Pentecost

May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you, O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

SEASON: Pentecost
PROPER: A
PLACE: St. John's Parish, Kingsville

DATE: May 23,1999

TEXT: John 20:19-23 - "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

See also: Acts 2:1-11 - And suddenly there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

See also: I Corinthians 12:4-13 - Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit . . . .

ISSUE: In ancient times, the wind was thought to be the very breath of God in anthropomorphic terms. It was the energy of God. In John, Jesus blows the breath of God upon the disciples, empowering them to blow away the breath of evil spirits (sins). In the Acts lesson, a second report is given of the Spirit or breath of God coming upon them to use their talents and gifts to reveal the might works of God. As Christians in the world today, this pentecostal experience reminds us all of the gifts and empowerments that God bestows upon us to discern our gifts that we may witness to God in the world.
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Today many Christians around the world celebrate the Feast of the Pentecost, a celebration that ranks with Christmas and Easter. The Feast of Pentecost was originally a Jewish feast that was celebrated 50 days (thus, Pentecost) after the Jewish Passover Feast. It was a harvest festival giving thanks to God for the first bountiful harvest of wheat, and it also was a time of reminiscence of the giving of the Commandments to Moses on Mt. Sinai. It celebrated God's people being in covenant, in relationship with God. At this pentecostal feast in Jerusalem it is reported in Luke's Acts of the Apostles, that God's spirit was bestowed upon the apostles and they became empowered to proclaim clearly the might works of God. John's gospel, however, also reports that Jesus breathed upon the disciples shortly after his resurrection appearance to some of the disciples in the locked room. Thus, we have the account, or traditions of the Spirit of God being poured out on the disciples, their commissioning or being "sent", and to forgive sins. It is the fitting conclusion of Jesus' farewell address to the disciples. He does return to be with them, and they receive the empowerment of Christ. In these events of the very early church there is a clear presentation that God's Spirit is given to them and is the power behind their work.
Historically in the church, the Feast of Pentecost became an appropriate day for baptisms and confirmations. These rites are moments in the lives of people when they too are being commissioned and initiated into the Church of God, and receive the Spirit of God to empower their lives to proclaim the wonder of God and be actively invested in the body of Christ. It is sometimes referred to as Whitsunday, or White Sunday, because the confirmands and those being baptized either wore, or became dressed in white.
I think it is interesting to understand what it meant in ancient times, and to the early church to receive the Spirit of God. This understanding will help us today to appreciate more clearly what it means for us to be people who live in the Spirit of God. In ancient times, God was seen anthropomorphically. That is, God was thought of in human terms. Even today some people still think of God as the mighty old man with the beard. There are passages in the Bible that speak of the face of God, or the arm of God. In Genesis, God walks in the garden of even in the evening breezes looking for the hiding Adam. In the Noah's Ark story God is seen as having a bow, and arrow. The lightning being his arrows, and the rainbow, God's bow for the arrows. Ancient people also perceived of the wind as God's Spirit or breath. God's breath was powerful indeed. Sometimes it was a gentle breeze, but it could also be mighty in hurricanes, tornadoes and windstorms. A hot wind or breath of God could blow the sea away to form the land. It could blow the streams, pools, and wells dry. In the Genesis story, when God forms Adam out of the clay. God breathes his breath or wind into Adam, and Adam becomes a living being. God breathes his holy spirit into Adam. The breath of God is empowering and brings life. Adam and Eve live and are empowered in the garden to care for it and claim it for God. Moses was given the wind or breath of God to part the Red Sea. When Elijah is hiding on Mt. Sinai (Ik19:11) God blows a mighty wind that spelits the rocks. The prophet Ezekiel (37) has a vision in which he prophesies to the wind, the breath of God, to blow upon the bones of a defeated nation and it comes to life again. Keep in mind too, that when there is no breath, no spirit, there is no life. When breathing stops so does life.
Now, this imagery is picked up in John's Gospel when Jesus appears in the locked room with his disciples. The disicples are locked in and frightened. There's not much in the way of fresh air or "breath" in that room. Then Jesus appears to them, tells them not to fear, "Peace be with you." He says to them, "As the Father has sent me so I send you." He breathes on them saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit. - (Spirit of God's empowerment which had been bestowed upon Jesus) - If you forgive the sins of any they are forgeen them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." He is bringing to life, this frightened motley crew, and empowering them with God's breath.
It is also helpful to understand that sins in this time were seen as caused by evil spirits or forces. Jesus is giving to his disciples the power to blow the evil spirits away with the spirit of God. Some people accepted the message of God through Christ and his church, others did not. Thus, sometimes evil spirits are retained. But the point is that the disciples are empowered with the Spirit of God to cast out, or blow away the evil winds or spirits that possess people. The breath of God in Christ blown upon the disciples brings them to new abundant and vital life as they continue the mission of Christ as his living body in the world.
Luke's account of the Spirit of God coming upon the apostle in Acts, is another way of conveying that the apostles became enlivened and empower with the breath of God and they were reaching people of all races and nations, conveying to them the mighty works and the love of God. God's Spirit is sent forth renewing the face of the earth (Ps.104), and blowing away that which is evil and destructive.
The pouring of the Spirit or breath of God upon the church was seen as the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy in Joel 2:28-32. After a difficult time Joel writes:
"Afterward I will pour out my spirit on everyone; your sons and daughters will proclaim my message; your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. At that time I will pour out my spirit even on servants, both men and women."
St. Paul saw the talents and gifts of the people in the church as the gifts and spirits that God had bestowed upon its members. Though at times they seemed at odds, Paul said that there was one spirit, and in their diversity, those who had received the Spirit of God could all be a part of the body of Christ. In the same way that there are many parts in the body of a person that have different functions, they work together for the common good of the whole body.
At Holy Baptism, we become through this Rite immersed into and made aware that God has breathed upon us, and within us. It is our initiation and awareness of our being a part of the body of Christ and the Family of God. While each of us are different in many ways we are called upon to bear witness to proclaim the mighty works of God, especially as they are revealed in the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. We must breathe in the breath of God revealed in Christ. We teach and love our children that they may grow in his grace. We breathe in the spirit of Christ so that we can live and move and proclaim our being as a loving caring community of God.
All of us have talents and gifts. Some preach sermons. Some teach Sunday School. Some people have an affection for visiting elderly people. Some are good with caring for, and communicating with children. Some are good at business, some at crafts. Some people are good at making things, fixing things. Some people are healers, good at nurturing and caring. Some are good at handiwork. Some are good at discerning what is just and right; some are prophetic in that sense. What we all have to ask ourselves as we live out our lives is what is God calling us to do with the gifts and talents that we have been given that proclaim the love and forgiveness of God in our world. How do we allow the breath of God to flow through us, and to blow away the evil spirits that possess human lives?
We are sophisticated enough today to know that the wind is not really God's breath. But we can also be sophisticated enough to know that God loves his world because that is basic to the meaning of Jesus' ministry. Jesus did not pick a whole crowd of orthodox rabbis to join him in his ministry, although he was likely to have been close to and influenced some, Nicodemus, maybe. Jesus saw in fishermen, tax collectors, militants or zealots, women the potential folk who had within them the Spirit of God. He evoked from them the best that was in them. They followed him as best they could. They were human as he was. They carried on supporting one another in all their various ways. They continued through the ages to allow the breath, the wind the spirit of God to surround them, and they breathed that spirit into themselves. They were not just involved in their specific church communities and synagogues. They were channels, spirited and spiritual pipe lines for the world. They see the world as the garden of God that needs cultivating with love and forgiveness.
God is present with us, we believe that as we see God revealed in Christ Jesus, and believe in that living presence of Godly love and acceptance. The Spirit of God is in our midst, if it were not we would quickly fade away.
Today we receive an infant, Margaux Anne, and an adult, Susan, into the household of God. We all also renew our own baptismal covenant. We are a part of the household or family of God. We proclaim and confess the faith of Christ who died for justice and to convey God's unwaivering love. We rejoice and proclaim how God's Spirit breathed live into him and he lives, and we share in his work as fellow servants.

Breathe on us Breath of God,
Fill us with life anew,
That we may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Hymn 508 - The Hymnal 1982