Pentecost

As most of you know, I was on my spring mission trip to India a few weeks ago, working with TAFTEE- The Association for Theological Education by Extension. The second seminar of the trip was in Bangalore, in southern Indian State of Karnataka, and it was held at the United Theological College in Bangalore. Since it was held at a seminary, I was expecting a sort of "continuing education event for the local Church of South India pastors," graduates of one of India's premier seminaries. But I was wrong.

While there were a few of those pastors there, the majority of those present were "slum pastors." That is, pastors who had come out of the slums in which they were leading churches. More often than not, they were Hindu converts to Christianity, and felt called to share the Good News of Jesus in the slums where they were from, and so they just started churches- on their own- with no support from anyone, no formal education- just a passion to share what they had received.

A word about the slums... These are shanty towns, for the most part- if they are tenements, they make the Cabrini Towers in Chicago (now torn down, thankfully) look like the Taj Mahal... The poverty and filth in these places are overwhelming, and yet they are teaming with thousands upon thousands of people, all drawn to Bangalore and the promises of the possibility of good employment and wealth. For most, it is an empty promise...

The people of these places do whatever they can to earn maybe two dollars a day to try and feed their children. They work so hard! And it is in these slums that these pastors and their churches labor- offering comfort to the people at the dead bottom of the social strata- and developing things like day care, and food pantries to see that basic needs are met.

David Samuel, the Executive Director of TAFTEE has a passion for helping these folks get training- both theological and practical, so they can be ever more effective, and that was why I was there.  He had asked one of them, a man named Prakesh, to serve as the convener of the gathering, so at the beginning of every session, he had people leading songs, and then he would pray, in his language for the Holy Spirit to fill us all, so that I could teach and they could learn. I didn't understand a word, but I knew exactly what he was asking.

And I was humbled- the people at the seminar all had jobs as laborers, including Prakesh- on which they depended for food, and they were skipping them to be with me- and it was so important that I not waste their time. So I joined in the prayers, fervently, and we could feel the presence of God moving in the room. It was a powerful, palpable presence!

It was, as I like to say, a "God thing..." But on this Day of Pentecost, I will be even more specific and call it what it was: A Holy Spirit Thing, because clearly, God's Spirit was there, moving over us in a way that up until then, I had never experienced before!

This is one of my favorite days of the Church Year- Pentecost- 50 Days after Easter is how it gets its name for Christians, when we remember the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Birth of the Church. And I love to preach (and have here at every opportunity!) about how this small group of disciples and friends of Jesus burst out of the Upper Room to proclaim the Lordship of Jesus, not being allowed to keep this gift to themselves- not being allowed to stay cozy and comfortable, but instead, seeing their community grow from 120 people to more than 3000 (who spoke different languages!) in one day!

But we're going to take a slightly different approach this morning: we will use the growth of the church as illustration- but we'll focus on how the Spirit of the Risen Jesus- the very Spirit of God works in the lives of individuals, and helps us grow in incredible ways, so we are able to do the work that God has called us to do- JUST LIKE GOD WORKED IN THE LIVES OF THE FIRST GENERATION OF CHRISTIANS, AND USED THEM TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THE WORLD, because I have no doubt that God wants to use us in amazing ways of sharing Jesus in word and deed with our world today!

In the process, the goal (and more importantly, God's goal!) is to see all of us grow in our faith- grow in our maturity- as St. Paul writes in Ephesians 4- one of my favorite chapters in all the New Testament.

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love...

The Bible often describes Christians as children- belonging to God, adopted by God is how Paul describes it both in Ephesians and Romans- we can even call God "Father- Abba," he says! It can be a very comforting way of thinking about our relationship with God. Jesus often uses the word to describe the disciples! In John 13, Jesus calls the disciples "little children..."  He tells them of his departure- his coming crucifixion- his death on a cross for them- for you and for me.

It's clear that the disciples don't (and can't!) fully understand! Spiritually, they're children when it comes to faith in Jesus.

It happens exactly as he says it will: he is crucified- dies a terrible death- and God raises him from the dead on the third day. Because Jesus was willing to face our deaths- because Jesus was raised from the dead, there is nothing that can happen to his children- the disciples- to you and to me where Jesus won't be with us. Not even death can take that love away.

But still, who of us could accepted that incredible news after living through those frightening and confusing days- the eleven disciples had a hard time, if you remember, gathered in the Upper Room, terrified they would be arrested, too, when Mary Magdalene proclaimed the reality that Jesus had risen from the dead- they didn't believe one who had seen: they were Children...

Even after Jesus had breathed on them- given them the first portion of his Spirit, promised in our Gospel reading this morning, they went fishing- and what does Jesus call to them from the bank after a fruitless night of fishing- "Children...you have no fish, do you???"  

But children grow up. Those of us who are parents may wistfully remember our children as infants, but how unhappy we would be if they didn't grow- there would be something terribly wrong! That's Jesus' expectation for his disciples!

Growth begins to show itself for the disciples on the Day of Pentecost: Peter shows he is growing, as he goes out into the streets to preach- he finally gets it- he knows who Jesus is: God become a human being, whose love can never be taken away! And he wants to share it; indeed, he can't help but share!

Peter's growth in faith continues in Acts 10- he is directed by the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel with a Roman named Cornelius. And in the process of telling the man and his family the Good News, Peter is to share a meal with this man- something devout Jews were not supposed to do! And the circle of fellowship widens! And Peter can both understand and support Paul's mission to share the Crucified and Risen Jesus with non-Jews- the Gentile world!

That's true in our lives as Christians, too. It's true for me, and it's true for you! We have the same Spirit in us that was given on the first day of Pentecost. We believe that when we are baptized, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us- that the Holy Spirit gives us gifts- empowers us to serve- to let the world see the Risen Jesus in how we care for one another and our world! Our call is to do what the disciples did- begin to grow up, and in the process, we, too, will see the Spirit working in us- and being let loose in the world!

For those of you just beginning, let me give you a couple of suggestions in letting the Spirit loose in your life. Remember, none of these will make God love you more- but they will help you love God more, and you will see God working in your life, more and more.

There is no substitute for regular reading of the Bible. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God as it proclaims The Word of God, Jesus Christ. Many of you know that I love to play tennis- and my biggest issue when I play is keeping my eye on the ball. More than I care to admit, I'm looking at where I think the ball ought to go after I hit it, instead of focusing on seeing the ball and hitting it. "You cannot hit the ball if you're not looking at the ball" is my mantra...

That's absolutely true in growing in your faith, too. How do you get to know the living Jesus better and better without spending time with him in his word- if you're not keeping your eyes and your heart on Him? Start simply- I would recommend Mark's Gospel- or Luke's- and read one chapter- or one episode a day until you finish it. Sign up for our daily email Bible readings. Read it through several times- once to see what is happening, and then once to see what God might say to you through your reading... Ask for the Spirit's guidance in your reading...

And that leads to another critical step in growing: praying- talking to God. Don't know how to pray? You have wonderful company! In Romans 8, vv 26 and 27- Paul writes:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God!

There have been times when I have been trying to pray, and for whatever reason, I have been distracted. The temptation is to stop. Here, Paul is very clearly telling us "NO! Don't stop! The Spirit will intercede for you- the Holy Spirit will pray for you, in sighs too deep for words... (I am certain that was what was happening when we were praying in Bangalore- I'm sure there were wonderful words from Prakesh, yes, but the rest of us in the room were expressing the work of the Spirit of God!)

And because the Spirit is the Spirit of God, that means once again, God is praying for you- God knows what you need, and will be there for you!

But how will you know if you don't take the time to sit and spend that time. You can pray anytime, really- first thing in the morning...Last thing at night (although I don't recommend that for focused prayer- I get so relaxed that the next thing I know its morning...) When you exercise- walk, run, swim, whatever you do, it's a great time to focus- and when you get distracted, don't stop. Just ask the Spirit to pray with you and for you- and the promise is the Spirit will!

One last thing: As I prepared for this morning, I noticed a fascinating and wonderful thing in this "growing process" that we see throughout the New Testament. Whenever the Holy Spirit moves in someone's life, the Spirit causes personal growth- and then uses that growth to further the work of Christ- of Christ's Body, the Church- in the world. I could not find one instance in the Bible of someone receiving the Spirit of God to simply hold onto for him or herself!

That was so clearly true of Prakesh- the people from his church he had brought along- the other slum pastors. They knew they were loved by God- for the first time in their lives, they knew they valuable, important people, with purpose and significance, and their response was to share that wonderful news with the people around them...It was too good to keep for themselves!

Let me push it still further: in addition to all the work they are doing for the people in their slum, they have also sent out 50 missionaries- to other slums, in other cities all across India. They're planting 50 new churches. And they haven't just sent them out- they support each of them to the tune of 2000 Indian Rupees per month- that's just $50- but it adds up to $2500 each month- and these people have next to nothing, if not less!

But they find the money because they are passionate about sharing what they already have- what WE have- God's love in Jesus Christ. That comes first- and then they find their other needs are met... But then that's what the Bible teaches: "Seek first the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness and all these things will be added to you..."

As I said when I began, I am incredibly humbled by the example set by these churches- their pastors and their people. What they accomplish with the limited resources they have and when I think of all that you and I have been given- and wonder what you and I could do with that passion and commitment, it takes my breath away!.

But I also find it incredibly encouraging- look what God is doing! How might God use you and me like Prakesh and the people of the church he serves?

And make no mistake- the same Spirit at work in Bangalore is the one who has gathered us here and calls us to go out and serve... The Spirit sending 50 missionaries is the same Spirit calling us to reach 20,000 people in our community by 2020... The Spirit leading those churches as they care for the poorest of the poor in Bangalore is the same Spirit calling us to care for those in need here- and around the world!

And the Spirit at work in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Bangalore- and all over the whole world is the same Spirit at work in our lives, calling us to commitment, to speak the languages of those in need- calling us to serve our Lord Jesus as we serve our brothers and sisters- and when you are serving, once again, you see the Spirit at work- and you grow in your faith.

It is what God has always wanted for you- and as you grow, you will see your life becoming what you have always hoped for: purposeful, significant, Spirit led and Spirit filled.

Will you pray with me:

Lord Jesus, we give you thanks that on this Day you gave your Spirit to those who follow you. Fill us with that same Spirit today and always- the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of our Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence! We ask this in your name: Amen