I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I
will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord. [Ezekiel 37:14]
When the day of
Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly
from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled
the entire house...Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a
tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. [Acts 2:1-4]
You send forth your
Spirit, and they are created; and so you renew the face of the earth. May the
glory of the LORD endure for ever…Bless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah! [Psalm 104:31, 32a, 37]
Jesus said to his
disciples, “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth…he will testify on my behalf. You are also to testify
because you have been with me from the beginning.” [John 15:26-27]
We have
arrived at the 50th day after Easter, and the 10th day
after the celebration of the Ascension of Jesus. It is Pentecost –
the word itself comes from the Greek for fiftieth – and it began
long before the time of Jesus. In the Jewish calendar this ancient feast
is Shavuot [shav-oo-AHT] and follows 50 days after Passover.
It celebrates the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
This
Jewish celebration would have been one of the reasons that the disciples had
gathered and it may well have been comforting to be together in the familiar
structure of this ancient feast. Of course, they were also waiting with
some trepidation, no doubt, for the sign promised by the resurrected Jesus just
10 days before, in his last in-person teachings. He said he would send
them the Advocate, the Spirit of truth. What must each day have
been like for them, individually and collectively? In only a few recent months
they experienced praying ~ and failing to stay awake ~ with Jesus in the
Garden, then his sudden arrest, Peter’s denial, the mock trial, the carrying of
the cross through the City, and the violent execution of Jesus, followed
quickly by his resurrection, time spent with him after he was back from the
dead, then his ascension, to mention only a few breath-taking details. I think
they would still be reeling in their own shock, grief, and fear trying to cope
with these inexplicable turns of events. Now here they are gathered together
again without quite knowing what is coming next, let alone when whatever “it”
was would arrive. Perhaps in their remembrance of God giving Moses the Law,
they also remembered the encounter Moses had with God in the burning bush. They
would also have known the words of the Prophet Ezekiel. And, perhaps they were wondering
about when and what was coming with each other when suddenly, a sound like a
violent wind and tongues of fire resting on them, gave them more than good
reason to be bewildered and amazed!
Today
it's easy for us to be blasé, to know the story too well, to be immune to the
thrill, the astonishment. Whatever the planning, hopes, and desires of the
Liturgists, sadly and often it seems, that the wonder of it
all has been lost, especially when not everyone is physically present in the
Church.
So today is the day to STOP knowing the
story. Today is the day to START to have an experience with the Spirit ~ to BE THERE, be amazed and astonished
and bewildered! We have the Spirit within us, and God’s grace, and
the love and Salvation of Christ merely for the wanting of it! Peter reminds us
in the words of the prophet Joel, that when Christ returns, everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And Jesus tells the
disciples, from whom we follow on, that they/we are to testify on
behalf of Jesus. The Gospels tell us how to do it: God filled our lungs with
breath, and the Spirit gives us our voice and strength to make Jesus known through
our words and actions.
Let us rejoice and be glad and joy-filled, and alive in
it ~ after all, it's Pentecost, time to feel the fire!
Also
known as the Birthday of the Church, Pentecost marks the official
beginning of the ministry of the Apostles beyond their local area and into the
known world to bring the message of Christ to all.
In Ireland and the UK, this day is known as Whitsun/Whitsunday, a
descendant of a Gaelic celebration from medieval or perhaps more ancient times.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Lord GOD, Almighty,
pour Your Spirit upon us again! Bewilder us out of our distractions and
detachment, fling us out of the ordinary into the stunning wonder and exquisite
joy of the Holy Spirit within.
Holy
Advocate, Spirit of Truth
RESPONSE: Enflame our Hearts,
Embolden our Witness
~ Lord
GOD, Almighty, awaken our souls in a blaze of faith-filled consciousness. Push
us to engage and insist, in ways small and large, that political leaders of our
World, our Nation, and our Community are held accountable for basic human
rights and needs, justice, mercy, and peace. We pray especially for: add
your own petitions
Holy Advocate, Spirit of Truth
Enflame
our Hearts, Embolden our Witness
~ Lord
GOD, Almighty, lighten the burden of pain for all weakened in body,
spirit, or soul. Fill them, and those who give love and support, with the peace
of Your Presence. We now join our hearts together to pray for those
in need… add your own petitions
Holy Advocate, Spirit of Truth
Enflame
our Hearts, Embolden our Witness
~ Lord
GOD, Almighty, Lord GOD, Almighty, our souls and our hearts bless You with
great Hallelujahs as You rejoice on the arrival of our beloved into the promise
of everlasting life. We pray especially for… add your own
petitions
Holy Advocate, Spirit of Truth
Enflame
our Hearts, Embolden our Witness
~ Lord
GOD, Almighty, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add
your own petitions
Holy Advocate, Spirit of Truth
Enflame our Hearts, Embolden our Witness
~ Lord
GOD, Almighty, as Your Holy Spirit falls afresh upon us all, may those who
lead us in Your Church feel quickened to energize and excite us, to live every
moment of every day through You. We pray especially for: add your
own petitions
Holy Advocate, Spirit of Truth
Enflame
our Hearts, Embolden our Witness
The
Celebrant adds: Living,
Loving, Holy Lord, You put the Spirit within us, filled us with the fire of
faith, and gave Your breath to our lungs to power our voices. Let us exhilarate
in all Your works and testify to Your enduring glory and the gift of salvation
for everyone who calls upon Your Name. Our joyful and unending
prayers ascend to Jesus, our Risen Christ; and the Holy Spirit, our Eternal
Advocate; who together with You live as One God, now and forever. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment