By the Power of the Spirit
Acts 2:1–21
May 27, 2007: Pentecost Sunday
Rev. Kathleen Crockford
United Congregational Church of Westerly
United Church of Christ
It must have been amazing. Jesus’s followers were all together in one place on the day of Pentecost when suddenly the entire house where they were was filled with the sound of a rushing wind. And with the wind came fire, like tongues of fire, touching each one of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were able to speak different languages. This dramatic event was a sign that God was doing a new thing that would transform their lives and the lives of countless more to come. No longer were they afraid and hiding. It was just as Jesus promised. Jesus said that God would send them the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who would teach them everything. (John 14:26) That day had come. God’s power poured out on them. They were filled with a new kind of energy. By the power of the Spirit they were transformed.
The next thing that happened was is equally amazing. Jesus’ followers moved into the streets of Jerusalem filled with God’s spirit and joined up with the thousands of Jews who were in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of Pentecost. This festival, which takes place 50 days after Passover, marks the time to offer God the first fruits of the harvest. It was expected that faithful Jews would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to present their offerings. And so they came from the surrounding countries. We heard at least 15 different countries named in the scripture account. I imagine it like a scene today at a crowded international airport full of people dressed in various styles of clothing and speaking many different languages. And in that crowd in Jerusalem were Jesus’ followers, these simple, uneducated folk from the Galilean countryside. Their native tongue was Aramaic, but there they were right in the midst of it all, telling about God’s deeds of power in all these different languages and be understood! By the power of the Spirit they had life - giving words to speak.
This phenomenon caused quite a stir. Imagine what it would be like if you were there and suddenly could speak another language. Some of them, after hearing the disciples, questioned how it could be that they could speak languages that were foreign to them. Other’s accused them of being drunk. But Peter set the record straight. He preached a sermon that echoed the words of the prophet Joel: God’s spirit cannot be contained. It is being poured out on everyone - sons, daughters, young, old, men, women - everyone, regardless of your place in life. God’s spirit is for all. And those who trust in God’s name will be saved by God’s spirit. God responds to our trust and commitment by offering us the spiritual resources we need to be God’s people and do God’s work. By the power of the Spirit we are equipped to live in God’s way.
Paul, in his letter to the church in Galatia, names some of the qualities that the Holy Spirit gives us to use to live God’s way and calls them “fruits of the Spirit.” These fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self - control. Philip Yancey, in his book, I Was Just Wondering, asks “what would happen in the national consensus if these nine words came to mind when you said the word, ‘Christian:’ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?”
So we might wonder, too, how do we measure up? As people? As a church? When I look around this congregation, I see these fruits of the Spirit being lived out in so many ways in our life together. I see the love you show to one another, I see joy, I see peace. I see patience, well, most of the time, I see patience. I see kindness, I see generosity, faithfulness, and self-control. But I also know that God is not finished with any of us yet. We are works in progress. I know that within myself, there is plenty of room for improvement. There is plenty of room for the Holy Spirit to keep working on me to bear more fruit in trying to live out those qualities. And there is plenty of room for us as a church to live more fully and bear more fruit. By the power of the Spirit we are being called to bear the fruit of the Spirit
Another promise we have from God is that God sends us the Holy Spirit to hold us up when we are sinking. The Holy Spirit is always present to help us through the times that are rough, that are challenging, that are confusing. The Holy Spirit is our safe refuge. Many times in my life, I’ve given thanks to God for the presence of the Holy Spirit to help me get my life back on track when I have stumbled and fallen short of the glory of God. At those times I have not been very happy with myself, but, God’s promise of unconditional love and forgiveness was always there. By the power of the Spirit, God can turn us around and put us back in touch with what is good and right.
God’s spirit can nudge us into taking risks for the gospel. Peter and the other disciples on that day of Pentecost 2000 years ago, were filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to proclaim God’s new day. And this empowerment will never end. God is doing a new thing right here, right now, and needs us to proclaim the message. Our task is to take the sweet, sweet Spirit of God we find in this place and let it make a difference in the world. Our task is to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit within us so that we can feed a world yearning for those qualities. Our task is to open ourselves to the new possibilities for service to God that are being born in us today.
Being God’s people and doing God’s work is what this church is all about. By the power of the Spirit we can seek our way forward. Amen.
Copyright © 2007 by Kathleen Crockford