Fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead—and ten
days after the disciples watched him ascend into heaven—the band of believers
who had followed Jesus throughout his public ministry experienced a
transformation that could not be ignored.
Luke tells us a lot about the sequence of events of
that day: they were all gathered in one place; the sound of a great wind;
tongues of fire; and a newfound ability to speak in other languages. It is a
remarkable scene and it is not uncommon to spend time imagining what it must
have been like to be in that room when the Holy Spirit showed up. Were they
praying or singing or sitting silently staring into space?
After a few moments spent wondering about the
circumstances, you might find yourself wishing you could recreate them. I
wonder how many worship planners secretly hope they can devise the right
sequence of prayers and songs and silence to get the Holy Spirit to show up in
their worship space. They may feel successful when they witness a few tears,
people hold up their hands, and sway from side to side. I fear they may be
missing the real significance of the day, though.
What happened outside that room is what really
matters. People who thought this group of uneducated rabble should slink back
to the countryside were bewildered and amazed. People who thought they had a
pretty good handle on what it meant to worship God were astonished and
perplexed. People who had already dismissed Jesus’ ministry—his teaching, his
healing, his work of reconciliation—were cut to the heart by the proclamation
of Peter and the others.
When the Holy Spirit descended on the believers it
attracted the attention of the people in the street. Peter and the others did
not linger in their special moment. They rushed into the world—and the world
noticed.
The Holy Spirit is still calling, equipping, and
empowering believers to go into the world with the proclamation of the good
news of all that God has done to show his love to those who are hurt, lonely,
lost, and afraid. Pentecost is our opportunity to remember and celebrate this
reality even as we ask God to prepare us to join him in this mission that
bewilders, astonishes, and amazes the world.
This past weekend I spent in Port St. Lucie, Florida, for the ordination of two priests in the Old Catholic Church to which I belong. Pentecost Sunday Mass was celebrated by one of the new priests, and was held at a nearby nursing home. In a Catholic Mass, we pass the peace to everyone gathered together in His name. It was sweet to hug and speak with the elderly and the ill, all of whom were in wheel chairs. There was one woman in particular who did not seem to be conscious of her surroundings, but when I held her cold little hand, she grasped my hand tighter and tighter. I stroked her face and said a few words, then someone else wanted to pass the peace to her so I let go. I always think that the Holy Spirit is there to inspire us to do great things, but He is also the Comforter. Perhaps some of us are called not to be out there inspiring masses of people, but bringing love, friendship, kindness to one person at a time. Come Holy Spirit.
ReplyDeleteKim, thanks for the reminder that many times the "great things" God calls us to do are so "small" that most of the world miss them. That doesn't mean these "small acts done with love" don't transform the world.
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