Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
May 23, 2010 – Pentecost

Romans 8:14-17 (NRSV) For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Acts 2:1-21 (NRSV) When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. 5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." 14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. 18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

The Spirit

Today is Pentecost – the day we celebrate the birth of the Christian church. The first Pentecost was one of the most wonderful and exciting moments in the history of the Christian faith. As promised by Jesus, it was the day that the Holy Spirit fell afresh on the lives of believers. People were filled with passion and power; with joy and celebration.
Luke records the event as it happened to Jesus’ followers who had gathered: “When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.” (1-4) In this moment in history, God saw fit to pour out the Holy Spirit on believers for empowerment and ministry.
          There is great hope and incredible promise in this passage from Acts. The outpouring of the Spirit is not just for Jesus’ disciples; we are told that every follower of Christ is assured that he or she will experience the Holy Spirit. No just some – everyone!
All of us gathered here this morning claim to be Christians, right? So, let me see a show of hands: How many of you have been in a room “when suddenly from heaven there was a sound like the rush of a violent wind?” (2) I’m not sure I see any hands raised. Well, how many of you have ever had “divided tongues, as of fire,” floating over your head? (3) No takers on that one either? OK, third question: How many of you are filled with the Holy Spirit? Ah-ha – at last I see some that might want to claim that.
Why is it that we are timid in claiming the Holy Spirit? Are we afraid of God’s power? Are we uneasy about God asking us to do something that we are not comfortable doing? What is it about the Holy Spirit that makes us uneasy?
As I think back to my ‘growing up’ years in the church, my only recollection of the Holy Spirit – in those day we referred to the Spirit as Ghost – was when we recited the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.”
I remember sitting in the Junior Choir loft, trying to envision the Holy Ghost flying around the sanctuary. Now mind you, my only experience with a ghostlike apparition was “Casper, the friendly ghost” so my vision was of this cute white, semi-transparent sheet flying around from corner to corner as we recited the Apostles’ Creed week after week. Other than this imaginary visit with a cartoon character, I had no clue why we would believe in a Holy Ghost let alone wait for the Holy Ghost to receive power from on high.
          But the Holy Ghost – also known as the Holy Spirit – is integral to our understanding of the fullness of God. On that first Pentecost, Peter quoted a prophetic word about the Holy Spirit from the second chapter of Joel: “I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters. Your old men will dream, your young men will see visions.” (28) In Joel’s prophesy, the Holy Spirit was promised to men and women, young and old alike.
The Holy Spirit was also promised at the baptism of Jesus. John the Baptist said, “I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His [Jesus’] baptism – a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit – will change you from the inside out." (Mark 1:8)
Even Jesus himself spoke of the Holy Spirit: “The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you.” (John 14:26)
          My point is this: all Christians are promised the gift of the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit is not imparted in a cookie-cutter fashion. There is not one particular way that the Holy Spirit comes into our lives. Unfortunately the “born again” experience of the Holy Spirit has taken a bad rap over the years because there are Christians that believe certain criteria must be met in order for a person to claim that he or she is filled with the Spirit. Some say you must speak in tongues; others believe that you need to rest in the Spirit. There are people who claim that a person must feel the Spirit – a warm sensation, a glow that radiates from a person’s face, or a fluttering from within would be in order. And there are those who would reject a person’s claim to be born again with the Holy Spirit unless he or she can manifest a healing or speak a prophetic word or cast out a demon or two.
But that’s not what Jesus says. He tells us: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit is given to believers so that we may be empowered, counseled, and reminded about God’s love for us! The Holy Spirit meets each of us as the Spirit sees fit. And each of our experiences with the Holy Spirit is unique and personal.
On that first Pentecost there was great wind, tongues of fire, speaking in other languages, bold preaching in the name of Christ, and three thousand converts! No wonder many pastors want to skip the celebration of Pentecost – even though the church regards it as the third greatest Christian feast after Christmas and Easter. So how does one go about explaining what happens when we encounter the Holy Spirit?
Let me share with you a personal experience with the Holy Spirit. Before I went to seminary, I was at a weekend conference at Princeton Theological Seminary (a Presbyterian seminary, I might add!) The title of the Conference was “Expressing God’s Shalom: Pathways to Wholeness.” The worship was inspiring and the speakers gave messages that were uplifting, energizing, and thought provoking. Saturday afternoon I attended a workshop entitled “The Power of the Holy Spirit.” There some people offered to pray with me for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. A bit uneasy and skeptical of what might happen, I decided to take them up on their offer. Gathering around me they prayed that I would open my life to the Lord and that He would fill me with His Spirit so that I would be empowered for ministry.
          Let me assure you, there was no sound like the rush of a violent wind and there were no tongues of fire. In Presbyterian fashion, everything remained decent and in order. I did not speak in tongues or rest in the Spirit; I did not feel any warm rush or sense a glow about me or experience any palpitations. I didn’t heal anyone or give words of prophesy or even encounter any demons to cast out.
Yet, in a very gentle and loving way, something did happen. When I invited the Holy Spirit into my life, God took the invitation seriously! I opened myself to the power of the Holy Spirit and God changed me – for God’s glory!
Notice that the focus is not on what we do; the focus is always on what God does. I did not change myself; God changed me. It was a gentle, non-threatening experience. And yes, I was called to ordained ministry but many that I know who claim the empowerment of the Spirit are doing great things for the Lord in simple ways. To this day, the Holy Spirit works in me and through me: renewing me and strengthening me; counseling me and empowering me for ministry! I have been born again and continue to be born again each and every day.
It is true that some people want to control the Holy Spirit but the Spirit cannot be manipulated. We can’t make something happen that is not God’s will for us. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift and God chooses how and when this gift will be given. What happens is what God wants, not what other people expect! God is in control of the situation. We just need to be willing to receive!
          The story of Pentecost is infused with mystery, energy and enthusiasm. It is a story about individuals and about community. The Holy Spirit invites individuals, local churches and the church universal to participate in Christ’s ministry and mission. The Spirit equips us to help in sharing Christ’s love and advancing God’s kingdom.
          Think back to that first Pentecost. Young and old, men and women, learned and uneducated, slaves and free all received the power of God. All were embraced by the miracle of the Spirit; all were invited into the mystery of God.
          Dear friends, let’s allow God’s Spirit to usher us into the presence of the true, life-giving God! Let’s open ourselves to God and allow God to change us. Remember, the resurrected Christ is always present to a believing congregation through the astounding and marvelous gift of the Holy Spirit.
To the gathered in Jerusalem and to the gathered here today Peter promises: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (21) That is the mission of the Holy Spirit. Put aside your preconceived notions of what it means to invite the Holy Spirit into your life; put aside your apprehension of having a “born again” experience. Say yes to the life-giving and life-renewing presence of the Holy Spirit of God! Rest assured! God will give you just what you need – no more and no less! Amen and amen.