PENTECOST

May 23, 2010

the Rev. Ken Kroohs

(Acts 16:9-15; Ps. 67; Revelation 21:10 & 21-22.5; John 14:23-29)

GOD GIVES – WE REFUSE

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, High Point, NC

MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU --- OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER AMEN

    There is a story told at stewardship conferences about the pastor who when faced with the need to talk about money thought he would do something clever .... he told the ushers to lock the doors before the sermon so no one could escape! ..... As you started the sermon he looked up and realized the ushers had locked the doors – from the outside! They escaped!!

    In the Episcopal church we don’t usually talk about money with enough enthusiasm to chase people away!

    But, if you want to see many Episcopalians run, start talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit — or gifts of the spirit — or speaking in tongues!! Please don’t step on anyone in the stampede!

    That’s truly unfortunate because those topics ... mis-used and mis-understood as they frequently are — actually are extremely important to our lives as Christians.

    At the same time, that attitude can be called ‘traditional’ in that Christians as a group did not talk about the Holy Spirit a whole lot for almost 2,000 years.

    Notice for example when we say the Nicene Creed in a couple minutes. It says “we believe in the Holy Spirit” — and not much else! Its as if even in the 3 hundreds, just a relatively short time after Jesus, the concept or knowledge of the Holy Spirit had pretty much vanished.

    There are relatively good reasons for that. And those reasons are very much like the reasons we have today. Just like we might not want to be associated with certain people and their actions, as Christianity spread it needed to distinguish itself from the various, what we now call, pagan religions. And one mark of many of those religions was ‘magic’ – ‘miracles’ — things done that were not explainable. Last week we heard had Paul ‘cured’ the woman who had a spirit of divination - fortune telling.

    It was only 99 years ago, in 1911, when any significant group of Christians turned their attention and focus to the Holy Spirit. We don’t have time to go into that history, but notice how for almost 2,000 years the Holy Spirit was largely ignored. (Look up “Azusa Street” for the history)

    Some people, including frequently Bishop Curry, will describe the Trinity as “creator, redeemer and sustainer” That is very scriptural but notice what it says — it puts the day to day connection with God the Trinity on the ‘sustainer’ the Holy Spirit, rather than the redeemer – Jesus.

    And that is pretty much Jesus says!! I like many of you, tend to think of Jesus as my closest connection with God - the Trinity. But that is not really scripturally accurate. Jesus says He will leave but will send the Holy Spirit to teach and sustain us.

    There is an important distinction between Jesus and the Holy Spirit. .... Think about Jesus for a moment ..... I suspect you have imagined a human being. And I find that I, and other people tend to relate to Jesus as a friend, a brother, maybe a big brother, a mentor to guide me, even occasionally a boss — the Lord to command me.

       All good images. All good images but notice something about each one of those — they are outside of us. Jesus is standing next to us, maybe instructing us, maybe even commanding us but He is outside us.

    Now imagine the Holy Spirit. ..... Hard isn’t it? .... One reason I like “Holy Spirit” better than “Holy Ghost” is that if I asked you to imagine the “Holy Ghost” you might visualize a human shaped figure with a sheet over its head!!

    But a spirit? ... That point of the Holy Spirit is that it becomes part of us. Not as in a demonic possession but rather as in an intimate partnership.

    Remember that anytime we separate Father, Son and Holy Spirit we are committing blasphemy! All three are all three. But sometimes it helps to differentiate the attributes of the Trinity and in this case the Holy Spirit’s attribute is an ongoing, life giving connection with us.

    I find having people running around yelling strange noises, claiming to cure cancer, and screaming at me what God REALLY meant to say as a bit – unpleasant, unreasonable, and frankly, a bit blasphemous!

    Mostly though those actions make me very, very angry because they tend to turn other people away from the power and joy of the Holy Spirit. They tend to make us try to operate without half our being.

    The best Pentecost sermon I ever heard was by the Rev. Bob McGee in Winston-Salem. It had maybe 15 words said several times. Bob had a box of those long balloons you use to make balloon animals. He would take one out of the box, shake it so it just flopped around without any shape or strength and say “This is you without the Holy Spirit”. Then he would inflate the balloon, make a shape out of it, show us it now was not a shapeless, flopping piece of plastic and say: “and this is you with the Holy Spirit”. He did it several times illustrating how we do need to be filled with the Holy Spirit if we are to have a Christian shape and Christian life.

    There I said it! Snuck it in but I suspect you noticed I said those words — “filled with the Holy Spirit”. So I guess I had better explain what I mean!

    It really does not matter but you can get into major arguments with theologians over the issue of whether the gifts or talents are ours from birth or given to when we connect with the Holy Spirit. My good Episcopalian, middle of the road, annoy both sides opinion is that we have the gifts and talents BUT they become activated or intensified through our connection with God. I touch on this only so we can IGNORE the issue! It doesn’t matter unless you are writing a theology PhD paper.

    What does matter is that we become more able, more confident, more comfortable, better equipped to serve God the more we connect with God through the Holy Spirit.

    Imagine you are on some remote construction site. You were sent there empty handed and some laborer begins to bring you tools and materials — in a wheelbarrow! A 2x4, a hammer and some nails — then he has to go back for more. After several trips with the wheelbarrow you might have enough of what you need to do some work. .... That’s us most of the time. Able to do some ministries — some work for God but nowhere near our potential.

    Now imagine we get smart and call Lowes’ to deliver all we need in a truck! Now we can do our job completely and well. You might say we are filled with the tools and materials we need. That’s us when we connect with the Holy Spirit. We are filled with the tools, materials, knowledge and insights we need.

    Don’t allow the language to get into your way. The ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’ is no more, and no less, than opening our selves to God in a very personal way. If you look at the prayers in both our baptism and confirmation services we find the prayer was that you be opened to God – that you be filled with the Holy Spirit — that you be baptized in the Holy Spirit if you want to use that phrase.

    And some people that does happen in a flash — a sudden moment of insight. But for the overwhelming number it happens over time. As one of our Bishops used to say; “may we be born again, and again, and again”.

    The real issue and the place where the people who connect in a flash have a weakness is they may miss the need to keep growing, keep deepening our connection with God. When we ordered that Lowes truck? We forgot a few things so we need to order a second delivery. Then we discover the job has changed and we need other materials. Then the job expands and we need more tools and materials. Our lives are not settled and fixed in one instant but ever growing and changing — or at least they should be.

    If our connection with God is the same as it was a year ago, or even a month ago .... if we only have the same amount of the Holy Spirit as we did a month ago — that’s not good. There is so much more available to us.

    As I read Paul’s letters and recognize the community he was writing to .... we are effectively eavesdropping on his conversation with them .... as I do that I have concluded that what Paul means by the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” is exactly what we find when we read the Old Testament. Paul means that God will give us whatever tools, materials, knowledge, insights we need to do the ministry God has in mind for us. It is not limited to any specific list but includes everything we could possibly need.

    God will NOT send you out unequipped. God will not send you out without what you need for that ministry. Won’t happen. What frequently DOES happen is we refuse to pick up the tools, materials, insights, knowledge — we refuse to ask for and pick up those gifts of the Holy Spirit because ---- ???? I’m not sure why!

    Maybe we are so self confident and self reliant that we don’t think we need the Holy Spirits’ help? Or maybe we are afraid that if we did ask for the Holy Spirit’s help we might actually get going on the ministry? That if we ignore the Holy Spirit we won’t have to do anything?

    So how does this all happen? How do we connect with the Holy Spirit? Or to use those explosive words, how do we became filled with the Holy Spirit?

    Yes, it can happen quickly. But it certainly does not require emotional manipulation with people praying loudly for you! Again, if that is your style, fine. It certainly is not mine! But that does not make it wrong.

    For most of us the process is different, even unique. Yes, it does require being in community. I don’t believe you can deepen your relationship with God in isolation. That’s part of what the “Prayer and Share” small groups are all about. To provide the small community.

    An image I find powerful is a charcoal fire burning brightly. A single briquet is pulled away and that one begins to cool and turn gray. When it is placed back in the midst – in the community – it regains its fire. We cannot grow in isolation.

    But within community — how does this thing happen? How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit? As I said, it is a personal and unique process but there is one and only one absolutely essential step .... a deep and sincere desire to be connected with God. A deep and sincere desire to be strengthened, empowered, lead, instructed, sent out by God.

    Not the kind of desire the child shows when trying broccoli! Not a tiny piece taken cautiously. Rather it is like the desire that same child has for chocolate ice cream! A deep, sincere desire that just burns in our very being. A desire that is difficult to deny.

    So the first step is to ask ourselves if we really want to be that closely connected with God.

    May our answer be “yes”.

             AMEN

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CLICK HERE TO RESPOND: I would enjoy reading your comments about this sermon. Please feel free to discuss content or presentation. (If you wish to use another email system send your comments to: ken@st-christopher.com)