Each Sunday, on the drive home or as we drove to meet my grandfather for Sunday dinner after church, we would discuss the worship service and the sermon in particular. My sister and I never really attended Sunday school as our church’s tradition was that children stayed in worship so that they were more deeply involved in the ministry or theology of the Lutheran church.  But, as I continue to think about it, while his initial reaction might have been, “hooey,” (it’s a fun word to say) he may have ruminated a little longer and say something like this. “The man upstairs (that’s his term) has a plan. Regardless of funny languages, it will all work out.” He may say something else about that “man upstairs” being with us as we remain dedicated or committed in the face of anxiety and fear, but that would be it on the miraculous nature of the Pentecost event. 

 

What a bunch of hooey. While, perhaps, none of us would phrase it exactly that way, we likely are at least somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of glossolalia, or speaking in tongues. The idea simply doesn’t fit with our Presbyterian model of worship.  We expect a certain silence or academic resonance, perhaps even a certain piety in our worship. We approach this text as if we were seeing it happen. We approach the idea with skepticism and anxiety. Has anyone ever seen someone speak in tongues? It can be a powerful experience.

 

When I was in seminary everyone took a preaching and worship class. We preached twice as I recall and we would gather in small groups to listen to one another preach and then evaluate our efforts. There was a woman in my group whose denominational affiliation I don’t recall right now, but she came from one of the charismatic traditions. She stepped into the pulpit, said a short prayer, bowed her head and was silent for a few moments. When she looked up, she began to speak in a language no one understood or could recognize and she went on for probably 7 or 8 minutes. Then she stopped. She twitched, sort of shook herself and was silent again. She then began speaking in English and explained the tongues she had just professed. That was her sermon. It was powerful both in the experience and the message. It was bizarre to see, and yet it was not fake or contrived in any way. It was definitely not a bunch of hooey.

 

Mainstream churches claim this Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, as the birthday of the Church universal. That is precisely why so many churches are founded on Pentecost. But, Laurence Stookey[1] notes that while this may be a birthday, it is not simply an inaugural event. It is a summarizing event. Eastertide ends with Pentecost and now those timid followers must build their faith and the church. Christ has appeared and reviewed his teaching with them; he has anointed them. He has even told them that the ‘advocate,’ the ‘paraclyte,’ would come to support them. For seven weeks, 50 days, we’ve been immersed in the Easter message and in the reminding of Christ’s teachings. Now, the Spirit, which has been present from creation, constitutes these followers as the church. 

 

As Acts 1 notes, 120 of the believers were gathered together in an upper room, the 11 and Matthais, Judas’ replacement, were among them. On Pentecost, as they were gathered, a rush of wind, a violent wind, filled the room and tongues of flame descended upon their heads and danced there. Sound familiar? Hear Luke 3, “…when Jesus had also been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him and a voice came from heaven, You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” With these words from God, Jesus’ ministry began. So, too for the disciples, the followers, being filled with the Spirit their ministry began. Thus, the historic feast of Pentecost is just that which is printed in the Bulletin quote. “… [it] is about the formation of the church out of a frightened band of followers; tight-lipped crowd, which had huddled timidly behind closed doors, is thrust by the Spirit into the streets of Jerusalem to proclaim the Gospel in terms everyone can understand.”

 

Every so often the Presbyterian Church decides that its message needs to be rewritten in terms everyone can understand. It is for that reason that we have a Book of Confessions. And, it is for that reason that we affirmed our faith this morning with the Holy Spirit portion of the most recent confession of our denomination, the Brief Statement of Faith. The statement was written in 1983 for “Reunion” as the two largest Presbyterian denominations, which broke apart during the Civil War, re-joined one another as a single body. Take a look at some of the language that the authors chose. 

We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life.

 

In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.

 

We proclaimed those words this morning because as Easter people, as Pentecostal people, we believe that the Holy Spirit, the pneuma, the advocate, the Paraclyte in John’s language, the Messenger, God’s presence is with us in the world. The Spirit gives us strength, peace and the chutzpa to be in the world and to act as people of faith.  

 

Over the years when I’ve called my Dad to talk about things, often career related, he has always assured me that so long as I keep on doing what I’m supposed to be doing, the “man upstairs” has a plan and that it will all work out. I don’t know how intricate his theology is or what his notion of the Trinity is, and I won’t claim him as a theological guru, nor would he himself, but this person upstairs seems to be prodding me along on certain paths, setting up roadblocks on certain others. That person, that Spirit, does the same for each of you. Whether it be the scraping away of naiveté or the successes and failures of daily life, the Spirit is with each of us. We may not speak in tongues, but we are called and made capable to serve God’s church and this world.

 

Go back once more and look at the words of this morning’s text. They, the believers, were all together. They were touched by tongues of fire. They were filled with the Spirit. Those on the outside were the ones amazed and dismissive. But it was in their languages that the believers could now speak. Which are we? I will not call myself or you a modern apostle, for fear that I or any one of us might be a little over zealous with that title, but read again the second half of this morning Bulletin quote. “… That formation (that is of the church) has to do with us as clearly as with the apostolic band twenty centuries ago. Still, [still today] the Spirit mediates to the church the Resurrection Presence unfettered by time or space, so that we who are timid in the faith may become the community of faith, boldly witnessing in the world.”

 

In word and in deed, in tongues and in actions, we are called to serve and we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit for this work. On this Sunday, may we grow deeper in the knowledge and the confidence that within these walls and out there where there are no walls, we are empowered to serve the living God through the strength of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

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