Pentecost 2011

Empowered to Do, Empowered to Be

Acts 2:1-21; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-11; John 20:19-23

Pentecost is here. Our first reading, this morning is the account in Acts of the Spirit of God being unleashed on the disciples at the Jewish festival of Pentecost. If you listen, carefully, you may get a sense of the power that these frightened disciples felt as the wind, and flames began to stir within them.
Acts 2:1-21

Our second reading, and the focus for today, will be from 1 Corinthians. The giving of the Spirit was not simply a one time event. But there are gifts from the Spirit that remain with the church and empowers the church, even today.
1 Corinthians 12:3b-11

I would like to add to today’s readings a short passage from the Gospel of John. As the resurrected Jesus appears to his disciples, behind locked doors, he breathes on them his Spirit.
John 20:19-23

Over the years I have heard many stories and many ideas about the Holy Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit. Many strike me as being a bit off the mark. So this morning, I would like to, very briefly, share my thoughts on what I would consider three misconceptions about the gifts of the Spirit.


The first misconception is that the gifts of the Spirit are like a special talent that follows you throughout your life, like a talent for painting or a talent for keeping financial books.

The gifts of the Spirit are not simply possessions for us as individuals to enjoy. Paul describes them as activities that are activated in us. That is to say, the Gifts of the Spirit are not static, but very dynamic. Our activities change over time, and change with circumstances.
At 20 something, Martha was a  young adult and she found great joy in working with children and youth in the church, life during Vacation Bible School.
At 30 something Martha continued to work with youth, and she took a larger interest in justice ministries, working with places like Salzbacher, going to places like Nicaragua.
At 40 something, she continued to work with justice ministries, and she began to work for missions and outreach as she was elected to the session and became more active in leadership.
At 50 something, Martha continued to work through the session and ministries of the church, and now she saw her own parents getting older and her parents friends were getting older, and she began to do more to help and care for the older members of the church
At 60 something, Martha worked out retiring from her employment, she began doing more volunteer work in the community, sharing the love of Jesus Christ with those who are in need.
At 70 something Martha continued her volunteer work and she was taking more time to read and reflect on her own spirituality and she managed to get her church to create a prayer labyrinth.
At 80 something she continued to explore spirituality and used opportunities to teach and mentor others in their spiritual journey.
At 90 something, Martha is so filled with gratitude that where ever she goes and whatever she does, she is a witness to God’s grace and compassion.

Was their one gift of the spirit that was prominent throughout Martha’s life, or did the Spirit activate different activities as Martha grew and her life changed? The gifts of the spirit are not static possessions. The Spirit is a dynamic power.

Another misconception is that the gifts of the Spirit are given to individuals for the individual person’s spiritual benefit. Paul makes clear that the manifestations of the Spirit are given for the common good.  That is, they are intended for the building up of a community of faith. The Church in Corinth had become overly focused on individuals. And the gifts of the Spirit were valued for their individual manifestations: “Oh, look at him, he can speak in tongues.” “Hey, look at me, I can prophesy.” There is something greatly seductive about being given a special gift. We want to hold on to the gift, protect it as a possession of ours. But these expressions of the Spirit are not talents or special skills given to individuals so much as they are activities that are switched on, that are like apps on your computer that are activated so they can be useful to make the computer run more productively. And sometimes even our personal gifts are intended to be given away, not held on to. This was the case in Corinth.

    There is a colony of ants that lives in an area that is prone to flooding. These ants have a marvelous adaptation that enables the colony to survive the flooding. When the crisis comes the ants could easily use their powerful legs to climb onto a drifting branch or other debris. But, an ant, separated from it’s colony, does not survive for long. So instead, they find each other and attach themselves to each other, locking legs and arms until they create a single mass of ants that becomes a raft, a life boat, if you will. They remain dry, on top of the water, and they can survive for over a week, but they can only survive the crisis as they join together as a colony. Our gifts are not given for us to become rich and famous, although some have been successful in using their talents to that end. The Holy Spirit activates various activities in all of us, for the benefit of the community, the church, not just the individual. The individual can find her greatest joy when she finds her gifts enhancing the lives of others and the life of the community of faith.

The last misconception I would like to mention is not the most obvious, but it is one that I see, regularly. Many people believe that the presence of the Holy Spirit is to point us beyond this life to the expected return of Jesus. We are always looking up, as it were, waiting for Jesus’ appearing. Again, as Paul describes the Spiritual Gifts, his focus is not so much on the future as it is the present. The Gifts of the Spirit are not about focusing our attention on when Jesus will return in glory, they are about OUR being the body, the presence of Jesus, today. Ministries and activities are switched on. Activities of ministry are activated. We are bound together as a community. The focus of the body is to be active and present at the moment.

When I was going through seminary, there was a general rule of thumb that people would often quote about preaching: “Three points and a poem.” Well, I have shared with you three points. Instead of a poem, I would like to share a parable. It was written by Ann Weems and is found in her book, Reaching for Rainbows. It is a Pentecost parable and it is titled “A Group of Believers.” I believe it illustrates this last point of not looking up, but looking out. And it also helps to pull all three points together. The story goes like this:

A group of believers gathered in a church.

They believed in one God, God Almighty, who made

the world and everything in it.

They believed in God the Creator.

And they believed that God the Creator sent the Son,

Jesus Christ, to save the world.

They believed these things and they said them every

Sunday at eleven o’clock.

They were very busy and did the things most churches

do.

They had church dinners and they inquired about each

other’s families.

And they read the Bible and they sent a check to

missions every year,

And at Thanksgiving they collected canned goods for

the poor.

And on Sunday mornings things were done decently

and in order.

They were good church people.

But one Sunday morning during the service of worship,

a little boy came running in the church door, ran

right down the center aisle, and stood under the

cross screaming, “Help me!”

He was a thin child with dark, sunken eyes. The clothes

he wore were no more than rags.

His feet were bare and he shivered and then, with a cry,

fell -- under the cross.

Everything was quiet -- and then a voice yelled:
Get him out of here!

And another said:

We don’t want to get involved with his kind.

And a third said:
Get someone else.

But the rest of the congregation arose quietly, in unison,

and walked as if they were in step until they, too,

stood under the cross. They bent and lifted the

child gently and ministered unto him.

And then, as if for the first time, they noticed each other.

They smiled and their hands reached out to one

another and they began to dance.

Some people laughed, and said:
They’re drunk!

But others asked:

What does this mean?

And the people answered:
The Lord’s Spirit has been poured out upon us. The

Lord has anointed us to care for God’s children

everywhere who are crying, “Help me!”

And now this church is decorated in the bright colors

of joy. They people wear robes of caring and

commitment.

The call to worship is: “Help them!”

The entire congregation dances together.

[Ann Weems, “A Group of Believers,” Reaching For Rainbows, (Philedephia: Westminster Press, 1980), p. 44-45.]




Let us pray:
Holy God, pour out your Spirit upon us. Activate within us those ministries and activities that bind us together in ministry, in service, in praise. Amen.


Jess McCrosky
Orange Park Presbyterian Church
Pentecost Day
June 12, 2011