The Coming of the Holy Spirit
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
‘In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit,
and they shall prophesy.
I have always loved the celebration of Pentecost. I don’t know if it’s the surprise and unexpected excitement of the story, the wind and the flames and the languages, the beginning of something brand new, or the mystery and intrigue of not fully understanding or being able to control what happened. But I do know that one thing that I love about Pentecost Sunday is that it is a time of transition—a time for new beginnings and endless possibilities.
Here in the church sanctuary, when we prepare for Pentecost Sunday, our Alleluia sign comes down, the drape on the cross is removed, and the altar cloth and antependia (that’s the thing that hangs from the pulpit) change from white to red.
Folks, for the Great Fifty Days of Easter, we have been surrounded by shouts of Alleluia! And we have been hearing stories of Jesus appearing to his disciples and assuring them that they will be okay. In trying to comfort them, Jesus also tells them not to be afraid, because God will be sending them an advocate or a helper to guide them on their way. He reassures them that he has shown them and taught them what to do, and last week, just before Jesus ascended into heaven, scripture said that he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and they were filled with joy as they worshipped God.
Well, now, ten days later, I’m sure the disciples have been sitting around, wondering what would happen next. They were all in Jerusalem, huddled together in a house in the midst of the busy Jewish festival of harvest, and I’m sure they were wondering where this advocate, or helper was. I’m sure they were beginning to get nervous and impatient when suddenly, from heaven, there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, filling the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
I can only imagine that some in the crowd must have wondered if this was the end, when in reality, it was just the beginning. For the Holy Spirit had arrived, and their lives were about to be changed forever!
Friends, earlier I told you that one of the things that I love about Pentecost is the time of transition that it brings. Pentecost is a time of change, a new beginning and a fresh way of being. It was on that first Pentecost that the Christian church was born, and the disciples began to share the good news of Jesus with the world. Were they afraid? I’m sure they were! But were they also excited? I have to believe that deep down inside, they were that too!
My friends, change is never easy. As human beings, we tend to be more comfortable doing what we always do because we know what that’s like. We know what to expect and what we can get away with. But the Holy Spirit, though she is often referred to as a comforter, she likes to keep us on our toes. Just like the Holy Spirit blew through the house that the disciples were in, blowing open the windows and doors, pushing the disciples out of their comfort zones, and igniting a new flame of excitement in their hearts, the Holy Spirit does the same with us!
Now, sometimes people get confused when they think about the Holy Spirit, and they try to figure out just what this Spirit is all about. But if you remember the Trinity–which is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit–and you remember that the Trinity is referred to as the three-in-one, that means that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one and the same. We are blessed with three ways that the Divine interacts, teaches, listens, guides, and encourages us. You see, Jesus was God incarnate, meaning God in the flesh or God With us, and the Holy Spirit is the way that God continues to connect to our lives now, as a helper, a guide, and an encourager.
Now, as many of you know, I’m a Holy Spirit girl. My ministry and my faith are closely connected to the movement of the Spirit in my life. I am a strong believer that the Holy Spirit mysteriously moves around and within all of us, all the time. But it takes letting go, listening, and allowing room for the Holy Spirit to step in. It also takes patience and the ability to put our need to control situations aside. Because what I find is, when the Holy Spirit arrives, it always sends me in a different direction than I had planned.
On that first day of Pentecost, scripture says that the disciples were amazed and perplexed by what was going on because it was all new and unexpected. And I usually feel the same way when the Holy Spirit steps in. There is something exciting, refreshing, and energizing because it’s never something I can expect or invite or turn on.
Folks, the Holy Spirit is a mystery. It’s not something we can see or have a conversation with. We simply need to be open to the new possibilities that it brings and the amazing gifts that it shares. Friends, there are a lot of things that happen in this world that seem like a mystery: how plants grow from tiny seeds, and caterpillars turn into butterflies. Now, sure, there are often scientific explanations for many of these things, but I believe that deep down inside, as people of faith, we long to leave a space for the amazing mystery that we can’t always explain away. That’s why being amazed and perplexed go together hand in hand. It’s like we wouldn’t fully understand a day without night, or joy without sorrow. The gift of the spirit is not something we can prove. The gift of the spirit, like the gift of grace, is having the ability to receive something that we don’t deserve or can’t fully explain; all we can do is receive it, allowing it to change us.
Every week during the benediction I assure you that God loves you just the way you are, and so do I, but it’s the Holy Spirit that loves you too much to let you stay that way. The Holy Spirit nudges us when we need it and challenges us to not only be who God created us to be, but to be better today than we were yesterday, as we stretch and grow in our faith and as we work to make the world a better place.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, as you go out into your busy week ahead, be patient, take time to listen, and allow room for the Holy Spirit to step into your life. And if you feel a nudge to try something new or a sudden urge to make a change, don’t be afraid! Because the Holy Spirit just might be blowing open the door for an amazing and yet perplexing new possibility or igniting a flame of passion in your heart for something new. Remember that with God, all things are truly possible, so don’t be afraid. Allow the Holy Spirit and the winds of change to guide you. Remember, it might not be in the direction you expect, and it may be a little perplexing, but I can assure you that it will also be AMAZING!!
My friends, may it be so. Thanks be to God. Amen!
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