Reverend Ref +

SERMON
PENTECOST B

Today is the traditional birthday of the Church. This is the day when the Holy Spirit came and rested on the disciples as promised by Jesus. They moved out from under the basket and, emboldened and empowered by the Holy Spirit, they let the light of their gospel message shine on the world. This is the day when the Church began to take shape.

There are a couple of things worth looking at today. First, everyone has been given a gift from God; and each gift is particular to specific people. Paul is big on comparing the Church to a physical body, hence 'the body of Christ.' If we all had the same gifts, nothing would get accomplished. If a body only consisted of a mouth, how would it hear? If we all had the gift of preaching, then which of us would have the gift of listening? So it is important to note that each of us has a particular gift that is vital to the success of the Church and this congregation.

It's also important to note that everyone has been given a gift from God, regardless of their baptismal status. Humans were created in the image of God; so doesn't it make sense that God would bestow a gift on every one of his creations? Whether or not a person chooses to accept that gift is another story, but we were made in God's image and we all carry a gift inside of us.

It is at our baptism when that gift, as Paul wrote, is activated in us. "There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone." The gift has been with us all along, and it is our baptism, that "full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit," that activates the gift and allows us to use it for the benefit of the Church.

Notice I didn't say, ". . . and allows us to use it . . . period." It is possible for someone to have a gift and use it outside of the Christian community. It is also possible for someone to become part of the Christian community and use the same gift in a new way. Then again, it is also possible for someone to find a gift they didn't know they had at some point after the Holy Spirit activates said gift. This is the day when we remember both the birth of the Church as well as the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon us and activated our gifts.

Our gifts are given to us by God. Our different gifts are activated by the Holy Spirit. Our different gifts are then used in a variety of ways for the benefit of the Church. And our different gifts, when we use them, are perceived by those outside the Church at a time and place when they are ready to be open to the power of the Spirit in their lives.

And this is the second point: that the Holy Spirit will not only activate our gifts within us, but will also enable those around us to perceive our gifts in a manner that leaves them open to the message of the gospel.

The Holy Spirit did something amazing on that first day of Pentecost. There is the obvious miracle of the apostles speaking in other languages, but there is something else there as well. There is the miracle that other people listened to what the apostles had to say.

The apostles simply went out and preached the gospel, and those around them listened. The apostles were emboldeneed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. They didn't convert anyone. They didn't baptize anyone. And they sure didn't condemn anyone. All they did was preach the gospel.

We are called to do the same thing today . . . preach the gospel. That doesn't necessarily mean standing up in front of a congregation and preaching, or standing out on the street corner with your bible shouting out the virtues of Christianity. Point Five of our mission statement says, "Proclaim the gospel in thought, word and deed." That is preaching.

If we live our lives with the understanding that the Holy Spirit is working through us, with the understanding that we are filled with the Holy Spirit and that the Spirit will guide us, then we will have no choice but to proclaim the gospel.

And when we do that, the people around us will hear that gospel in their own language. Whether a person sees actions as louder than words, or views spirituality as important, or wants to participate in a service, or whatever, they will hear the gospel that we preach. But they will only hear it if we preach with intentionality, with passion and with honesty. And they will hear it when they are ready to hear it.

The Holy Spirit will move in and through those outside the Church in a way that activates their own gifts and makes them ready to hear the gospel. We can't control when that happens. It may be years before we start seeing any results from Theology on Tap, for instance.

The two lessons that we can take from today then, are these: 1) know that you have a particular gift from God that is vital to the life of the Church in general, and this congregation in particular; and 2) know that you have been filled with the Holy Spirit and are empowered to preach the gospel.

If we are open to the Holy Spirit working through us to reach those who are ready to hear, like it did on that first day of Pentecost, then we, and those around us, will be amazed at what shape our church will take.

And people who are amazed have a tendency to listen.