EMMANUEL UNITED CHURCH

SCRIPTURE READINGS

June 12, 2011

GOD’S WORD FOR US

First Reading is Acts 2:1-20

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tonguesa as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 “‘In the last days, God says,
   I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
   your young men will see visions,
   your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
   I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
   and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
   and signs on the earth below,
   blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
   and the moon to blood
   before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
   on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Not A One Time Event

- Rev. Steve Clifton –

The first Easter was behind them. Jesus had been raised from death and the disciples had been with him, had broken bread with him, and before he ascended to God he told them to wait in Jerusalem , to wait for the coming of the Spirit.

After Jesus left them they waited but they were filled with doubt and fear. They not only waited in Jerusalem but they hid out there, unsure, uncertain about what to do next.

And then the Spirit came, like wind, like fire and the fearful followers of Jesus moved out into the world with courage and confidence: Thomas to India and Egypt, Mary of Nazareth and John to Asia Minor, Thaddeus to Asia, Peter to Rome…The Spirit came and the disciples were changed. Boldly they carried the gospel to the world’s far corners… The Spirit came and the church was born.

Today we celebrate the gift of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit coming in Jerusalem many years ago. But the gift that was given was not lost or taken away. God continues to give the Spirit to the people of God and we are, again and again, renewed and strengthened, shaken and transformed by the Holy Spirit, the gift of Pentecost…

Five Hundred years after the first Pentecost the Roman Empire was crumbling and in retreat. The light of the Western world was beginning to dim. A citizen of Rome named Benedict retreated to the country and began to form a religious community built around a series of rules that he created for community life. His community became a movement and many monastic communities sprang up across Europe. The houses of Benedict became places of safety in a world that was becoming dark and dangerous, and within the walls of these communities the light of faith and of Christian civilization continued to burn, as the world around grew dark. In time the light that the Benedictines preserved would spread out in to the world again and the church and the West would be renewed.

One thousand years after Pentecost and the church had lost its way. It was political and powerful, wealthy and corrupt …and a merchant’s son from Assisi, named Francis, was moved to reject his wealth and status and to become poor for Christ. He led a renewal of the church by his own example.

Fifteen hundred years after Pentecost, the church languished. Popes behaved like warrior kings rather than spiritual leaders and the Church was worldly and profane. From Rotterdam came the critical writings of Erasmus, poking fun at the church, prodding it to change and reform. From Germany came the cry of an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther who called the church back to its Biblical roots… and the church was made new.

Eighteenth century England was going through the trauma of urbanization and the industrial revolution. Alcoholism was rampant. Poverty degraded the lives of millions. Displaced rural people filled urban slums. But the church was removed from the common people. It was established and indifferent to the plight of the poor. An Anglican priest named john Wesley felt his heart”strangely warmed”. He began a revival that brought the gospel to the poor. The Holy Spirit came and warmed his heart and the church was renewed.

Up until the 18^th century, slave ownership was common in the British Empire. Africans were enslaved and it was argued that the Bible condoned slavery. But the Spirit moved and things began to change. Leading abolitionists came from the Christian community. William Wilberforce, with th strength of his faith, spent decades fighting slavery in the British Parliament. John Newton, a slave ship captain, was converted to the faith and wrote the hymn Amazing Grace to speak of how he, once a blind wretch, now could see. After much faithful effort slavery was abolished in the Empire.

At the turn of the 19^th century the Church was cold. In the 1820’s only about 18% of Canadians attended church each week. By the end of the century more than 80% of Canadians were in church each week. The Holy Spirit moved and the Church was made new.

This past week I had the opportunity to hear Laurence Freeman, the head of the World Community for Christian Meditation and he spoke of where he sees the Spirit of God moving in the world today. He sees the Church undergoing a difficult and painful evolution, from an organization, an institution that dabbles in spirituality, to a spiritual community that has a dash of organization.

In her nineties she was a tiny, frail woman. She had lived in a remote place, lived near the poverty line for much of her life. She cared for her invalid sister and her sister’s children for decades. She had buried her husband, mourned her 2 sons, and was watching her daughter, her remaining child, die of a difficult illness. Half of her body was now paralyzed by stroke. She was living in a senior’s home more than hour away from where she had lived all her life and she had few visitors. But she glowed. Her hard life had not made her bitter or angry. She overcame it all, triumphed over it all with grace. She lived very close to God and was aglow with the Spirit. Visiting her left you feeling blessed.

At Pentecost and ever since that day in Jerusalem long ago, the Holy Spirit comes. Again and again God’s Spirit intrudes on our world and in our lives and things are transformed…made new.

So we do not lose hope. We live in anticipation. For the Holy Spirit was given and we are given this gift again and again. So today we pray:

Come Holy Spirit, come once again and renew the face of the earth; renew the hearts of your people. Lead us into life. In Jesus name.

Amen.