Art: “Pentecost” by C.E.W. Green †
You can find this week’s readings here. As always, I encourage you to check out our “Deep Dive” which expands upon these notes. Included in the Deep Dive is a weekly conversation with other pastors on the readings (via Zoom). It’s always a great time!
Depending on your tradition “Pentecost Sunday,” “The Day of Pentecost,” or “Whitsunday” may bring with it all kinds of expectations. And, indeed, the plethora of themes and concepts accompanying this day fit well with the diversity and unexpectedness of the Spirit! We could preach on unity, freedom, adoration, compassion, spiritual formation, virtue, adoption. We understand that the Holy Spirit is our “Advocate,” “Helper,” and “Comforter,” all which can be unpacked in a number of ways.
For me, one of the things which ties these readings together is the reality of God’s faithful presence. Our God is the one who draws near to his people.
Our Acts reading (2:1-21) speaks of the God who has always pursued relationship with humanity and, by extension, with his world. Just as the Old Testament Feast of Weeks celebrated God’s giving of the Law, and therefore his covenant with his people, so the Pentecost event reminds us that God has been faithful to what he said in Jesus. We are not alone. God is at work: surprising and upending us every step of the way. In Christ, a whole new world has opened up. God pursues relationships not just with the “in” group, but with all people, not just communicating with them, but inhabiting their space, embracing them right where they are. With this comes a “sending,” that the Church might live out this comforting, helping, advocating reality in the world by the Spirit.
Our Romans Reading (8:14-17) contrasts the “spirit of slavery” and the “spirit of adoption.” The first sign that the Holy Spirit has come to dwell in someone’s heart is that they recognize God as their Father (vs. 15). The way of Jesus, the way of discipleship is learning to recognize that voice; to give it attention. This adoption is never earned. It is simply given by God’s grace. And, as a child is called to live according to the loving hand of a healthy parent, we are called to live into the life of Jesus. This will involve a life of suffering because the world is not often pointed in the same direction as our Abba. But it is also the way to our inheritance: the world restored.
In our gospel reading (John 14:8-17), Jesus describes the path on which the disciples are called to follow him. But, it is not a “path” at all. The path is Jesus himself. The disciples ask to see the Father, not realizing that when they have seen him, they have seen the Father. The disciples are called to obey His commands. This is not out of a sense of legalism, but out of relationship. The truth is that they can’t obey his commands on their own, and Jesus is not asking them to do so. They will be given another Advocate, to live with them and in them. Once again, God is the one who draws near.