WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
May 27th 2007
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Acts 2:1-21; Romans 8:14-17
“Afraid of the Spirit”
Fear is a powerful force about which the bible has much to say. Paul reminds us that being led by the spirit means we are free from the slavery of fear. Jesus spent much of his life calling people to lead lives without fear. After the resurrection, when he appeared to the disciples, who were in hiding, Jesus first words are: “do not fear.” I am sure that many, if not all of us, can testify to the power of fear in our world. That is why the message, not to fear, must be told over and over. The story of Pentecost, the birth of the Christian church, is simply another opportunity to share this important news.
The disciples are gathered for the celebration of Pentecost. Pentecost is a Jewish celebration which occurred fifty days after Passover. (Passover is the celebration of the liberation from Egyptian slavery.) By the time of Pentecost, the disciples are beginning to learn how to follow the call; not to fear. They have seen Jesus death, resurrection, and now have lived through his ascension. At each stage they are learning what it means to live without fear in a world driven by fear. And, those lessons would certainly be challenged at the Pentecost celebration.
In the midst of the celebration a sound like that of a violent wind arose. It is the sort of wind that those who live in the shadow of tornado alley know something about. When the wind arises, the windows shake, and the tress bend to breaking, even the bravest among us can be shaken to the core. That is precisely how the Spirit shows up. The birth of the church begins with a commotion unbecoming of a proper service of worship. Yet, in the midst of this unwelcome interruption, God is doing a new thing.
The commotion draws a rather large crowd. Once everyone is gathered around, tongues of fire fall upon the Galileans and they begin to speak in foreign languages. Speaking in tongues, in this passage, is all about speaking different languages. In that moment, each person hears the good news of God in their own language. God has decided to break down the barriers of language and culture welcoming the entire world. In other words, there is no language requirement in the family of God.
In those moments, the expectations and beliefs of everyone gathered are shattered. The small town Galileans find out that the movement is bigger than they ever imagined. They do not have a monopoly on faith. Those from Jerusalem learn that just because they are sophisticated urban dwellers, at the center of the religious landscape, they can learn something from those who live ‘out state.’ And finally, the people who are from many different nations learn that their culture is embraced and welcomed by God.
In response to this ‘new thing,’ many of the witnesses cannot believe that God is present in this chaotic morass. After all, God does things decently and in order! Or, if God is going to do this He most certainly would not use these uneducated men from a small town who know nothing of how things are done in Jerusalem. As a result, these urban elites at the center of religion and culture dismiss the affair as a bout of early morning drinking.
Peter, not willing to be so easily dismissed, gives a powerful testimony. Peter turns to tradition, of which the detractors know well, and uses it to explain how this new thing is part of God’s plan. Peter uses scripture, from the prophet Joel; to explain that this event is part of the long tradition of God’s activity in the world. This noisy, freighting, ‘new thing,’ is the Spirit at work bringing healing and reconciliation to the world. Some people are moved by this testimony while others are not convinced. However, the Spirit did send a powerful message at the birth of the church.
Tradition and fear are at the heart of this passage. In fact, the passage is really about the intersection of fear and tradition. Tradition, in the church of Jesus Christ and in each community of faith, is never a fixed reality. Tradition gives communities identity and a sense of purpose. A community which does not acknowledge and build upon tradition is not well prepared when challenges arise. Because Peter knew the tradition of how God had acted in the past and of what God promised to do in the future, he knew that this ‘new thing’ was from the Spirit of God. Without his knowledge and understanding of tradition, Peter would not have been prepared to deal with the challenges of his detractors. It is a powerful witness to the importance and use of tradition.
However, when tradition becomes a fixed reality and moves into traditionalism, it ceases to give life. Instead of providing a foundation it can become a meaningless millstone for future generations. It is like the story of the little girl who asks her mom why they always cut off the end of the ham before cooking it. Her mom responds: “I don’t know that’s just the way my mother always did it.” When the little girl’s mother asks her own mother why she cut off the end of the ham she receives this answer: “I don’t know that’s just the way my mother always did it.” Fortunately, her mother is still alive and so they go to ask her why she always cut the end off the ham before baking. To their amazement, they all find out that the reason she cut the end off the ham was that; “they were too poor to buy a pan big enough to fit a whole ham.” What began as a practical response to life circumstance became a meaningless tradition no one understood. “That’s just the way we have always done it.”
If we do not understand and explain our traditions we run the risk of living our corporate lives without understanding simply doing things because; “That’s just the way we have always done it.” But even beyond this, if we do not understand our traditions, and pass them along there will be no future generation. So, as we seek to pass along the traditions of our faith, we must recognize and allow future generations to claim and even reshape traditions in ways which will be meaningful for them. The end of the story about the ham is really not the end of the story. After all, once the little girl and her mother learn why they have always cutting off the end of the ham for baking, they have a decision to make. They can simply cease cutting off the end of the ham because it is no longer necessary. Or, they can decide that they will continue the practice, not because it had always been done that way, but instead as a reminder of where they had come from. But no matter what they decide, it is their decision to make. This is the witness Peter gave to the church at Pentecost.
The role of fear in all of this cannot be understated. Fear, was the driving motivation for those who dismissed our fore parents of the faith as drunk and crazy. Living under the occupation of Rome, the religious leadership had one goal in mind: Survival. These leaders worried that these new fanatics would waste the arrangement they had worked so hard to create. As a result, the survival mentality had to discredit any new thing or even new interpretation of tradition that might threaten their existence. And, when fear is the driving motivation, the work of the Spirit is often the first victim. But, on that day, and throughout God’s activity in the world, we have been called to say no to fear and life in survival mode. The Spirit calls us to freedom, and freedom allows the followers of Jesus Christ to risk a new thing, to risk a new interpretation of tradition, and even to risk our very own life and existence; all for the good news of Jesus Christ.
As we seek to live into this reality, living faithfully without fear, I believe there are three questions which we must hold up as a guide to our life and ministry. 1) As we seek to share our stories and traditions do we use language and mediums which will allow all people to hear the good news in their own language and culture? 2) Are we willing to test the spirits before accepting or dismissing them, based simply on personal preferences, in order to find out if God is really working through this ‘new thing?’ And finally: 3) Are we willing to risk our interpretation of tradition so that others and even future generations will want to be a part and make our traditions their own? I believe our answers to these questions will determine our faithfulness our vitality and even our future.
There is a story I have heard about Baptist preacher Will Campbell. He tells of being in a church in East Tennessee. When he was there they were not open to his pleas to open the doors of the church to African-Americans. Years later when traveling through the area he happened upon that church which was now a restaurant. Looking around the restaurant he saw people from all walks of life sitting and eating together. Campbell commented that God had turned that place into a place of welcome for all people, even against the wishes of the church. It is clear that the Spirit will bring life with or without the church. So, may God lead us by the Spirit to bear the message and tradition of our faith so that all will hear the good news. Amen.
May 27th 2007
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Acts 2:1-21; Romans 8:14-17
“Afraid of the Spirit”
Fear is a powerful force about which the bible has much to say. Paul reminds us that being led by the spirit means we are free from the slavery of fear. Jesus spent much of his life calling people to lead lives without fear. After the resurrection, when he appeared to the disciples, who were in hiding, Jesus first words are: “do not fear.” I am sure that many, if not all of us, can testify to the power of fear in our world. That is why the message, not to fear, must be told over and over. The story of Pentecost, the birth of the Christian church, is simply another opportunity to share this important news.
The disciples are gathered for the celebration of Pentecost. Pentecost is a Jewish celebration which occurred fifty days after Passover. (Passover is the celebration of the liberation from Egyptian slavery.) By the time of Pentecost, the disciples are beginning to learn how to follow the call; not to fear. They have seen Jesus death, resurrection, and now have lived through his ascension. At each stage they are learning what it means to live without fear in a world driven by fear. And, those lessons would certainly be challenged at the Pentecost celebration.
In the midst of the celebration a sound like that of a violent wind arose. It is the sort of wind that those who live in the shadow of tornado alley know something about. When the wind arises, the windows shake, and the tress bend to breaking, even the bravest among us can be shaken to the core. That is precisely how the Spirit shows up. The birth of the church begins with a commotion unbecoming of a proper service of worship. Yet, in the midst of this unwelcome interruption, God is doing a new thing.
The commotion draws a rather large crowd. Once everyone is gathered around, tongues of fire fall upon the Galileans and they begin to speak in foreign languages. Speaking in tongues, in this passage, is all about speaking different languages. In that moment, each person hears the good news of God in their own language. God has decided to break down the barriers of language and culture welcoming the entire world. In other words, there is no language requirement in the family of God.
In those moments, the expectations and beliefs of everyone gathered are shattered. The small town Galileans find out that the movement is bigger than they ever imagined. They do not have a monopoly on faith. Those from Jerusalem learn that just because they are sophisticated urban dwellers, at the center of the religious landscape, they can learn something from those who live ‘out state.’ And finally, the people who are from many different nations learn that their culture is embraced and welcomed by God.
In response to this ‘new thing,’ many of the witnesses cannot believe that God is present in this chaotic morass. After all, God does things decently and in order! Or, if God is going to do this He most certainly would not use these uneducated men from a small town who know nothing of how things are done in Jerusalem. As a result, these urban elites at the center of religion and culture dismiss the affair as a bout of early morning drinking.
Peter, not willing to be so easily dismissed, gives a powerful testimony. Peter turns to tradition, of which the detractors know well, and uses it to explain how this new thing is part of God’s plan. Peter uses scripture, from the prophet Joel; to explain that this event is part of the long tradition of God’s activity in the world. This noisy, freighting, ‘new thing,’ is the Spirit at work bringing healing and reconciliation to the world. Some people are moved by this testimony while others are not convinced. However, the Spirit did send a powerful message at the birth of the church.
Tradition and fear are at the heart of this passage. In fact, the passage is really about the intersection of fear and tradition. Tradition, in the church of Jesus Christ and in each community of faith, is never a fixed reality. Tradition gives communities identity and a sense of purpose. A community which does not acknowledge and build upon tradition is not well prepared when challenges arise. Because Peter knew the tradition of how God had acted in the past and of what God promised to do in the future, he knew that this ‘new thing’ was from the Spirit of God. Without his knowledge and understanding of tradition, Peter would not have been prepared to deal with the challenges of his detractors. It is a powerful witness to the importance and use of tradition.
However, when tradition becomes a fixed reality and moves into traditionalism, it ceases to give life. Instead of providing a foundation it can become a meaningless millstone for future generations. It is like the story of the little girl who asks her mom why they always cut off the end of the ham before cooking it. Her mom responds: “I don’t know that’s just the way my mother always did it.” When the little girl’s mother asks her own mother why she cut off the end of the ham she receives this answer: “I don’t know that’s just the way my mother always did it.” Fortunately, her mother is still alive and so they go to ask her why she always cut the end off the ham before baking. To their amazement, they all find out that the reason she cut the end off the ham was that; “they were too poor to buy a pan big enough to fit a whole ham.” What began as a practical response to life circumstance became a meaningless tradition no one understood. “That’s just the way we have always done it.”
If we do not understand and explain our traditions we run the risk of living our corporate lives without understanding simply doing things because; “That’s just the way we have always done it.” But even beyond this, if we do not understand our traditions, and pass them along there will be no future generation. So, as we seek to pass along the traditions of our faith, we must recognize and allow future generations to claim and even reshape traditions in ways which will be meaningful for them. The end of the story about the ham is really not the end of the story. After all, once the little girl and her mother learn why they have always cutting off the end of the ham for baking, they have a decision to make. They can simply cease cutting off the end of the ham because it is no longer necessary. Or, they can decide that they will continue the practice, not because it had always been done that way, but instead as a reminder of where they had come from. But no matter what they decide, it is their decision to make. This is the witness Peter gave to the church at Pentecost.
The role of fear in all of this cannot be understated. Fear, was the driving motivation for those who dismissed our fore parents of the faith as drunk and crazy. Living under the occupation of Rome, the religious leadership had one goal in mind: Survival. These leaders worried that these new fanatics would waste the arrangement they had worked so hard to create. As a result, the survival mentality had to discredit any new thing or even new interpretation of tradition that might threaten their existence. And, when fear is the driving motivation, the work of the Spirit is often the first victim. But, on that day, and throughout God’s activity in the world, we have been called to say no to fear and life in survival mode. The Spirit calls us to freedom, and freedom allows the followers of Jesus Christ to risk a new thing, to risk a new interpretation of tradition, and even to risk our very own life and existence; all for the good news of Jesus Christ.
As we seek to live into this reality, living faithfully without fear, I believe there are three questions which we must hold up as a guide to our life and ministry. 1) As we seek to share our stories and traditions do we use language and mediums which will allow all people to hear the good news in their own language and culture? 2) Are we willing to test the spirits before accepting or dismissing them, based simply on personal preferences, in order to find out if God is really working through this ‘new thing?’ And finally: 3) Are we willing to risk our interpretation of tradition so that others and even future generations will want to be a part and make our traditions their own? I believe our answers to these questions will determine our faithfulness our vitality and even our future.
There is a story I have heard about Baptist preacher Will Campbell. He tells of being in a church in East Tennessee. When he was there they were not open to his pleas to open the doors of the church to African-Americans. Years later when traveling through the area he happened upon that church which was now a restaurant. Looking around the restaurant he saw people from all walks of life sitting and eating together. Campbell commented that God had turned that place into a place of welcome for all people, even against the wishes of the church. It is clear that the Spirit will bring life with or without the church. So, may God lead us by the Spirit to bear the message and tradition of our faith so that all will hear the good news. Amen.
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