
WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED
ADAM ATE OF THAT TREE
AND INSTEAD OF INSTANT DEATH
LIVED 970 YEARS
SO MUCH FOR PARENTAL THREATENING

THEN GOD’S CHILDREN
CONTINUED TO DISOBEY GOD
SO HE SENT A FLOOD
TO PUNISH THEM ALL
EXCEPT FOR NOAH
WHEN THE FLOOD WAS OVER
GOD THOUGHT
THAT MAYBE
HE HADN’T MADE THE RIGHT DECISION
SO HE PUT A RAINBOW IN THE SKY
A WARRIOR’S BOW AIMED AT HEAVEN
TO REMIND HIM NEVER TO DO THAT AGAIN

BUT MAN KEPT DISOBEYING
HE TRIED TO BUILD A TOWER TO THE SKY
THINKING
IF I REACHED THE SKY
I WILL BE LIKE GOD
AND NEVER HAVE TO LISTEN TO HIM AGAIN
I WILL BE FREE OF GOD
SO GOD CONFUSED THEM
SO THAT EACH PERSON
SPOKE A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE
INSTEAD OF UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER
THEY BABBLED
THEY COULD NOT FINISH THE TOWER
BUT INSTEAD THEY SCATTERED
OVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH
CARRYING THEIR NEW LANGUAGES WITH THEM

THEN GOD THOUGHT
MY SCOPE IS TOO LARGE
LET ME START OVER AGAIN
WITH ONE PERSON
SO HE PICKS ABRAHAM
AND SAYS OBEY ME
AND YOUR CHILDREN
WILL BE AS NUMEROUS
AS THE SANDS ON THE BEACH
AND AS A SIGN OF MY POWER
I SAY TO YOU 97 YEAR OLD MAN
THAT YOUR WIFE SARAH
BARREN IN HER OLD AGE
WILL HAVE A CHILD

HEARING THIS
ABRAHAM FELL ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING
AND SARAH
HIDING BEHIND A DOOR TO LISTEN
LAUGHED TOO
AND GOD
PLAYING WITH HIS CREATION
SAID TO HER
YOU LAUGHED
IN FEAR
BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN STANDING BEHIND THE DOOR SARAH SAID
NO I DIDN’T
AND THEN FOLLOWS
THAT VERY HUMAN STORY
OF GOD AND SARAH TALKING LIKE THIS
YOU LAUGHED
NO I DIDN’T
YES YOU DID
UHUH
UNUH
UHUH
UNUH
AS FAR AS I KNOW
THEY COULD STILL BE HAVING
THIS CONVERSATION

BUT A CHILD WAS BORN TO SARAH AND ABRAHAM
AND THEY CALLED HIM LAUGHTER
A NICE NAME
IN HEBREW HE WAS CALLED ISAAC

THEN GOD SAID TO ABRAHAM
I REQUIRE A SACRIFICE
I REQUIRE THE LIFE OF ISAAC
AND ABRAHAM LOADED ISAAC
WITH THE WOOD FOR THE SACRIFICE
TOOK HIM UP A HIGH MOUNTAIN
ABRAHAM BOUND ISAAC
AND WAS READY TO SLAY HIM
THE KNIFE WAS IN THE AIR
THE SUNLIGHT GLISTENED ON IT
BUT GOD STAYED ABRAHAM’S ARM

FOR GOD HAD THOUGHT
IT IS NOT RIGHT FOR MAN TO SLAY EACH OTHER
NO I WILL SEND MY SON AS THAT SACRIFICE

LET US CONTINUE THEN
WITH GOD THE SON
WHOM WE CALL JESUS

HE LEAPED DOWN FROM HEAVEN
TO BE OUR SAVIOR
TAKING ON HUMAN FORM
AND AS A HUMAN
HE WAS BORN
LIVED
SUFFERED
DIED
AND WAS BURIED
AS PAYMENT FOR OUR SINS
HE ROSE TRIUMPHANT FROM THE GRAVE
AND LIVED WITH HIS APOSTLES
FORTY MORE DAYS

HE IS OUR REDEEMER
AND AS HE LEFT US
TO RETURN TO HEAVEN
HE SAID I WILL SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT
TO COMPLETE MY WORK

LET US CONTINUE THEN
WITH GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
WHO IS TASKED
WITH BRINGING TO HARVEST
ALL GOD’S PROMISES
WHO IS THE FULFILLER
THE ENABLER
THE INSPIRER
WHO IS CHARGED
WITH RECREATING GOD’S CREATION
TO BRING IT ONCE MORE TO GOD’S DREAM

HOW SHALL WE KNOW
WHEN THE SPIRIT IS AMONG US
WHEN WE SEE IN OUR SOCIETY
THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
WHICH ARE LOVE, JOY, PEACE,
PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS,
FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL

WHEN WE SEE THAT IN OUR SOCIETY
WHETHER THAT SOCIETY BE TWO PEOPLE
TWENTY PEOPLE
TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE
TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE
TWO MILLION PEOPLE
CITIES
COUNTRIES
NATION
WORLD
TO THE EXTANT
THAT WE SEE THESE GIFTS IN OUR SOCIETY
THEN THE HOLY SPIRIT IS AT WORK
TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE MISSING
THEN WE HAVE WORK TO DO TO BRING IT ABOUT
FOR WE ARE THE CHURCH
AND THAT CHURCH IS COMMISSIONED
THAT CHURCH IS COMMANDED
TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER

A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES
BEGINS WITH ONE STEP
I WOULD LIKE TODAY
WITH YOUR HELP
TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER
TO MAKE ONE SMALL STEP

REMEMBER THE TOWER OF BABEL
WHERE TONGUES WERE CONFUSED BECAUSE OF SIN
AND REMEMBER THE TONGUES OF FIRE
OF PENTECOST MORNING
WHICH SIGNIFY A NEW LANGUAGE
THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE

WELL IN OUR LIVES
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE
WITH WHOM WE FIND IT HARD TO COMMUNICATE
SOMEONE IN OUR FAMILY
SOMEONE OUTSIDE OUR FAMILY
PERHAPS EVEN GOD

IN THE PRIVACY OF YOUR OWN MIND
IN THE PRIVACY OF YOUR DEEPEST HEART
I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SAY THESE WORDS
WITH ME
AS I SAY THEM TO THAT PERSON
I MYSELF FIND IT HARD TO LOVE

LET US BEGIN

WHOEVER YOU ARE
THAT I FIND IT HARD TO TALK TO
FOR WHATEVER REASON
I PROMISE THAT I SHALL TRY
TO ONLY SPEAK LOVE TO YOU
TO CURB HATRED AND ANGER
I PROMISE FURTHER
THAT WHEN I FAIL
I WILL TRY AND TRY AGAIN

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WHAT WE HAVE PROMISED IS NOT EASY
CHRISTIANITY
PROPERLY LIVED
IS NOT EASY
BUT THEN I KNOW OF NO PROBLEM IN LIFE
CURED BY MORE HATE

WE ARE THE CHURCH
WE ARE COMMISSIONED TO SPEAK LOVE
LET US MAKE IT OUR NATIVE TONGUE