THE MEANING OF PENTECOST

SERMON PREACHED BY FR. TONY NOBLE ON JUNE 4, 2006

1 Corinthians 12:13 "For by one spirit we were all baptized into one body and all were made to drink of one spirit."

Have you got the spirit? It is a question often asked in Pentecostal churches. Over coffee someone will usually say: 'Have you got the spirit?'

This tells us that the word "Pentecost" means different things to different people. To Pentecostal churches and people who belong to them, Pentecost means speaking in tongues, works of healing and the odd miracle.

To more traditional churches like ours Pentecost speaks more of the birthday of the church to which we belong: the Holy Catholic and Apostolic church. But to all Christians, whether one extreme or the other, Pentecost means the gift of Jesus to his disciples following his resurrection - the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The mistake we all make is to see this gift as a personal thing. Pentecostals think that the ultimate presence of the Holy Spirit is to make you feel good and happy - hence the term “happy clappy”!

For Episcopalians the presence of the Holy Spirit is a reassurance that the Holy Spirit is present in the church. Now both of these attitudes are right - but taken alone they are both wrong. This is illustrated by the first reading from Acts 2. The Apostles and Mary had been waiting in prayer for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit for nine days since the Ascension of Jesus. What did they expect? We don't know - and perhaps they didn't know either? When it came to the outpouring of the Spirit they were literally bowled over. There was wind, and flames above their heads, and this speaking in tongues - which Acts says was various languages that could be understood. Therefore it was not what is known as glossolalia.

What was the result of all this carry-on? It wasn't people clapping their hands and singing Alleluia - it was a sermon. St. Peter preached a sermon. First, to reassure the assembled people that the apostles weren’t drunk at 9:00 in the morning. And then, to preach the gospel. And in the sermon there was no mention of love, or joy, or social justice, or being inclusive -, or even General Convention! All those things we expect to hear in Episcopal churches which seem to be the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.

St. Peter talked about none of those things. What St. Peter talked about was the death and resurrection of Jesus. And that he was Lord of all. And that those present needed to repent of their sins there and then. Now lest we think that perhaps St. Peter got it wrong, look at today's gospel. This is another outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This was on Easter Day in the evening. The apostles have gathered in fear, they have heard that some have seen the Lord risen from the dead.

Jesus appears in the room and on this occasion did also send the Holy Spirit. But it is in a different way to Pentecost - and this is 50 days before Pentecost. On this occasion on Easter evening there is no wind and no flames, but we do have some sort of breath - the breath of Jesus. He breathes on them. But we do not hear foreign languages - we hear these words: "Peace be with you". Then Jesus breathes on them and says: "Receive the Holy Spirit". So in this case the Holy Spirit comes gently, quietly, almost hidden. Then Jesus says these amazing words: "Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven".

Today we are confronted with two different concepts of the working of the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost there is wind, flame, excitement, and a bold proclamation that Jesus is Lord. On Easter Day it is a gentle breath of Jesus, and words of forgiveness. When we think about Him breathing upon them what Jesus is doing is breathing his life. In breathing upon them and saying "Receive the Holy Spirit", he is saying what he always said: "I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the full." The breathing is a striking symbol not only of the life Jesus imparts, which is the Holy Spirit - but also of the sacraments.

When Jesus says: "Whose sins you forgive they are forgiven" He is empowering the apostles to actually forgive sins. We understand that to be a sacramental instruction from Jesus. And when an Episcopal Priest is ordained, as the Bishop lays his hands on him and says 'Receive the Holy Spirit', he then says 'whose sins you forgive they are forgiven' - words any Priest being ordained hears with awe and trembling. In the Easter day giving of the Spirit, which is quite different from Pentecost, we ultimately have the marks of baptism. There is a declaration of forgiveness of sins, and the giving of new life – the two things we receive when we are baptized. Also there is a clear institution by Jesus that in his church the ordained ministry is empowered to celebrate the sacraments of the New Covenant which impart new life, forgiveness and the very presence of Jesus.

Both the Pentecost and Easter outpourings of the spirit happen within the church that Jesus founded, as symbolized and represented by the twelve Apostles. Both Easter night and Pentecost morning are the outpouring of the spirit on the infant church.

When we consider these two outpourings of the Holy Spirit, it is unfortunate that those Christians in the last 50 years who have manifested such wonderful enthusiasm for the gifts of the spirit, especially healing and speaking in tongues, have often rejected the sacraments and the tradition of the church. They even rejected the Kalendar which celebrates this very day.

Often extremes go too far. The church of Corinth seems to be just like a late 20^th century Pentecostal church. When you read what St. Paul said, it is obvious they were very big on speaking in tongues, healing, miracles and prophecies, just like Pentecostal churches today. Corinthians also reveals that that church in Corinth had some less attractive features of Pentecostal churches. There were personality cults surrounding their Pastors. St. Paul criticized them for saying, I am for Paul, I am for Apollos, etc. And he is strong in his condemnation that they had neglected the Eucharist in favor of wonderful love feasts as he calls it. Actually it sounds like some Episcopal churches I've encountered!

St. Paul reminds us in today's Epistle that all the gifts of the Holy Spirit are only given for the benefit of the whole body and its unity.

So the question, 'Have you got the spirit' is the wrong question.

The real question is 'Has the spirit got you?'

Are we spirit filled?

Does the spirit fill our life, to make us strong Christians and committed followers of Jesus?

Are we enthusiastic about our tradition? About the Holy Catholic Church to which we belong? About the Eucharist?

Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to change us day by day so that we may become more like Christ?

The question which automatically follows from' Has the spirit got you?' is not: 'Are you enjoying the warmth and the joy of the Holy Spirit in your life?”.

The question that follows is 'Are you passing on the good news of Jesus, and using the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to you for the benefit of others?'

My dear brothers and sisters, this is the meaning of Pentecost.