The Day of Pentecost: May 30, 2004.

Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9

Psalm 104:25-35, 37

Romans 8:22-27 or Acts 2:1-21

John 14:8-17 [25-27]

The fiftieth and last day of Easter brings a dynamic new resource for seeing and proclaiming Christ alive in the church and in the world today: the power of the Spirit. If we have not extinguished the paschal candle on Ascension, we may do so during the reading from Acts as the Holy Spirit roars through the assembly. Each person pins on a flame as a reminder that we now bear this Spirit of the risen Christ into the world.

First Reading

Where we began this Easter season perplexed about how to tell the story of Resurrection, our group sees the Pentecost lessons as studies in "communications technology." At first, the story of the tower of Babel made us long for the "good old days" of more unity and the desire to hold on to "our own." Digging deeper, we felt that the tower builders not only wanted to keep their identity, they wanted to be superior, to be the dominant and ruling culture. Access to the heavens would give them that power and maybe even let them leave the "lesser mortals" behind. Exclusivity was the dangerous edge to the appeal of homogeneity.

The group looked to a story from our own past, when our congregation changed its name from the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church to Trinity Lutheran. Resisting the desire to hold onto their own, the members recognized the need to open themselves to other languages and peoples and to communicate that openness with a name change and liturgies in English. We are still searching to find ways to draw others in using the communication pattern our ancestors set for us. But it's difficult to let go of our desires to find those who "speak our language," those "just like us" to help us achieve our "common purpose" in mission.

The Feast of the Pentecost was a Pilgrimage Feast, a Jewish Thanksgiving that drew all "nations" together. The communications technology introducing this church-birthing event was the sound of wind and the sight of fire. It may also be worth noting the human imprint of the outpouring of idiomatic speech that follows. The fact that it was the notoriously linguistically challenged Galileans speaking so fluently to broadcast this event in other languages was the ultimate in Easter's dissonance between what was seen and what was heard that signaled the inbreaking of God's reign.

We looked at Peter's first sermon as an exercise in communications capability. Peter began by pointing out that the Spirit's communication technology is sometimes more about the ability to listen than to speak. But in the role of the speaker, Peter began with the moment, and with the cultural use of humor. He addressed the sneering joke about the Galileans being true to form after all--just drunk at the holiday. Peter jokes back that even for them, it's a little early. Then, Peter "gives it to them" straight from Scripture. Peter roots the event in the familiar past, in a common tradition and speech that cut across cultural and ethnic differences.

We considered whether Scripture today is such common language. We conceded that this original Pentecost event catered to churchgoers, at least the festival crowd! There some basics might be held in common. Certain songs like Christmas carols, symbols like the cross, certain liturgical phrases, certain biblical stories, actions like washing and eating, are still readily accessible, and the Spirit of Pentecost is available to help us build "common speech" and church tradition. But what about our proclamation outside church walls, the communications capabilities the Spirit brings us every day? We acknowledged that the Spirit wasn't poured out just for public preachers. Access to the visions, dreams, and prophecies of this capability was for all, even slaves!

Our Gospel, reminding us of when the Pharisees asked Jesus to "tell it to them plainly," offers additional gifts of the Spirit. Jesus again points to the everyday works and witness of his life--a shape of life--and everyday wordless wonders of a living God.

We wondered if we could connect these kinds of events with a shape of life and words about faith for those we encountered in the walk of life. It was Thanksgiving week, so we considered basic human experiences that bring thankful wonder to our lives: a granddaughter's smile; what our bodies are capable of; childbirth, a work and wonder of God we are privileged to participate in; wonders of nature, like the simple sound of rain at night; just waking up alive! Could we share everyday wonders, wonders humans share in common, to bear witness to God and the power of the Spirit alive in the church and the world to shape our lives? Could we claim the power that God gives us through the Spirit's gift of faith to do the life-giving healing works that Jesus does, and even more? Could we invite people into the life of God by participating in whole-making works of God wherever we are, and sharing the message that those we encounter are children of God, wonders of God, and that all who call on God's name will be saved?

Pastoral Reflection

My group suggested that I visit a radio station or some other communications center to prepare for this sermon. The eager identification of these stories with the risks and benefits of technology surprised me. We wondered, What are the limits? Who decides? How do we discern? How far will we go, and how far, and where are we meant to go as humans created in God's creative image?

Lila says she's still bowled over by modern technologies like TV, wireless, and radio, not to mention e-mail, digital imagery, and cell phones. We found life-giving benefits in staying in touch. We agreed that much of what we're able to do today makes it easier to live in this world and to hear, understand, and communicate God's deeds of power and the wonders of God for humanity, community, and the creation. Though technology almost always benefits the privileged, as Christians we should work toward access for all.

We acknowledged the drawbacks of less privacy, too much information, and the recent consolidation of communications holdings. With so much "spin" we wonder, "What's the truth?" We noted how political leaders are using speech related to God. The group decided that we need to use the Spirit's gift of listening, and listen carefully for what the rhetoric is really serving. Is it manipulative speech, about one country or culture being superior? or is it moving us toward unity and care for one another and our world as members of a common humanity? Our Easter readings in Revelation have given us tools to discern Empire-speak. We reminded ourselves that in the Spirit, the work of God is whole-making and wholesome, leading to life and salvation. Lois reminded us of a prophecy from her Native American culture related to uses of technology: "Technology will be used the wrong way, and people will try to become like God or the Creator with the technology. This has been done three times already, and we now have one last chance to use the technology to work to better the earth. It makes me want to seek the elders and learn all I can to play my part in taking care of the earth as well as ourselves."