The Scripture Readings this week are:
- Numbers 11:24-30
- Acts 2:1-12
The Sermon title is Spirit-Infused Life
Early Thoughts: What would our live look like if we allowed ourselves to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit? How do and could we make a difference as people infused with the power of the Spirit?
Pentecost Sunday is commonly called the 'birthday of the church'. The story of the Holy Spirit breaking in to the Upper Room where the disciples have been staying (hiding? laying low?)and driving them out to proclaim the Good News (or Gospel) marks the beginning of a transition of the Jesus movement from a small group of followers to something that will eventually reach across the world. The Church begins, according to this story, not with Easter but the infusing of the Holy Spirit.
Blown out, driven by the Spirit, Peter and company can not contain themselves any longer. The hope which was born on Easter spills out and they have to tell everyone they meet. [It is totally unclear to me in this story if Peter and company speak all those various languages or if the Holy Spirit causes the words to be heard in a language that would be understood, regardless of what language is actually being spoken. Maybe Pentecost is the first recorded instance of a universal translator.] When the Spirit fills them to the brim it changes how they act, it transforms them.
A similar thing seems to happen in our story from Numbers. Here we have two examples. First the Spirit of God rests on the 70 elders of Israel and they prophesy while the Spirit is upon them -- but only then, they stop when the Spirit departs. Then there is the case of Eldad and Medad. It appears maybe they were supposed to be with the 70 in the first part of the reading but did not go -- maybe they missed the bus? Still the Spirit of God fills them and they begin to speak. Some think this is a problem. Some think Eldad and Medad are out of line.I wonder if Joshua sees it as a threat to Moses' authority? Moses sees it as a great gift. As one who knows what it is like to be touched with God's Spirit Moses, it appears, has different eyes and ears to understand the situation.
It seems that being filled with the Spirit is dangerous. It seems that it removes control from us. Sometimes the threat is felt by those who find themselves moved to do and say things they would not otherwise (I think of all those call stories in Scripture where the person being called express great reluctance to accept the call). Sometimes the community around them feels threatened and wants to do something to calm things down.
In The Last Battle, the final book of C.S. Lewis' Narnia cycle, we are reminded that Aslan, the great King from over the sea (who is clearly an allegory for Christ in the Narnia books) is "not a tame lion". Many times in the Narnia stories Aslan causes, orders, or leads people to act in ways very different from their first impulse. Not only is Aslan untamed, he causes people to act less tamely. When we embrace the Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity, when we allow them into our hearts and souls their wildness may infect us. We might become a little less domesticated. {That might not be a bad thing, it is often a little terrifying.}
Maybe there is a reason why wind and fire are two common symbols for the Holy Spirit.
I wonder if we too often play it safe. I wonder if we resist letting ourselves be overtaken by the Holy Spirit infusing our lives. I wonder if sometimes we are like Joshua and want to shut down those who have been inspired by the Spirit when we should be like Moses and see it as a great gift. Maybe we need to allow ourselves to be blown around a bit. Maybe we need to raise our sails and feel the winds of God today.
--Gord
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