Just
now we have heard two different version of the Holy Spirit coming into the
lives of the disciples. In the gospel of John, the disciples are in hiding,
locked against the outside world, on the evening of Easter Day. Jesus appears
and breathes on them and says: Receive
the Holy Spirit.
And
then the story from Acts that we hear every Pentecost Sunday.
Luke
records this remarkable scene. A story of a noise like a strong wind, and like
tongues of fire around the people; a story of people being able to communicate
the gospel across language and cultural boundaries.
Pentecost
is a celebration in the
life of the church, a celebration of the
life of the church. Pentecost is a celebration of gift and giftedness, of the
remarkable and the everyday. It is sometimes referred to as the birthday of the
church.
The
spirit gave the disciples courage, courage to be themselves. Peter: impetuous,
Jesus-denying Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit addresses the crowd. Some
in the crowd made fun of the disciples, suggesting they are drunk. But Peter
stands there and tells people, that no, the disciples are not drunk. This is
what the prophet Joel had talked about: the coming of the Spirit of God that
would enable people to see visions, to dream dreams and to speak God’s word,
which is what prophesy means.
Peter
stands there and tells the crowd about Jesus, and quotes many passages from the
Old Testament to illustrate how Jesus is the fulfilment of the words of the
prophets. The people in the crowd are in Jerusalem for the Festival of
Pentecost, a major Jewish festival to celebrate the giving of the law. The
people in the crowd would have been Jews, Jews from all over the Middle East.
Later in chapter 2 of Acts you realise how large the crowd was, for three
thousand people were baptised that day.
The
coming of the Holy Spirit into their lives at Pentecost was transforming for
the disciples, this group of people who didn’t seem to get much of what Jesus
spoke about, this group of people who didn’t know what to do after the
crucifixion, this group of people who didn’t know what to make of the empty
tomb, this group of ordinary, faithful, confused, bewildered disciples spoke
and lived with such faith, such fervour, that they changed the world.
The
Holy Spirit transforms us, changes us, and challenges us. It isn’t that God’s
spirit makes us do things we can’t do, but gives us courage and strength, so we
can be the people God made us to be.
Look
at this. [timber whistle]
It
looks like a stick, well it is a stick with a hole in one side, and part of one
end blocked off. What might it be used for? I could burn it, or throw it for a
dog to fetch – but is that its true role in life?
No,
it is a whistle.
And
just as it needs breath blowing through it to be what it was created to be. In the
same way we need the Holy Spirit blowing in our lives to be who we were created
to be.
Here
is a picture, a Windmill – [photo on screen]
In
a country as dry as Australia, water is very important.
One
way farmers make sure that stock have enough water to drink, is to have water
troughs in paddocks, and they use windmills to raise the water from deep
underground into the troughs.
This
style of windmill usually has 3 or 4 legs, with a circular section at the top.
This has a large number of blades attached to it. Some are able to swivel on
top of the tower so that the blades are always facing into the wind. The more
blades the better, though if the wind is blowing a gale, a few missing blades
doesn’t matter too much. The blades that are not attached to the rim are not
any use in the action of a windmill. Those lying rusting on the ground, are of no
use.
Even
though the windmill is a very useful item, it is of no use if the wind isn’t
blowing, on its own it can do nothing. The reason a windmill exists is to bring
water from underground for stock to drink – a very important task in a dry
land.
The
church can be compared to a windmill. The church exists to bring the
life-giving water of Jesus to a thirsty world. It works by the wind of the
spirit blowing in the world. It works best when all the people are working
together in unity. There is no room for spectators.
The
point of the windmill is to catch the wind, even the slightest breeze, and from
that raise water up from underground for stock to drink. If we are like windmills and the spirit is
blowing in the world, then we will have the life-giving water of Jesus to offer
a thirsty world.
..
You each have
a flame, a sign of the Spirit.
Just as wind can
be powerful destructive, creative or soothing
Just as fire
can bring warmth, light, destruction or cleansing
The spirit brings
peace and forgiveness,
The spirit
challenges and confronts
our
prejudice,
our
cold heartedness,
evil
and injustice
The spirit destroys
arrogance and hate.
The spirit
brings new life and new purpose
The spirit plants
seeds of compassion and mercy.[i]
Take your
flame home, and each time you look at it, I encourage you to think about the
Holy Spirit in your life:
Where
is it blowing?
Where
is it bringing light?
Is
it challenging?
Or
offering peace?
Lest
we think only of the ‘nice’ side of the spirit, here is a quote:
On the whole, I do not find
Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does
anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as
I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing
on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday
morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we
should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and
signal flares; they should lash us to our pews.[ii]
Do
you believe that the Holy Spirit is powerful and present in your life?
Are
you willing to take a risk and see what happens?
