Year C
\u00a0Genesis 11:1-9
\u00a0Psalm 104:25-35, 37
\u00a0Acts 2:1-21
\u00a0John 14:8-17<\/p>\n\n\n\n
May the words of my mouth O God\u2026 speak your truth\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Book of Acts\u2026 written by Luke\u2026 was written about twenty years before John’s Gospel\u2026 and it tells the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit\u2026 the Advocate\u2026 the Paraclete\u2026 the one promised in today’s reading from John’s Gospel\u2026 and today’s reading from Acts begins by letting us know\u2026 that when the day of Pentecost had come\u2026 the disciples were already together in one place\u2026 had already gathered\u2026 ?and why were they together\u2026 because they were celebrating the Festival of Pentecost\u2026 which is just another name for the Shavuot\u2026 a major Jewish festival which is held fifty days after the second day of Passover\u2026 now Shavuot began as a harvest festival\u2026 but it came to commemorate the giving of the Law\u2026 the Torah\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Prophet Jeremiah said that God would write God’s Law on our hearts\u2026 that God’s teaching would be woven into the fabric of our being\u2026 that there wouldn’t be any need for teachers and students\u2026 that we’d all just know\u2026 intuitively\u2026 at a deep level\u2026 how to align our will with God’s will\u2026 and because our actions would be in accordance with this Law\u2026 God would say\u2026 I remember your sins no more\u2026 and forgive your iniquities<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the story we just heard from Genesis\u2026 we’re told that the whole earth shared one language and the same words\u2026 and as this people migrated westward\u2026 they wanted to build a city for themselves\u2026 with a tower\u2026 its top in the heavens\u2026 and they wanted to make a name for themselves\u2026 and God said that if they did this\u2026 there’d be no stopping them\u2026 ] so the story goes\u2026 God came down to confuse their language\u2026 and scatter them\u2026 to effectively stop them in their tracks\u2026 and our reading from Acts is often said to be the undoing of this linguistic confusion\u2026 and the reversal of this scattering\u2026 since devout Jews from about fifteen different nations were now living in Jerusalem\u2026 and because of the coming of the Holy Spirit\u2026 speakers and listeners were able to understand each other\u2026 and understanding God’s deeds of power is huge\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n This story about the Tower of Babel\u2026 and God saying\u2026 now nothing that they propose to do will be impossible<\/em>\u2026 reminds me about another story in Genesis about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil\u2026 it’s the story of the first Adam\u2026 the first earth creature\u2026 living in an idyllic garden\u2026 where everything’s provided for him\u2026 companion animals\u2026 livestock animals\u2026 and a helpmate\u2026 what might pass as clothing\u2026 and then as youngsters do\u2026 they got rambunctious\u2026 they disobeyed their parent\u2026 disregarded boundaries\u2026 ate ice cream for breakfast\u2026 read books about Good and Evil before they’re mature enough\u2026 experienced enough\u2026 to understand and integrate it all\u2026 they played hide and seek while a seemingly myopic God looks high and low for them\u2026 and said\u2026 Where were you\u2026 I was worried sick\u2026 please don’t hide from me again\u2026 I won’t ever hide from you<\/em>\u2026 but not too much later on God says\u2026 the time is coming\u2026 when you’re going to have to grow up and leave the comforts of home\u2026 and head out into the world\u2026 and learn new things\u2026 and consider the values I’ve passed on to you\u2026 and fend for yourselves\u2026 take care of each other\u2026 make moral decisions\u2026 ] I’ll always be with you\u2026 I’ll let you be adults\u2026 I won’t interfere with what you decide to do\u2026 but I won’t always be able to protect you from the consequences of your actions\u2026 but the most precious gift I give you\u2026 is free will\u2026 because with it you’ll be able to learn from what you’ve done both individually and collectively\u2026 so you can make better decisions\u2026 but you can always call home for advice\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n And that advice comes from the Holy Spirit\u2026 in v. 26 Jesus says\u2026 the Advocate\u2026 the Holy Spirit\u2026 whom the Father will send in my name\u2026 will teach you everything\u2026 and remind you of all that I have said to you<\/em>\u2026 in fact\u2026 in v. 12\u2026 Jesus says\u2026 Truth\u2026 I’m telling you\u2026 those who trust in me will do not only the works I do\u2026 but in fact will do greater works\u2026 because they will be connected to the outpouring of love which God has\u2026 not just for me or you\u2026 but for the whole world\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n[ My Lutheran bishop ] Bp. Satterlee asks\u2026 but do we confuse the Holy Spirit\u2026 the Spirit of Truth\u2026 with Aladdin’s Genie\u2026 do we think the Holy Spirit grants only our wishes\u2026 or blesses our plans\u2026 or provides theological justification for our opinions\u2026 and the bishop’s words make me wonder how the work of the Holy Spirit informs the notion of American exceptionalism\u2026 and whether its in opposition to our sense of personal agency\u2026 whether the Holy Spirit’s hope is to break down the barriers we erect between ourselves and others\u2026 to show us that we are one\u2026 it makes me wonder whether not just as a nation\u2026 but as a world\u2026 we ought to be discerning together how we can create a life for all people that’s based in our shared values\u2026 wanting the best for our families\u2026 but not at the expense of other families\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n New Testament professor Greg Carey agrees that American Protestants often interpret Jesus\u2019 words in v. 16-17\u2026 where Jesus says that he’ll ask the Father to send them another Advocate\u2026 Jesus being the first one\u2026 who will be with them forever\u2026 he says\u2026 You know him\u2026 because he abides with you\u2026 and he will be in you<\/em>\u2026 many of us think these words are addressed to us as individuals\u2026 but that is a mistake\u2026 because much of the language in this part of John’s Gospel is addressed in the second person plural\u2026 you\u2026 is y\u2019all\u2026 when Jesus tells the disciples they will know the Spirit because the Spirit abides with them and lives in them\u2026 he is speaking to them collectively\u2026 when Jesus says\u2026 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it<\/em>\u2026 but he’s not talking about making wishes on a magic lamp\u2026 he’s talking about the common good\u2026 so thoughts and prayers must be followed by actions which are designed to effect the changes God wants for us\u2026 and it’s in our power to make changes for good\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n So maybe Pentecost isn’t only a looking back\u2026 but a recurring event that we’re invited to live into\u2026 something that’s set in motion instead of being completed\u2026 and how do we move away from thinking that the Spirit is our own private possession\u2026 how can we be advocates for each other\u2026 to the community which works and speaks through the church and which advocates for Jesus\u2026 and how can we hear the Spirit speak through others\u2026 with the ears of our hearts\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we’re all part of the Body of Christ\u2026 there aren’t parts that are better than others\u2026 just parts that are different\u2026 and which all have unique gifts of the Spirit\u2026 so I wonder\u2026 is it all about making a name for ourselves\u2026 or is all about emptying ourselves so we can provide for the common good and take care of our neighbors\u2026 if we’re life-supporting people in the many ways that that can find expression\u2026 like having access to clean drinking water\u2026 to healthcare and education\u2026 to the right to vote\u2026 to being safe in our grocery stores and schools… if we support life\u2026 then how can we not undo the many ways it is diminished\u2026 and do the questions 1 Corinthians 11 asks\u2026 have any relevance for us when it comes to our common life\u2026 do we speak like children\u2026 think like children\u2026 reason like children\u2026 and how far out of the garden have we come as the Body of Christ\u2026 how much have we grown up\u2026 or do we just want to keep living in our parent’s basement\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Year C\u00a0Genesis 11:1-9\u00a0Psalm 104:25-35, 37\u00a0Acts 2:1-21\u00a0John 14:8-17 May the words of my mouth O God\u2026 speak your truth\u2026 The Book of Acts\u2026 written by Luke\u2026 was written about twenty years before John’s Gospel\u2026 and it tells the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit\u2026 the Advocate\u2026 the Paraclete\u2026 the one promised in today’s reading from John’s Gospel\u2026 and today’s reading from Acts begins by letting us know\u2026 that when the day of Pentecost had come\u2026 the disciples were already together in one place\u2026 had already gathered\u2026 ?and why were they together\u2026 because they were celebrating the Festival of Pentecost\u2026 which is just another name for the Shavuot\u2026 a major Jewish festival which is held fifty days after the second day of Passover\u2026 now Shavuot began as a harvest festival\u2026 but it came to commemorate the giving of the Law\u2026 the Torah\u2026 The Prophet Jeremiah said that God would write God’s Law on our hearts\u2026 that God’s teaching would be woven into the fabric of our being\u2026 that there wouldn’t be any need for teachers and students\u2026 that we’d all just know\u2026 intuitively\u2026 at a deep level\u2026 how to align our will with God’s will\u2026 and because our actions would be in accordance with this Law\u2026 God would say\u2026 I remember your sins no more\u2026 and forgive your iniquities\u2026 In the story we just heard from Genesis\u2026 we’re told that the whole earth shared one language and the same words\u2026 and as this people migrated westward\u2026 they wanted to build a city for themselves\u2026 with a tower\u2026 its top in the heavens\u2026 and they wanted to make a name for themselves\u2026 and God said that if they did this\u2026 there’d be no stopping them\u2026 ] so the story goes\u2026 God came down to confuse their language\u2026 and scatter them\u2026 to effectively stop them in their tracks\u2026 and our reading from Acts is often said to be the undoing of this linguistic confusion\u2026 and the reversal of this scattering\u2026 since devout Jews from about fifteen different nations were now living in Jerusalem\u2026 and because of the coming of the Holy Spirit\u2026 speakers and listeners were able to understand each other\u2026 and understanding God’s deeds of power is huge\u2026 This story about the Tower of Babel\u2026 and God saying\u2026 now nothing that they propose to do will be impossible\u2026 reminds me about another story in Genesis about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil\u2026 it’s the story of the first Adam\u2026 the first earth creature\u2026 living in an idyllic garden\u2026 where everything’s provided for him\u2026 companion animals\u2026 livestock animals\u2026 and a helpmate\u2026 what might pass as clothing\u2026 and then as youngsters do\u2026 they got rambunctious\u2026 they disobeyed their parent\u2026 disregarded boundaries\u2026 ate ice cream for breakfast\u2026 read books about Good and Evil before they’re mature enough\u2026 experienced enough\u2026 to understand and integrate it all\u2026 they played hide and seek while a seemingly myopic God looks high and low for them\u2026 and said\u2026 Where were you\u2026 I was worried sick\u2026 please don’t hide from me again\u2026 I won’t ever hide from you\u2026 but not too much later on God says\u2026 the time is coming\u2026 when you’re going to have to grow up and leave the comforts of home\u2026 and head out into the world\u2026 and learn new things\u2026 and consider the values I’ve passed on to you\u2026 and fend for yourselves\u2026 take care of each other\u2026 make moral decisions\u2026 ] I’ll always be with you\u2026 I’ll let you be adults\u2026 I won’t interfere with what you decide to do\u2026 but I won’t always be able to protect you from the consequences of your actions\u2026 but the most precious gift I give you\u2026 is free will\u2026 because with it you’ll be able to learn from what you’ve done both individually and collectively\u2026 so you can make better decisions\u2026 but you can always call home for advice\u2026 And that advice comes from the Holy Spirit\u2026 in v. 26 Jesus says\u2026 the Advocate\u2026 the Holy Spirit\u2026 whom the Father will send in my name\u2026 will teach you everything\u2026 and remind you of all that I have said to you\u2026 in fact\u2026 in v. 12\u2026 Jesus says\u2026 Truth\u2026 I’m telling you\u2026 those who trust in me will do not only the works I do\u2026 but in fact will do greater works\u2026 because they will be connected to the outpouring of love which God has\u2026 not just for me or you\u2026 but for the whole world\u2026 [ My Lutheran bishop ] Bp. Satterlee asks\u2026 but do we confuse the Holy Spirit\u2026 the Spirit of Truth\u2026 with Aladdin’s Genie\u2026 do we think the Holy Spirit grants only our wishes\u2026 or blesses our plans\u2026 or provides theological justification for our opinions\u2026 and the bishop’s words make me wonder how the work of the Holy Spirit informs the notion of American exceptionalism\u2026 and whether its in opposition to our sense of personal agency\u2026 whether the Holy Spirit’s hope is to break down the barriers we erect between ourselves and others\u2026 to show us that we are one\u2026 it makes me wonder whether not just as a nation\u2026 but as a world\u2026 we ought to be discerning together how we can create a life for all people that’s based in our shared values\u2026 wanting the best for our families\u2026 but not at the expense of other families\u2026 New Testament professor Greg Carey agrees that American Protestants often interpret Jesus\u2019 words in v. 16-17\u2026 where Jesus says that he’ll ask the Father to send them another Advocate\u2026 Jesus being the first one\u2026 who will be with them forever\u2026 he says\u2026 You know him\u2026 because he abides with you\u2026 and he will be in you\u2026 many of us think these words are addressed to us as individuals\u2026 but that is a mistake\u2026 because much of the language in this part of John’s Gospel is addressed in the second person plural\u2026 you\u2026 is y\u2019all\u2026 when Jesus tells the disciples they will know the Spirit because the Spirit abides with them and lives in them\u2026 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[62,114,135,137],"class_list":["post-1657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons","tag-body-of-christ","tag-holy-spirit","tag-pentecost","tag-spiritual-growth"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1657"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1658,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1657\/revisions\/1658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/twochurches.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}