The setting for this morning’s celebration is the city of Jerusalem. As history unfolded, the people of Israel had been dispersed throughout the known world. On this particular day, Jews from all origins were reunited to celebrate the Feast of Weeks. It was a major Feast celebrating the harvest, and offering the first fruits of that harvest in worship to God. It came every year like clockwork…fifty days after Passover.
The noise was loud. It was full of energy and emotion, but it was just unintelligible. You see, the streets were filled with Jews from every nation. Each group was speaking their own native language, but one group of Jews was above the fray. They were holed up in the upper room. They had been there for some time now. It has been over a week since Christ ascended and instructed them to wait. Their waiting was filled with expectant prayer. Life was devoted to prayer. It is in the context of this bustling and feasting city that we hear the story of Pentecost in Luke’s words from Acts 2:1-21. Hear the Word of the Lord.
When we talk of Christmas and of Easter, nearly everyone understands the importance of those events. But when we begin talking about Pentecost, the reason for our celebration is not so clear. Sure, most of us could say the reason we celebrate Pentecost is that it was then that God gave us the gift of His Holy Spirit. Why celebrate that? What is so important about having the Holy Spirit? At Christmas, Good Friday and Easter we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Christ by which we have eternal life. Why celebrate Pentecost?
There are two primary responses to this question. The first, and more historical response we will call the “ecclesial” response. Ecclesial is just a form of the word ecclesia, which means the church. The ecclesial response then answers the Pentecost question in terms of the Church. Those who answer this way look at Pentecost as the Birthday of the Church. When God poured out the Holy Spirit on the disciples in the upper room, he was taking a bunch of flesh and blood and breathing life into it and creating the Church. This is an analogy to creation when God took the clay of the earth and breathed his Holy Spirit upon it and gave life to humanity. One church I attended adopted this approach. Every year Pentecost was a real birthday party. We all wore red. We had balloons. We took a family portrait. We had a family dinner. The ecclesial response celebrates Pentecost as the Birthday of the Church.
The second common answer we will call the “Pentecostal” response. The Pentecostal response is very individualistic. Pentecost is understood as the first time God gave his Holy Spirit to individuals. The Holy Spirit brought various gifts or benefits for individuals. Typically, when we think of Pentecostal today, we think of speaking in tongues. Each person has a personal Pentecost at which she is given the gift of tongues. While we do not affirm the gift of tongues, most Nazarenes would answer the Pentecost question with this Pentecostal answer. The official name of our Church used to be The Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. Pentecostal was understood as that event in the life of the believer when God poured out His Holy Spirit upon a person and she received the gift of Entire Sanctification. Only when Pentecostal came to me tongues did we change our name. The Pentecostal answer, then celebrates Pentecost as the first of many Pentecosts to come in the life of a believer.
While each of these explanations, the ecclesial and the Pentecostal, have helpful points, both are incomplete and problematic. Regarding Pentecost as the Birthday of the Church, one writer comments, “I disagree. I sense that the church was born on Good Friday when Jesus … asked the Father to forgive us, and a few bewildered, broken-hearted women and men wandered off wondering how they were going to live with that.” Was Pentecost really the Birthday of the Church, or was it something more like a rite of passage? The disciples were already called out. They were already gathered together. They were already living lives committed to Christ in worship and prayer.
Regarding the personal Pentecost, it tends to put Christ on the back burner. Everyone seeks to acquire this “gift” for themselves. It is as getting that gift, whatever it is, is all that matters. In many of the modern expressions of Pentecostalism, the gift is some sort of personal test of holiness. A person cannot really be holy if they do not show the gift. The problem is simply that this understanding tends toward idolatry. We want to obtain some thing. We dedicate our lives to obtaining some thing or some experience. The Christian should seek nothing other than Christ. We worship and seek only Christ. We desire the giver, not the gift.
Even more problematic though, is the fact that both of these approaches are attempts to control and contain – to tame – an otherwise wild and unpredictable event in the life of the church. One commentator suggests, “Both approaches seek to move Pentecost off the streets of Jerusalem and back indoors where things are safe and secure. Out in the open, people will ask questions, jeer and demand an explanation. Peter will give the first of several speeches necessitated by the Spirits unruly conduct. Surely everyone will be happier if we can only pack the Spirit’s roar and fire and outrageous speech neatly in a box, bringing them out at our convenience and for our own purposes.”
I want to propose a third option. That option is the “Missional” option. It takes into account both the ecclesial option and the Pentecostal option, but it puts both into proper perspective. At Pentecost, God sends His Spirit upon the church and sends His church out into the world. Up until this point, life in the church revolved around a tight schedule of daily prayer and worship. Up until this point, life in the church was lived together in the upper room. At Pentecost, God’s Spirit anoints the church and pushes it out of the upper room and onto the portico of public proclamation. Pentecost then is not so much the birthday of the Church as it is the church’s “coming out party.”
I remember watching intently as the events unfolded. John Paul II had died. The world’s eyes were turned toward Rome to see what was to come. Every minute between classes was spent in the lounge watching as the crowds we gathered in anticipation. Then there was white smoke! The crowds grew excited. A wave of electricity could be felt in the atmosphere. Then it happened, a spokesman came out, through the curtain and announced to the world, “We have a Pope.” Then the curtain opened and Benedict stepped out onto his balcony.
I envision Pentecost as a similar scene. The people were bustling about in the streets. Instead of white smoke, there was wind and fire. The crowd was electric. Then Peter, pushed by the Spirit, left the comfort and security of the upper room and emerged through the curtain and onto the balcony. He began preaching the Good News of Christ. Life in the church was once characterized by worship and prayer. To worship and prayer, the Holy Spirit now adds mission.
We see this quite clearly as we finish reading the story. Because of Peter’s public proclamation, three thousand were added. The people had gathered to celebrate the feast of the harvest, and it turned out to be a harvest like none had ever seen. Those who believed did not retreat into the upper room; they joined in with the mission. They committed themselves to life together, in worship, but Acts is really the story of the church in mission. At Pentecost, the church becomes fully immersed in, and fully empowered for, the mission of God.
This weekend, we also celebrate another holiday, Memorial Day. It is a day for celebrating those who are serving and have served our country in the Armed Forces. Why do we celebrate these people as heroes? Is it because they spend so much time in the safety of their bases, fixing equipping, and doing drills, and taking target practice? No. These people are celebrated as heroes because they refuse to hide within their safety perimeter when they are called to mission. We celebrate them because they are willing to risk everything for the mission they are given. Why are they willing to make such a sacrifice? Because they love so greatly the country that gives them their mission.
In a very popular song, Toby Keith sang of the American Soldier. He sang,
And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.
To those of you who are serving, or who have served, we give you deep and heartfelt thanks and honor. We thank you for your service. We thank you for your courage. We thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Toby Keith sang those words about the American Soldier in the wake of 9/11. If anyone looked at us today, could the same words be sung about God’s Church in the wake of Pentecost?
And I will always do my duty no matter what the price
I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice
Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me
I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.
Think about the time we spend together each week. Think about this summer. How much of our time is aimed at us? At getting us fat in our faith? How much of our time is spent in the upper room? Now, think about the time we spend together each week. Think about this summer. How much of our time is spent reaching out to our friends? Building bridges to our neighbors? How much of the time we spend together each week is spent with Peter and with the post-Pentecost church on the portico of public proclamation?
Pentecost pushes us out of these four walls and into the streets. Pentecost tells us being the church can no longer mean holing up inside the upper room, or the sanctuary, or the comfortable community of the faithful. Rather being the church means getting outside of our walls. Taking the good news of life in Christ…freedom in Christ to the world.
Will we always to our duty…our mission…no matter what the price? Have we counted up the cost? Do we know the sacrifice? Are we fully aware of what the mission of God requires, and are we willing to bear His cross with honor, so that the world might know freedom in Him?
This Pentecost, I want to challenge each and every one of you to commit to finding a way to use some of the time we spend together every week on the portico of public proclamation. How is our time going to be used to build relationships with non-believers? How is our time going to be used to build bridges to the world? Pentecost lays down the mission. It is not an easy one. It will require sacrifice. But it is our mission. It is a mission we must accept because we love the one sending us. But God who sends us, never sends us alone or unprepared. God who sends us – God who sends his church into the world – has already sent his Son. Now at Pentecost He has sent us His Holy Spirit, that we might be empowered for the mission we must embrace: to the glory of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
It is the now the Eve of my ordination. I must confess that I am no closer to understanding this mystery of faith than I was a few weeks ago. I really appreciate all the help and dialogue you all have contributed either here or elsewhere. So tonight, rather than getting bogged down in the theological quagmire of sacramental life and mysteries I want to spend a few moments sharing my reflections on the occasion of my ordination...The Feast of the Visitation.
