When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
(Act 2)
Last year around this time, I released a pastoral message, combining Pentecost, Pride and Protest. In the 2020 Pentecost message I offered you, I talked about the “unholy spirit” that inhabits this world. The unholy spirit is the one that takes away our breath; that takes away life. The unholy spirit interrupts the flow of the Divine operating within all of us.
This “unholy spirit” was operating when George Floyd was murdered right before our eyes. When Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, when every one of our black and brown siblings have been murdered, it is the unholy spirit that is operating. This spirit is the same unholy spirit that continues to murder our native relatives whose land was stolen and continues to be occupied. This same unholy spirit that disturbs and interrupts the flow of the Divine operating within all of us, has murdered, raped, and dehumanized our Palestinian siblings. The unholy spirit is inspiring individuals to harm AAPI persons in this country.
Thank God for the those in other countries who are speaking up for Palestinian people, for Native people for black and brown bodies for Asian American & Pacific Islander bodies!
All of this is the opposite of what we celebrate on this day of Pentecost – the 50th day after Easter. Pentecost is when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit who empowered the apostles who are gathered in the upper room in fear and anxiety, afraid that they were going to be kidnapped maybe even made an example of like Christ was. The apostles were not sure what was going to happen…
But while in the upper room they received power! This power came from the Holy Spirit always motivates, empowers us to go forth into the world to speak a good word – blessing.
Therefore, when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we are empowered to speak good things about one another, and about the world around us. When the Spirit comes upon us, we are equipped with the tools to heal, to liberate through our tongue, through our hands, through our feet through our presence.
So with all that being said, if this is true, then we need to live in the world with expectations!
If we really are the “Beloved Children of God”, as Henri Nouwen would say, then we need to live with expectation that when we show up in the world, even when it is scary, because we are the beloved children of God and because we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we will give life, liberate, inspire, and empower through our very presence! And with this Holy Spirit comes holy responsibility!
This is responsible, practical spirituality in the world.
We must expect that when we show up, things will happen. Miracles will take place, including physical healings, emotional/mental healings, sexual healing – maybe a healing from rape or healing from the idea that your sexuality might make you “sinful”, which it does not! All sexualities are holy and beautiful.
The Holy Spirit also empowers us when we show up in the world, to expect that good will take place. However, that good does not happen out of order. What is the order?
Holy Spirit Order:
- Show up,
- We have to speak good – blessing.
- We have to dare to get in the way, to wade in the waters of the chaos.
Michael Beckwith likes to say, “chaos precedes emergence” and that “emergence” is the dream of God – that we and all of creation, will have life and have it abundantly. Friends, do not be afraid of the chaos! We must not be afraid of the unholy spirit that inhabits this world. Instead of being afraid, dare to show up as the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, which gives the power of life and who has power over death.
Through the Holy Spirit, death has no sting because we see death not as an “enemy” but as a gateway to the next level of transcendence. We do not see chaos as the “enemy”. We see chaos as one of our siblings, who is the gateway to emergence. I like to say that “conflict is the mother of creativity”. We need conflict to have creativity which is always giving birth to the Divine, and helps us to recognize the Divine.
On this Pentecost, and each day, live with the understanding that when you show up expect that something is happening. You and I are co-creating, co-liberating, dream of God in the here and now. This is what it means to be pentecostal or to be charismatic people. The word charisma means gift in Greek.
We must go out into the world like the apostles did on pentecost, and confront the unholy spirit by embodying the Holy Spirit! How do we do this? By moving in the power/gifts of the Holy Spirit!
Moving in the Power/Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
- Speaking blessing (dare to say that there is good to be spoken of)
- Speaking with adaptability
- Listening to the Holy Spirit speaking today
- Practicing Courage/Bravery in the face of conflict
We must move in the power of the Holy Spirit, because the world needs people who confront the unholy spirit in this world!
So remember, dear friends, life is short. Wo do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who journey with us. So be swift to love. Make haste to be kind, and dare to be the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, that confront the unholy spirit by using the gifts of the spirits everyday!
+Amen.
Teaching from the Desk of The People’s Priest
+Rev. Fr. Jerry Maynard
