SPIRIT HOLES

A Sermon for Pentecost Sunday
May 27, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Acts 2:1-21
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 nation 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.’

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea 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. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (NRSV)

Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the church. We hear the story of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the first reading from Acts. Let us imagine, for a moment, what it would have been like to witness this dramatic Spirit encounter first-hand. So let’s pretend we are the disciples gathered in a house following the ascension of Jesus. Suddenly a huge wind roars through the room, like a terrible storm. A tongue of flame appears and hovers in the air above us. Before we even know what’s happening, this giant flame splits into smaller flames that hovers over each one of our heads.

About the time that we’re ready to phone the volunteer fire department, our mouths open and we start preaching in different languages. Strange. We never studied these languages. How can it possibly be that we are speaking in them? And we’re not just speaking like you do in a foreign language class with simple phrases like “Hello, what is your name?” No, we are preaching, preaching passionately about the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we go out and proclaim these words in various languages and the foreigners gathered around can understand and believe. And 3,000 people are converted and baptized!

What an absolutely amazing story and how thrilling to put ourselves into the shoes of those disciples to whom it happened. But there is a danger here in thinking that the Pentecost story is just a tale from the past. There is the trap of considering it another one of those miracles of the Bible that don’t happen any more.

But the reason we celebrate Pentecost day, followed by the lengthy season of Pentecost, is that we hold fast to the fact that the Spirit’s outpouring is on-going. Jesus made this amazing promise to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our dwelling with them.” Jesus assures us that, by the Spirit, he and the Father will come to us—will dwell with us.

This Spirit speaks for us, on our behalf. “Advocate” is only one translation of the Greek word, which can also be translated as “intercessor,” “teacher,” “helper,” and “comforter.” Notice that all these words refer to someone who is called upon to aid another person and to defend them. The Spirit advocates for us and this same Spirit, in turn, urges us to advocate for others.

This Spirit of advocacy didn’t first show up on Pentecost Sunday. When Jesus first preached in the temple, he read from the Prophet Isaiah, who declared: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's Favor." Jesus, led by the Spirit throughout his time on earth, preached good news to the poor. He tirelessly advocated for those who here helpless, defenseless, the economically poor, the poor in Spirit. Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit precisely for such a mission: and he in turn poured out the Spirit on his disciples so that they might continue the same mission.

And so on the day of Pentecost, the powerful Spirit of advocacy anoints the disciples for service as well. They become able to speak in other languages, not just for dramatic effect, but to reach out to all, especially those most in need. That’s why the early believers lived together and shared their possessions, giving to all, as any had need.

These early believers who first received the Holy Spirit show us that the poor are the first priority of the infilling of the Spirit. The Spirit is not just for our inward blessing, it is also for outward service to those in the world. The Spirit blows through us and convinces us to care for others.

In the middle ages, churches would sometimes leave a gapping hole—a Spirit hole—in the ceiling of their sanctuary as a sign that they were still open to the Holy Spirit. This hole was a reminder that they wanted the Spirit to fall afresh upon them, to advocate for them and to urge them to be advocates for others.

Now we don’t have a hole in our ceiling. It would be very messy on rainy days. But it is an interesting image, isn’t it? Do we have Spirit holes in our hearts? Do we leave room for the Spirit? Do we want the Spirit to come in and take hold of us? Someone once criticized the preacher, Dwight Moody, for speaking so extensively on the Holy Spirit. They said, “Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?” and someone—in his defense—said, “No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on him.” The question for us to ask ourselves this morning is: Does the Holy Spirit have a monopoly on us? Jesus said that his followers would do even greater works than he did because of the power of the Spirit.

This Pentecost, may we widen the Spirit holes in our hearts and say yes again—yes to the fiery, windy, powerful Spirit of God that blows where it pleases. May we renew our commitment to working for peace and justice on behalf of the poor as Jesus did. And may the Spirit call us to an even deeper life of faith and service.

Let us pray: God of glory, your word is like a fire, like a hammer splitting rock. Your word in me is a burning fire, burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in. Let it burst from me like fire and flame to transform the earth and all its people to the glory of your name. To you be glory and praise, celebration and song, forever and ever. Amen.
(by Miriam Therese Winter from Woman Prayer, Woman Song)

Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

FREED TO FREE

A Sermon for the Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 20, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

Acts 16:16-34
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortunetelling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God. (NRSV)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Today, on our last Sunday of the Easter season, we hear an amazing story from the book of Acts. Paul and Silas are going about doing their ministry and they run across a girl who has been possessed by a demon. Paul miraculously removes her power of divination. He sets her free. But her master is upset about the loss in revenue it will cause him. So he drags them to the magistrates. They are beaten with rods and thrown into jail. Not only that, but they are fastened with stocks.

We’ve all had days like this, haven’t we? Okay, maybe it’s never been quite that bad for us, but we can certainly relate to Paul and Silas at this point. Sometimes life just throws us a curve ball and we think how unfair and outrageous it is that we should have to suffer such a thing. Our experience can be pretty painful and a pity party would definitely be in order.

But here is where we can really learn something from the scripture lesson. We hear not one little peep of complaint out of Paul and Silas—at least the way the story is written. Despite the pain and exhaustion of the beatings they must feel, it says that they begin to pray and sing songs of praise to God. Wait a minute? Did we hear that right? They are beaten up, in stocks, in jail, at midnight and they are just singing their little hearts out to God.

What do they know that we don’t? I mean, would we be happily singing songs in the middle of the night if we’d just been through what they’ve just been through? This is absolutely remarkable! They are completely undaunted. They are still filled with joy of the Lord despite their bleak circumstances. Many people think that the miracle of the story is that God frees them from prison by an earthquake and that’s certainly miraculous, but I consider their boisterous cheerfulness in the midst of adversity the most amazing miracle. It is obvious that these men are filled with faith to behave in such an astonishing fashion. They must know the God of love—they must really know the truth of the gospel in their hearts. And because of this, it seems to me that they are already free. Nothing can really imprison them because they know that the power of God is bigger than any shackles they’ll ever have on.

And then, the earthquake shakes the place. Earthquakes can be quite terrifying. I’m glad I got out of California before the “big one” hits. This earthquake, however, is a freeing one. It bursts their chains and Paul and Silas are freed—fully freed! But they don’t run away. I think it is because they were already free in their hearts. They behave in most strange fashion. They stick around. And when they see the jailer about to kill himself because he fears what his superiors will do to him if they find out he’s let the prisoners go. Paul yells out to him and convinces him not to do so. This so baffles the jailer that he ends up accepting Christ, being baptized and inviting them to his home where he tends their wounds. This is another completely unexpected turn of events. What a drama we’ve been offered!

This passage demonstrates the degree of change that is possible in human life. Paul and Silas act in a way that defies normal behavior. They act in faith and joy and deep compassion. They teach us about being intentional agents of change in our society. They could have hated the jailer for being a part of their oppression, they could have run away—protecting their own self-interest. Instead, they open their hearts to him and he, in turn, opens his heart to them and to Christ. More miracles.

As Christians we are called to a ministry of reconciliation, transformation, and renewal. Our own behavior and our own willingness to effect that change is defined by our relationship to the risen Christ. Is Jesus alive in you? It is obvious by your actions when he is.

The capacity to be different and to act differently because Christ is the center of our being is one of the most effective ways of sharing the Good News. Don’t just talk about Jesus, live his truth. Our commitment to recognizing and appreciating the best that is possible in others reflect the best qualities of what it means to be truly human.

As human beings, we find ourselves captive and imprisoned by a number of things that separate us from Christ and from one another. We may be imprisoned by fears, prejudices, attitudes, anger, and a other feelings that well up during times of stress.

At times like this, when we are unable to manage the complexities of life or circumstance, may we be freed by the power of the Holy Spirit, as Paul and Silas were. May we be set free so that we can free others.

In all things may the mind of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, direct us to fulfilling the God's work during the course of our lives. May the Holy Spirit work within us to bring a sense of joy, centered peace, and a deep sense of compassion in our work and witness with others, in the name of Christ.

And now, may the peace which passes all understanding keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007

LIVING SHALOM

A Sermon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 13, 2007
by Pastor Laura Gentry

John 14:23-29
Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. (NRSV)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, there is a wonderful scene where One day Calvin and Hobbes come marching into the living room early one morning. Calvin’s mother is seated there in her favorite chair, sipping her morning coffee. She looks up at Calvin—amused and amazed at how he is dressed. Calvin’s head is encased in a large space helmet. A cape is draped around his neck, across his shoulders, down his back and is dragging on the floor. One hand is holding a flashlight and the other a baseball bat. “What’s up today?” asks Mom.

“Nothing, so far,” answers Calvin.

“So far?” she questions.

“Well, you never know,” Calvin says, “Something could happen today.” Then Calvin marches off, “And if anything does, by golly, I’m going to be ready for it!”

Calvin’s mom looks out at the reading audience and she says, “I need a suit like that!”

Some days feel like that, don’t they? Life can be so difficult and chaotic that we need a suit like Calvin’s in order to be ready for it. In our stressful world, where violence, prejudice, anger, poverty, hatred and war pervade, we need something to be ready for it. And Jesus knew this. That’s why he gave the disciples a very special gift before he left them to ascend to the Father.

In this morning’s gospel, we hear part of Jesus’ farewell address to his followers. He knows that he will soon leave them and he needs to get them ready for his departure. Jesus explains that he will ask the Father to send them the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead them and remind them of all Jesus taught them. Then, he said to them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

What an amazing gift he gives to the disciples and to all of us—peace! In Greek, the word is Shalom, which means peace beyond anything we could desire or imagine. It is a peace that encompasses justice and peace among all people. It demands respect for the dignity of every human being. Shalom, God’s peace, means becoming a people who seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.

So as Jesus gives us this Shalom, this peace, he makes us stewards of it. We are responsible to share this Shalom with the world. Next week we will celebrate Ascension Sunday—reminding us that Jesus has returned to the Father in heaven and so it is up to us, with the Spirit’s power, to carry on his vision of Shalom for all people.

This vision runs all the way through to the very end of the Bible in the Revelation of John of Patmos: There will be a New Jerusalem whose gates are open and never closed to anyone or anything. It is a vision of opening our doors to peoples and nations beyond ourselves. And through it all runs the river of the water of Life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Beside this river is a tree with all kinds of fruit. And the leaves of this tree are for the healing of nations: for the healing of nations—no HMOs; no co-pay policies; no troop deployments; no suicide bombers; no coercion by violence, no threats of domination. Just pluck the leaves of the tree and be healed. It is a new kind of healing. It is a new kind of reconciliation. It is a new kind of health care delivery system. It is a new kind of Peace. It is God’s own Shalom. What a marvelous vision!

When Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you,” he is commissioning us to be those who bring this vision of God’s Shalom to all people and to all the nations. In giving us this parting gift, Jesus invites us to bathe in this river that flows through the New Jerusalem.

Do we come here today to bathe in this river bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb?
Lydia does. She who sells purple cloth, expensive, royal, purple cloth, sold only to those who can afford it. Our lesson from Acts this morning tells us about Lydia who is a successful merchant. Lydia and the women of Philippi are down by the river at a “place of prayer” outside the gates of the city.

God opens Lydia’s heart, just as we pray for God to open our hearts. Yes, Lydia’s heart is opened, and Paul helps God to pour in this love. Lydia and the women welcome this foreign missionary who interrupts their prayers and shares with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are baptized in the river. Lydia and her entire household are baptized.

This is significant because Lydia is the first European to be baptized. Lydia’s may be the first gentile house, that is non-Jewish, that Paul has ever entered. Paul had read the Bible and had been taught to avoid any contact with people like Lydia. Paul had been instructed and believed he should bar the gates and shut off the flow of the water of life to any and all gentiles. Paul had been taught not to be seen in public with women, let alone gentile women.

So Paul is making a leap of faith. Paul is entering into a life of Shalom, God’s peace that passes all understanding. Contrary to custom, Paul is welcomed into Lydia’s household. Thus, Lydia makes a leap of faith in offering this Jewish missionary the hospitality of her home.

All distinctions of clean and unclean, acceptable and unacceptable are passing away. Healing is indeed taking place, down by the river. God is doing new things through Paul and Lydia. This healing and these new things exceed all that we can desire or even imagine!

All of this comes about because Paul has a dream, a vision. He imagines he can go to Macedonia. He goes expecting to find a man there, but surprise: he finds Lydia. And as a result, the world is changed down by the River of the Water of Life.

Down by the river of the water of life, all things are possible. It is even possible that we, too, can be changed. We, too. can lay aside long held assumptions, preconceptions and prejudices. Like Paul, we too can lay aside old understandings of the Bible that limit God’s love and power. Like Paul we too can have the vision to go to people beyond the four walls of our church, beyond the boundaries of our community, beyond state lines, beyond the United States of America, and let God’s ways be known upon the earth, God’s saving health among all nations.

We may notice the location of all this activity: Jerusalem and Macedonia, two pieces of God’s real estate still under dispute and heated contention. We are invited to imagine God’s Shalom, God’s peace, even in such violent places as Jerusalem and Macedonia.

 We are those people who can imagine all of this and more because we have these stories. Paul and Lydia had to be frightened to death to be breaking with all convention. Lydia is baptized only because she and Paul were able to suspend their understanding of what their cultures and the Bible had taught them. They were willing to  suspend all the rules, regulations, and customs that governed their world in order that God’s greater Shalom might rule.

They had to let go and sing the new song God was calling them to sing. And they had to open their hearts and minds to see everything in a new light. That light is the light of the Lamb. John of Patmos in the book of Revelation imagines a day when “the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring it glory.”

Don’t be fooled, though, Paul and Lydia were not extraordinary people. They were just like us. Can we imagine all of this and more? Can we see ourselves opening our hearts and minds to strangers? Can we imagine old hurts and old wounds being healed by the banks of the river of the city of God? Can we open our hearts to let the Light of Christ shine into all its dark corners and drive all fear and anxiety from our midst? Can we allow ourselves to be drawn closer and deeper into the world of God’s Shalom?

Jesus wants to give us all of this. Jesus wants to give us all of this and more than we can either desire or imagine. Listen as he calls us: My own Shalom I give to you; I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. Peace I leave with you. It is yours to have and to give to the rest of the world. Amen.

And now, may the peace which passes all understanding keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

© Laura E. Gentry 2007