Pentecost Sunday Whitsunday - June 8, 2025

Summary

Mother Suzanne celebrates Pentecost as the transformative moment when the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus's fearful disciples to become bold leaders of the early church. She reminds us that when we "inhale God's own breath," we too are empowered to be Christ's hands and feet in the world, carrying out His work even when we feel inadequate.

THE GOSPEL                                                                                                                                              John 14:8-17, 25-27

Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."

"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." 

Artwork: Pentecost, Apse of Chapel Miniscalchi in Basilica of Saint Anastasia - Verona, by Francesco Morone (1471-1529)

Transcript

Mother Suzanne:

Oh Lord, how manifold are your works and wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your goodness. In the name of the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Please be seated. It really does delight your priest to look out into the congregation and see a sea of red. Thank you for showing up with your red well this morning. Fire, wind languages, Pentecost the birth of the church. We've been celebrating Easter now for 50 days, and today we step into a church by way of our red front doors to be greeted with a sea of red, red hangings, red vestments red carpet. For the day of Pentecost, the crucifixion of Jesus left the followers of Jesus, absolutely terrified his resurrection left them in a state of bewilderment, but the coming of the Holy Spirit left them empowered, left us empowered. When the 120 believers gathered on the day of Pentecost, they were confused as anything but they were filled with faith. By the time that day was over, they were convinced they were filled with power, and instead of 10 dozen, they numbered in the thousands. Life would never be the same. But then again, neither is the world. This was the day that the church was birthed. We are here wearing our red because of that day.

So perhaps the best way to celebrate the church's birthday is to retell the story of how she was born. One possible pathway into this rich text is to focus on the way Pentecost Holy Spirit transforms Jesus's disciples, those closest to him. Before Pentecost, the disciples didn't fully recognize who Jesus was. You guys remember, they were always questioning, didn't quite grasp who they were with. Despite having ministered, despite having living with Jesus for years, Jesus's disciples didn't stick with him when he got into trouble with the authorities. Instead, they chose to abandon him as quickly as they could. Then when he just as he had promised rose from the dead, they struggled to fully believe that he was alive again on Pentecost. However, those very same low and timid disciples become utterly fearless leaders. They proclaim the gospel in front of large crowds, in front of the authorities, and after Pentecost, they heal people. They excise demons. Jesus's disciples even go to jail gladly where they sing hymns and shake the prison's, foundations. You might recall among the last things Jesus told his disciples before he ascended into heaven was to wait in Jerusalem because God would keep his promise to baptize them with the Holy Spirit. So this time they listened, and this time they went.

So they are gathered in an upper room and a sound like the blowing of a violent wind descends upon them, and then they're looked like tongues of fire. And finally, God filled Jesus' disciples with the Spirit, the Holy Spirit. So they began to talk in all sorts of foreign languages. What in the world is going on? But before the day was over, the church which had begun at one 20 grew to more than 3000 shy people became bold, scared people became gutsy and lost. People had found a sure sense of direction. Disciples who had not believed themselves capable of tying their own sandals without Jesus discovered abilities within themselves that they never knew they had. When they open their mouths to speak, they sounded like Jesus. When they laid their hands on the sick, it was as if Jesus himself had touched them in short order.

They were doing things they had never seen anyone but him do. And there was no explanation for it except, and I will say this, every Pentecost for the rest of my priestly career, there was no explanation for it except that they dared to inhale on the day of Pentecost. They sucked in God's own breath and they were transformed by it. The Holy Spirit had entered into them the same way that it had entered into Mary, the mother of Jesus, and for the same exact reason, it was time for God to be born again, not in one body this time, but in a body of believers who would receive the breath of life from their Lord and pass it on using their own bodies to give that gift away. Isn't that beautiful?

In essence, as Christ's followers, and I say this all the time, we are his hands and his feet in the world. And with God's spirit, we're empowered to be the gentle hands and the strong feet, which allow us to do this privileged work. We are all called to some of it noticeable, most of it not, but that we are propelled by inhaling the spirit of God to carry us into the world, to be different, to notice, to help, to love to serve, to just show up, to be faithful. The Spirit empowers us from the ministries God has us to do, and he calls us His people to those places and people that need us the most, just like we need them, just a little bit. I will invite all those who have felt led here to this sacred space of worship by the spirit of God, that same spirit that we have inhaled, I'll ask all who have felt led here by the Spirit of God in the last year or so to come forward and to sign the book of belonging. In essence, by signing your name, it's a way to claim that grace is the place that you want to lay your roots down, that you want to call your spiritual home. Now, I know that might make some a little nervous if it feels too much like commitment. I get it. I will also say this by signing your name. It's not a membership if you're not ready to do that. It's not official per se in any way other than in your own heart.

Because as your priest, I think it's important to put down spiritual roots to know that there is a place that you can go to meet your creator week in and week out along with others, the body of Christ, your church family. So if you want to do this, and you've been moved by the same spirit that we read about this morning in Acts and John, that same spirit that is here now hovering amongst us and has worked and moved in hearts to bring us here at this time where I hope you might feel an overwhelming sense of rightness, peace that will lead you to sign your name. Because as I tell people all the time, when you know, just know when you've come home and when you're home, you don't want to be anywhere else.

This is what Pentecost is. It's being so filled with the spirit and desiring to do what God has called you to do. God's spirit has brought you here, and I will say as the leader of Grace Church, if he has called you here, we want you here knowing that there's a lot of work to do, work that God is inviting you into, and although you may feel ill-equipped, he will give you the ability to do it. I've seen it time and time again because when we pray, come Holy Spirit come. You better believe it's coming. And more than that, know that when you pray, come Holy Spirit come. You are taking God in and giving God back the world. That's what we've been commissioned to do. So in one voice, let us all pray together. Come Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit. Come one last time. Come. Holy Spirit, come in the name of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.