Acts
2.1-21
The Pentecost story may seem very weird –
with its exotic sounding place names, violent winds, tongues of fire, and the
speaking of many languages. We read it
every year and perhaps we scratch our heads wondering quite what it’s about,
possibly relieved that nothing like that has ever happened to us. Or again
perhaps wistfully hoping that it did.
Pentecost Sunday comes and goes,
the events we celebrate all happened a long time ago, and we move on. But wait a minute... The spectacular phenomena recorded in Acts 2
may not be our experience but central to our Christian profession is the belief
that the Holy Spirit is at work in
all our lives. We may consider ourselves
to be Anglican but we are all, in a biblical sense, thoroughly Pentecostal
too.
Let’s remind ourselves of some of the
basics. In John’s gospel we have read
this morning these words of Jesus to his disciples: When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify
about me. (15.26)
Other translations say: when the Advocate comes or when the Comforter comes or when the
Helper comes. Advocate, comforter, helper, counsellor are
all different attempts to translate the Greek word: paráklētos (paraclete).
Literally, paráklētos
means ‘one who comes alongside’ to guide
or comfort, to encourage or refresh, or one who intercedes on our behalf as an
advocate does for their client in a court of law. But who is this mysterious figure? We know it’s the Holy Spirit – but what or who is the
Holy Spirit?
For four weeks now we have been dipping
into the words of Jesus from John’s gospel as he prepares his friends for his arrest
and departure. In chapter 14 he says: I will ask the
Father, and he will give you another
Counsellor [advocate, helper...] to be with you for ever – the Spirit of truth.
Who was the first Counsellor? Jesus was the first paráklētos, the first to come alongside to be with us: the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. So who is the Spirit? When it says: another Counsellor the
Greek means another of exactly the same kind. Jesus is not promising an inferior
deputy to replace him but one of the same kind – a second paráklētos – i.e. another expression of the presence
of God in our midst, the Spirit of Jesus/God.
The disciples might have found it hard
to believe it when Jesus said: But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am
going away. I suspect we do too. But Jesus said: Unless I go away, the Advocate will not
come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. Jesus could only be in one place
at a time when he was with his disciples.
Now, by his Spirit he is with us all, two billion Christians across the
world today.
Sadly, not all of us may be aware of
quite what Jesus has promised to all who put their faith in him – the gift of
his presence, of his power with us on a daily basis.
The disciples had their thinking turned
upside down by the totally unexpected fact of the resurrection. They witnessed an event we call the ascension.
They reconstituted the 12 Apostles after the loss of Judas, and then they just
waited. They waited not knowing what would
happen. They didn’t know what to expect,
yet (having experienced the resurrection) they now realized that anything was
possible.
When the Holy Spirit did come at
Pentecost, how it happen was wholly unexpected.
Those in the street who heard the commotion and saw the Spirit filled
disciples were, we are told, bewildered (v6), utterly amazed and astonished
(v7), and amazed and perplexed (v12).
My guess is that prior to this moment Jesus’
words of promise of another helper had not made much sense to the disciples. Their calling now was to make sense of what
had happened to them and learn to live it out.
Peter, becomes their spokesman and it’s pretty amazing what he makes of
it all in the short time he’s had to reflect on it (i.e. no time)
He draws on the words of the prophet
Joel and says, in effect: ‘Today the Spirit has made us into a community, a
community of prophets’ – are you ready for that here?!
I hazard a guess that most of us have
not had their kind of Pentecostal experience.
However, if we are Christians, then, for certain, we have received the
gift of the Holy Spirit; God’s transforming presence alongside us. Or as St.
Paul says: Christ
in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1.27)
If that is the case then, whatever our
past experience may have been, anything can happen. For Christ is risen from the dead and by his
Spirit, the paráklētos, he is alongside us now as our counsellor, advocate,
comforter, helper and guide. Pentecost isn’t about one day in our year but
every day.
Prayer
God of wind and fire, bring to us today
the surprises of your Spirit.
As we’ve gather on this special day (the
birthday of your Church) we may be, like so many others, feeling shy or
sluggish, tired or timid, and without expectation of a new birth.
So come among us, burn up our fears in
the heat of your love; blow through our minds with the joyous freedom of your
Spirit. Make this church a crucible of
love and joy, where your kingdom is coming.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on
us.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on
us;
break us, melt us, mould us, fill us.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
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