It's a Surprise Party!

Rev. Debbie Cato
Acts 2:1-21
Fairfield Community Church
May 28, 2023

All-knowing God, With clear minds and focused hearts, may we hear the words of scripture today and be receptive to the way in which God speaks to us through this good word.  In God’s holy name we pray, amen

 

It’s a Surprise Party!

 

I know I’ve told you this but I’m telling it again because I love it.  I think it’s the perfect Pentecost story.  In a church I attended in Tacoma, every Pentecost Sunday people stand at different times during the scripture reading and start reading it in their native language.  French, Spanish, various African dialects, Chinese, Vietnamese.  They would stand up wherever they were seated in the sanctuary and start speaking; reading the Acts passage in their own language.  Blending their voices with the other people speaking in their language. All these voices in all these different languages.  Voices coming from different parts of the sanctuary.  It became very chaotic.  Very loud.  It was beautiful.  It always gave me goosebumps. 

It was reminiscent of that Pentecost day in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago when Jesus’ followers were all standing in one place.  It was during the Feast of Weeks; the festival of first fruits when devout Jews from every nation were present. Suddenly the Holy Spirit appeared like a violent wind and tongues of fire came down.  Then Jesus’ followers began speaking in languages that they had never been able to speak before yet those from other nations were able to understand what they were saying!

Imagine what that must have been like!  Suddenly speaking a language you didn’t know! Clearly it was power from the Spirit sent by God.  Imagine the loud sound of the violent wind; imagine seeing tongues of fire coming down from heaven.  The Holy Spirit did not arrive quietly!

It always gives me chills.  A sense of what it may have been like on that first Pentecost.  It’s good for us to get chills.  To realize the sheer magnitude of God giving each one of us His Holy Spirit.  It’s usually not as dramatic as that first Pentecost but it does not diminish the power of the Spirit.  Do we even realize or appreciate the power God’s very Spirit gives us?  We are filled with God’s Spirit.  That same Spirit that filled the people 2,000 years ago. Let’s sit with that a moment.

Like those first disciples on the day of Pentecost, God is constantly calling us to new and uncharted territory. Fifty days after Passover, fifty days after Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, Jews from every nation gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks, commemorating the harvest and “the first fruits of their labor”. This festival scene in Acts 2 is transformed by the dramatic arrival of the Holy Spirit, with the sound of a violent, rushing wind and tongues of fire lapping the air. Jesus told them this would happen saying, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. But who could really be prepared for such a miracle? Such a transformation?

The miracle of Pentecost includes the Holy Spirit giving people from “every nation under heaven” the ability to speak new languages, to hear and understand each other. Because of this gift of God’s Holy Spirit, unity amidst diversity was discovered.  Although people were from different nations and different cultures, suddenly they could communicate and unity was found amongst one another.  People from all nations could hear and understand the Good News.  This was a transformation so profound, some cast it as unbelievable, dismissing those blessed as a bunch of crazy drunks. But they were not drunk.  The Holy Spirit filled them with gifts and abilities and joy they had not experienced before.  Gifts and abilities and joy they could not contain.

A prime example was Peter.  Peter who tended to put his foot in his mouth.  Peter who denied knowing Jesus three times. This very Peter stood up and boldly recited the words of Joel, emphasizing how the Spirit gives ordinary people extraordinary abilities.  Abilities to prophesy; to have visions, and discern dreams.

Too often, fear and self-doubt hold us back from all God’s Spirit can accomplish through us.  We don’t allow the Spirit to use her power.  I think we are often afraid of the Spirit.  Afraid of how the Spirit might change and transform us if we allow it.

I wonder what would change if we trusted the Spirit’s power to transform? Disillusionment is easy — we mourn the church’s decline.  We grow frustrated over our failure to create positive change.  We lose hope in the face of overwhelming problems.

But what would you try if you truly believed the Spirit fills you and gives you the ability you need for the work to which God calls? Would you speak against the harassment you witness?  The injustice you see but have been too afraid to say anything about? Would you write an op-ed for your local newspaper on behalf of the poor or marginalized? Would you run for office? Volunteer for our outreach projects? Invite people to church?

What would we do as the church if we trusted the Spirit to fill us, use us, and give us abilities that rise to the call of God’s work? Would we knock on the doors of our neighbors, listen to their needs, then do something to meet those needs? Would we worry less about our financial safety net, and risk investing our money in new things to solve big problems we feel God is leading us to solve?

We think too small when we measure God’s call by our human capacity. We can do more and be more than we imagine through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.

This Pentecost passage is all-inclusive. The Spirit is poured out on “all flesh” and “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” God’s Spirit can transform ordinary people, like you and me into extraordinary servants of Christ.  God’s Spirit can and will transform.

Like the song says, “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Melt us. Mold us. Fill us. Use us.” With the ability given to us by the Holy Spirit, let’s dream big dreams — and step into action, trusting God for the all that we need.  Amen.