What Does This Mean?

What Does This Mean?

A sermon delivered by Rev. Peter T. Atkinson

May 20, 2018

at Bethany Presbyterian Church, Zuni, Virginia

Acts 2: 1-13

Joel 2: 28-32

Let us pray,

Help us to see despite our eyes

Help us to think outside of our minds

Help us to be more than our lives

For your eyes show the way

Your mind knows the truth

Your being is the life.

Amen.

Pentecost, Sunday – the gift of the Holy Spirit

The birthday of the church

I’ve always had trouble talking about the Holy Spirit,

Infinite, Indwelling, Eternal

Statement of Faith – 19 Stanzas, I believe. . .

            No direct statement about the Holy Spirit

            But 7 * 3 is 21, so the completed statement should have 21 stanzas. . . why 19. . . incomplete by design, but why 7 times 3. . . 7 days of creation and the Trinity

            One example of how the Holy Spirit is present in my statement of faith

            There are also many other places where the words associated with the Holy Spirit are included, like wind, breath, and Sustaining

            But most importantly the statement itself is a proclamation of the way the Holy Spirit works

Literally, “Inspiring” – hear Spirit in that word?

The Holy Spirit, always present, within us, I have never had real writers block, unless I was fighting against it, trying to direct it, but if I followed instead, I am always sustained. . .

At heart I believe the Pentecost story is about such things. . . let’s take a look,

Acts 2: 1-13 at least to start. . .

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 tongues^[a] 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,^[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome¹¹ (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.”

This is one of those stories you preach on every year, like Easter and Christmas

But it is so much more strange than Angel Choirs and Wisemen, even empty tombs

It all happens with real people- important to remember

What do you say?

The details are strange but memorable. . . there is the speaking of languages

            Connected it to the Tower of Babel, since it’s that story in reverse

            All those towns and places, people coming back together and hearing in their own language. . . one voice, one people,

In the Tower of Babel people were trying to get to God by their own means, here God is coming and dwelling within them.

But I’ve already done that, maybe not here, but I’ve found it hard to recycle, maybe something to do with the Spirit? , always renewing, always therefore new, and fresh. . . Hmmn

There is also the new wine. . . would any one accuse us of that? Maybe a sermon to spur us from Frozen Chosenness. . . been there done that, too

I came across in my research, questions people had about what the Spirit was like before Pentecost and after

            One said before the Spirit would only come upon people, but now they would indwell, and of course he had tons of Old Testament passages that proved his point. . .

            Another person, who also had quotes, (And some of them from the Old Testament, defied the “come upon” claim, said that it was the difference of a trickle and a flood,

The dam was built in Eden, and busted open at Pentecost

I liked both images enough to include them this morning at least in mention, but I was being called in a different direction. . . one more connected to what we’ve  been talking about throughout this Easter season, and maybe even before in Lent. . .

Rumi and the Metaphor of the Reed

Empty and hollow, a reed plucked and carried away,

I long for something that was and is no more.

It was I once, while rooted, my now hollow veins filled

With burning blood, and the heat of life,

I thirst for it, to be filled again, connected.

The wind I feel across my breaking point, and I hear a sweetish sound.

What is that sound? Could it be me?

I never knew I had it in me. . .

Keep that image in your head as we                                                                                                               look at the details of the story

First of all . . .

Every one in town for the festival of weeks. . . or fiftieth, for it is the fiftiest day after Passover

                                         ,

Jewish Harvest festival, the fact that it is a harvest festival is impactful, for there will be a quite a harvest today

So that’s why all the crowd has gathered. . .

Now let’s think about the disciples. . .

Remember where the disciples are: what they’ve been through

From the Last Supper to this

-          Put away your sword,

-          Denial

-          Betrayal

-          Crucified, buried in tomb

-          The pit

-          Back to Galilee

-          Rumors of resurrection

-          Jesus Risen before them

-          Full nets

-          Feed my lambs

-          Go forth and baptize, make disciples, I am with you

-          Jesus’ ascending

That is the path from disciple to apostle

And here they are now, to be sent

How would you start. . . what would you say. . . how do you begin a ministry

Knowing you denied, knowing your doubted, knowing you have no idea what to do

Who gives the authority to speak. . . and to say what?

Is Peter like Moses. . . stuttering, empty mouthed

            Certainly has spoken before, but typically impetuously, incorrectly, etc.

But now it says. . .

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:

And he takes the quote directly, so we’ll just take our Old Testament passage from him. . . this is Joel 2: 28-32

“And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.
²⁹ Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
³⁰ I will show wonders in the heavens
    and on the earth,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
³¹ The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood
    before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
³² And everyone who calls
    on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
    there will be deliverance,
    as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
    whom the Lord calls.^[c]

²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. ²³ This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,^[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. ²⁴ But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 

²⁵ David said about him:

“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand,
    I will not be shaken.
²⁶ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest in hope,
²⁷ because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    you will not let your holy one see decay.
²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence.’^[e]

He quotes David why?

He could have quoted so many others, Abraham, Jacob, Cain, Samuel, Solomon, Elijah, Jonah

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. ³⁰ But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. ³¹ Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. ³² God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. ³³ Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spiritand has poured out what you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
³⁵ until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”’^[f]

³⁶ “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

³⁷ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

³⁸ Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

⁴⁰ With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

And so goes the beginning of the church

But why

Why do so many repent, why such the harvest

To quote, the man, “What does this mean?”

Shared details – Blame in Crucifying Christ, emptiness and Guilt

They  all have felt that. . . and all people at all times. . . those old testament prophets and patriarchs, everyone, we all have

So we all can hear, the language is the same,

And we also feel the answer the same. . .

Being filled. . .

I told you about Rumi before, listen to what his words not mine are

Listen to the story told by the reed, of being separated

“Since I was cut from the reedbed, I have made this crying sound.

Anyone apart from someone he loves understands what I say.
Anyone pulled from a source longs to go back.

At any gathering I am there, mingling in the laughing and the grieving

A friend to each, but few will hear the secrets hidden

Within the notes. No ears for that, Body flowing out of spirit

Spirit up from body; no concealing that mixing. But it’s not given us

To See the soul. The reed flute is fire, not wind. Be that empty.

Being empty. . . nothing you’ve done, thought, believed, and you’ll be filled

I’ve been asked, because I say it almost everytime I preach,

Is it possible to think outside of your mind. . .