If we had to pick one theme for the celebration of Pentecost, it would be the gift of the Holy Spirit, no contest. The first chapter of Acts recounts Jesus’ promise to his disciples, that this Spirit would come upon them - baptizing them - granting power to be witnesses both near and far - “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus makes this promise to his disciples before the ascension, but the gift is not immediate. It's not as if, as Jesus is ascending into heaven, he sprinkles the Holy Spirit down on his disciples. Instead, the disciples hunker down in Jerusalem and wait.
Finally, the day comes, coinciding with the Jewish festival of Pentecost, or Shavuot. The disciples were gathered together in one place, and the Holy Spirit appeared to them as the sound of rushing wind, and the sight of tongues of fire, and the ability to speak in other languages.
 |
| Photo by Al Soot on Unsplash |
But the Spirit was not just for those few disciples. Instead, her presence spilled out beyond that room, revealing God’s deeds of power to those gathered in the crowd. In the midst of the chaos, the crowds were bewildered and unsure of what they had just witnessed - was it something other-worldly, or just drunken revelry? It will not surprise you that the story Bible version we heard didn’t include this part, but you can see the full text from the version we usually read printed in your bulletin. Some in the crowd respond to the seemingly incoherent babbling with sneers of “They are filled with new wine.” And Peter’s response is, “They are not drunk as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning…” Clearly Peter’s never been to a tailgate on an early game day…
But, once he has their attention, Peter uses words from the prophet Joel to offer context and language for their experience. Indeed, the Holy Spirit does not reside only in the walls of the Temple, nor only upon a chosen few, but is instead poured out on all flesh, regardless of age or status. “Your children shall prophesy, and your youth shall see visions, and your elders shall dream dreams. Even upon all of my slaves, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.”
Many in the crowds took Peter’s message - took the Spirit’s message - to heart and were baptized. Having had their hearts and minds opened to the Spirit’s presence, and having been given context and language for her work, I wonder where else they saw and experienced the Spirit’s presence as time went on, and how they were emboldened to share about it.
Context and language for the Spirit’s presence were also important in our first reading from Numbers. As God’s people Israel wandered in the wilderness following their liberation from enslavement in Egypt, the mantle of leadership had become a burden for Moses. So, in response to Moses’ pleas, God instructed that seventy elders be chosen from among the people to receive a share of the Spirit that rested on Moses. Coming down in a cloud, God spoke to Moses, and put the Spirit on the seventy elders, and they prophesied.
Back in the camp, though, the spirit also rested on two others, Eldad and Medad, and they too prophesied. The reaction of some who heard it was suspicion, and fear. A young man ran to tell Moses, and his assistant, Joshua, chimes in, too - stop this! People are prophesying who were not on the approved list! They did not follow the right procedures for training and vetting!
But Moses - in a wonderful display of self-differentiated leadership - is not suspicious or fearful. Instead, he acknowledges that it’s not a competition; that God’s spirit does not follow human direction or human constraints, and offers this really lovely sentiment: “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord’s spirit would be put on them!”
I have to say, unfortunately, that often my first inclination is to agree with Joshua in this situation. I like rules, and boundaries as aids in making sense of the world. If we were to turn the room into a scale from one to ten, one being not at all comfortable with the unpredictability of the Holy Spirit, and ten being very comfortable, I would guess that many, if not most, of us would be gazing curiously at the intricacies of the organ. Yes, I imagine that you, too, might feel a sense of helplessness and powerlessness when it comes to attempts to direct the Holy Spirit’s work.
As I’ve reflected on this desire for order, especially in light of today’s texts, here are a few things I’ve been wondering about:
I wonder about our inclination to view ourselves as the insiders, viewing anyone we consider “outsiders” with suspicion.
I wonder if we are also inclined to interpret the Spirit’s work in and through “outsiders” or in ways that do not align with our preferred worldview as bewildering, or, worse, the result of intoxication or mental disorder.
I wonder if we see church as a whole, and our kind of worship in particular, as the only place that the Spirit is truly at work.
These examples may seem a bit extreme. But even if not to that extent, I think it is fair to say that we often try to tame and mediate the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Perhaps we might take Moses’ words to heart this Pentecost: “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord’s spirit would be put on them!”
We can (and do!) trust that the Holy Spirit is present here in worship - present in the Scriptures, read and proclaimed. Present in the waters of baptism that pour over us. Present in the meal that grants us salvation, forgiveness, and new life.
While trusting in the Spirit’s presence here, we ought not be so arrogant as to assume it is only here that she is at work. Indeed, the Spirit is a wild, wonderful, and unpredictable force, strengthening and empowering God’s people as we gather in this place, and in all places throughout the world. We can choose discomfort, or we can choose wonder and openness as we notice and name the Spirit’s presence in all places. For this gift, we give awe-filled thanks and praise.
Comments
Post a Comment