June 4, 2017
Pentecost Sunday Year A

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 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. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
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. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘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. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:1-21)

“I think we’ve misnamed the Holy Spirit. The word Jesus uses in John’s Gospel, as you know, is Paraclete, which we sometimes translate as “Advocate” and often translate as “Comforter.” It’s this second name in particular I’m calling into question, as I just don’t think it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to make us feel better. Yes, I know, it’s not that simple. The Holy Spirit as Comforter eases our distress, encourages us, and comes to us in times of trouble to remind us of Jesus’ presence and promises. And it’s just that kind of comfort, I imagine, that is at the heart of Jesus’ discourse to his disciples in the Fourth Gospel. They were distressed, feeling orphaned and abandoned, and so needed that kind of comfort and advocacy.

Why, then, do I think the Holy Spirit is misnamed? Because everywhere I look in these familiar Pentecost texts, the Holy Spirit isn’t comforting anyone or anything but instead is shaking things up. Since we’ve already mentioned John, let’s start there: the Advocate comes to testify…and to prompt the testimony of the disciples. It’s Jesus’ testimony to the truth, of course, that got him in trouble in the first place, and the Holy Spirit comes to prompt the disciples to make the same disturbing, disruptive, and world-changing testimony that calls into question the values of the world.

In Acts it’s even more pronounced. I mean, goodness, but there’s nothing particularly comforting about the rush of a “violent wind,” let alone descending tongues of flame. And once the disciples take their new multi-lingual ability into the streets of Jerusalem, pretty much everyone who witnesses their activity is described as “bewildered,” “amazed” and “astonished.” Again, the Spirit didn’t comfort anyone but instead prompted the disciples to make a very public scene with the troubling good news that the person the crowds had put to death was alive through the power of God. Romans is pretty much the same. The Spirit doesn’t take away our problems or make all things right. Rather, the Spirit instead helps us name the inward hopes, desires, and longings that attend anyone who is waiting for God’s redemption. The pain of creation can seem so great and the coming of God’s redemption so far away that the Spirit intervenes, interrupts, and intercedes by giving voice to our deepest needs. Do you see what I mean? The Holy Spirit is as much agitator as advocate, as much provocateur as comforter.” (David Lose, ..in the Meantime website, COME ALONGSIDE, HOLY SPIRIT, May 18, 2015)

Did you ever watch a butterfly fly? They fly in a straight, purposeful direction, right? No, they are all over the place. Did you ever release a balloon into the air? When you released it, it went straight to the ground, right? Nope, unless it was a lead balloon. No the balloon went wherever the wind was blowing it. Both of those examples are how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. It is powerful – it is unpredictable – it is chaos – it is God’s presence. And, here’s the hardest news to hear today – the Holy Spirit does not come to solve our problems – nor does it prevent failure from happening. How did the lives of the disciples end? They were all martyred for their faith. But, they did have great opportunities to see God’s power unleashed in the world, and in their lives. My friends, be open to the unpredictable experience of the Holy Spirit. EXPECT IT – but you can’t predict when or where. PREPARE FOR IT – though preparation is not necessary. LOVE IT – though it will not solve your problems, and most likely will make your lives more difficult. It will change you – it will surprise you – it will scare you – it will take you to places you could never imagine – but it is God’s presence – and it will be the journey of a lifetime – ETERNAL LIFETIME that is…

Pastor Dave