First United Methodist Church
May 26th, 2024
Rev. Lauren Hall
Pentecost, One Week Later
Why do you think Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Perhaps Jesus offered this question to gently guide Peter in answering it, not because he was confused, but because Peter’s answer, more than Peter himself, is the actual rock of the church. Our confession as a church to the world as to who Jesus is, and what Jesus is doing among us and around us, is the rock upon which our church stands.
Today is one week after Pentecost, which specifically is about the moment that the church was born. We remember the gathering of people who suddenly could hear the message of Christ’s resurrection in a way that they could understand it. But Pentecost is so much more than that.
Pentecost is about what the church of Jesus Christ is supposed to be. It is about the Holy Spirit bringing people together as one in spite of their differences: different cultures, different languages, different traditions, different beliefs, different interpretations, different theologies.
It is about jubilee, which, according to the Old Testament, is about reconciliation, forgiving of debts, release from slavery, and restoration of lands to their rightful owners so that all can move forward together in a spirit of peace.
In Acts 1, Jesus promised that the disciples would soon be baptized by the Holy Spirit and that they were to remain in Jerusalem until this promise was fulfilled. And so, Luke tells us that the disciples returned to the room where they were staying and waited, constantly devoting themselves to prayer. At this point, they numbered about a hundred and twenty, and I’m sure as each day passed, they talked among themselves and wondered what they were going to do without Jesus.
And then, on the day of Pentecost, suddenly a great wind headed their way. Before any of them knew what was happening, this wind had blown through the entire house, striking sparks that burst into flames above their heads, and they were filled with it – every one of them was filled to the gills with God’s own breath.
Now this breath wasn’t simply the breath of life that was breathed into Adam. No, this breath was the breath of Jesus, full of passion, full of life, a breath that would not easily be distinguished. And it grew, in strength and in volume, until it was a mighty wind, which God sent spinning through an upper room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
God wanted to make sure that Jesus’ friends were the inheritors of Jesus’ breath, and it worked. Everyone there was filled with the Holy Spirit and then they exhaled. And they spoke, and as each one spoke, they shared the news about God’s deeds of power in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. No one was left out.
Before the day was over, the church had grown from one hundred twenty to more than three thousand. Shy people had become bold, scared people had become gutsy, and lost people had found a sure sense of direction. Disciples who had not believed themselves capable of tying their own sandals without Jesus discovered abilities within themselves they never knew they had.
When they opened their mouths to speak, they sounded like Jesus. When they laid their hands on the sick, it was as if Jesus himself had touched them. In short order, they were doing things they had never seen anyone but Jesus do, and there was no explanation for it, except that they had received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and they had been transformed.
The Holy Spirit moved through the room that day and transformed a group of people who were totally and completely dependent on Jesus into a force that changed the history of the world. Jesus placed his trust in ordinary people to continue his work. But Pentecost is so much more than that!
Somebody once told me that if you look deep enough, you will find God’s message of love hidden between the lines of most fictional books. One of those books is Dr. Seuss’ book, The Lorax.
If you are not familiar with this book, (it was a movie as well), it is about an entrepreneur, the Once-ler, who discovers that the Truffula tree produces a tuft that can be made into just about everything. [He tells us: it’s a shirt, it’s a sock, it’s a glove, it’s a hat, but it has other uses, yes far beyond that – Dr. Seuss loves his rhymes] He builds a factory, he brings in his family, and they work really hard to build a thriving industry. But interspersed into all this growth is the systematic destruction of an ecosystem. The Lorax shows up several times and warns the Once-ler that his business is affecting the creatures who live there. He cries out several times, “I am the Lorax and I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues,” and points out how the Once-ler’s actions are affecting others, but he is ignored, he is shushed, he gets yelled at – until finally, the last Truffula tree falls. The Once-ler has used up all his resources and all the resources for the creatures around him. They all go – the creatures, his family, and he is left alone with his big empty factory. The Lorax has left too, but he leaves a message in stones – the word “unless.” And that gives the Once-ler something to think about.
Over the years, he realizes that the Lorax has given him a mission. And that mission is to tell his story, and with that story comes an invitation for responsibility. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
He ends the story with this message: “So catch – it’s a Truffula Seed. It’s the last one of all. You’re in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds. And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs. Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care. Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air. Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack. Then the Lorax and all of his friends might come back.”
That, of course, is a great Environmental stewardship message. But what does it have to say about Pentecost? What does it remind you of that occurred on Pentecost?
If you paid attention during earth science, then you know that the air that the dinosaurs breathed is the same air that we are breathing now. It is the same air that Adam and Eve breathed, and it is the same air that Jesus breathed. When Jesus let go of his last breath, God captured it and blessed it and then set it loose on earth. It grew in strength and volume, until it was a mighty wind, which God sent through that upper room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
The question we need to consider is whether we still believe in a God who acts like that. Do we still believe in a God who blows through closed doors and sets our heads on fire? Do we still believe in a God with power to transform us, both as individuals and as a people?
What we have to realize is that we have been given something much more valuable than a Truffula seed. We’ve been given the Holy Spirit. The breath of Jesus. And we’ve been given a charge to nurture that Spirit within ourselves and others so that we can cultivate peace and justice in our communities and churches. We too are called to speak for those who have no tongues. We too are called to take care of our resources, not just so that we can have enough, but so that everyone around us has enough as well.
So, take a deep breath. Breathe in the breath of Jesus and receive God’s blessing. Receive the Holy Spirit and proclaim jubilee. And then go out and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Let us pray.
Pastoral Prayer:
God of majesty and power, how awesome you are to us! The mountains tremble, the seas roar at the sound of your name! Yet you have chosen to come to us in love and tenderness. You have called us to be people who will act in ways of peace and justice in your world. Infuse us with your Holy Spirit and give us the courage to serve our neighbors in mission.
From the very beginnings of time, you have poured your love into the world. People have made decisions about how to respond to that love. Some have chosen to act in ways of peace, justice and mercy, loving ministries of kindness and compassion. Some have chosen to impose their will on others, never acknowledging the rights and lives of those they oppress. Sometimes, we, by our attitudes as well as actions, have acted in ways of oppression. But you forgive and heal us.
You call us to be your witnesses of peace to the world. You have given us new life in Jesus Christ, who taught us about your love. Through Christ we are adopted as your heirs, your beloved children. You have given us opportunities to bring hope and peace to others. Let us seize these opportunities for ministries of hope. Encourage our hearts. Strengthen our spirits and our commitment to serve you. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN.
As you go back into the community today, go knowing that you are in the blessed presence of the Triune God who cleanses you, calls you, and empowers you to be messengers of God’s love in this world, filled with the Holy Spirit, Christ’s living breath. Go in peace.
