Pentecost A
1 Corinthians 12:3b-12, Mason Parks
Guest: Cheryl Kerr, parablesofhope.org, Pastor of Allin Congregational UCC, Dedham, MA
Psalm 104, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, Psalmimmersion.com, @pomopsalmist, Patreon
Musician - The Steel Wheels, “We’ve Got a Fire” from their album Leave Some Things Behind, www.thesteelwheels.com, @thesteelwheels, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram
Musician - The Steel Wheels, “We’ve Got a Fire” from their album Leave Some Things Behind, www.thesteelwheels.com, @thesteelwheels, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram
Musician - Christopher Grundy, “Pour Out Your Spirit.” from his album Stepping In, christophergrundy.com, @ChrstphrGrundy
Tasty Wafer: Social Media and Pastoral Moves
John 20:19-23 - See the discussion from Easter 2A
Acts 2:1-21
Listener Comment from 2014: “The problem with Pentecost is not that it's a busy time of the year, but that it so unambiguously requires of us that we carry the gospel out into the world, and blow our own covers. It is one thing to adore the infant Jesus, another to mourn the death of Jesus in our insular communities. It is something else, VERY else, and to many, VERY scary, to proclaim the gospel in every action we take, and to publicly proclaim ourselves to be THOSE people, those [insert negative adjective here] Christians. Pentecost gives us marching orders. Christmas is so much easier…”
Initial Thoughts
Acts 2 according to The Twible, by Jana Riess: “Product launch: Holy Ghost language course. Better than Berlitz! [Warning: User may seem inebriated. Tongue may catch fire.]
Every year- same passage- make it new!
Bible Study
Pentecost - fifty days or seven weeks after Passover (Lev. 23:15-22)
Giving of law at Mount Sinai
End of the Spring Harvest
All were included in the celebration: Deut. 16:11 “you, your sons, your daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites who live in your cities, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows”
“Pentecost, the fiftieth day, marks the end of the Festival of Weeks, Shavuot (from the Hebrew for ‘weeks’), originally named the festival of “Harvest,” see Exodus 23:16, Leviticus 23:15-16. The seven weeks follow from Passover and the festivals are entwined. By the time of the New Testament, it was also understood to be the anniversary of the revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19. These traditions underlie the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the self same day. The Christian observance is inexorably linked to its ancestral Jewish heritage.”(Wilda Gafney, A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year W, p. 196)
“Pentecost is the moment when gestation ceases and birthing occurs. Thus, it is both an end and a beginning, the leaving behind of that which is past, the launching forth into that which is only now beginning to be. Pentecost therefore is not a time of completion. It is moving forward into new dimensions of being, whose basic forms are clear, but whose fulfillment has yet to be realized.” (Walter Brueggemann, Texts for Preaching, Year B, p. 347)
Double Celebration:
End of the Spring Harvest (we aren’t in Illinois anymore)- connections to Peter’s Sermon (Joel 2:24a "the threshing floors shall be full of grain” and Luke 10:2 “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few”)
God gives the Hebrews the Torah - not explicit in the Hebrew Bible, but traditionally celebrated.
Gift of the Torah - which unites a people as a holy nation and priestly kingdom
Gift of the Spirit - which unites all people
Both are inclusive celebrations to be blessings to all people
Who is they? (David Bender, Feasting on the Word, Year B, volume 3)
The 11 (Acts 1:13)?
Has Matthias been added (Acts 1:26)?
Have the women been added (Acts 1:14)?
Do we allow the gift of the Spirit to flow through our congregations or only our seminaries and adjudicatories?
Baptism of the Spirit- see Luke 3:16, Acts 1:5
Images of the Spirit
Rush of wind, tongues of fire, community gathered
Freedom of the Spirit
Not limited by language
Perhaps the semi-collapse of Enlightenment orthodoxy, with its elevation of reason and science as the only paths to true knowledge of the world, has opened the door to a recovery of a kind of pre-/post-Enlightenment religiosity in which once again people are open to, and therefore experience, "signs and wonders." - David Gushee
Not limited by different languages or even needing to be explained - “What does this mean?” They cannot explain it and still today we try and answer this question
“The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost marks the dawn of the Church, but it is not the dawn of the Holy Spirit; she births creation, hovering over her newly hatched brood in Genesis, and breathes through the scriptures, celebrated in the final verse of the Psalm (Psalm 14:30)” (Wilda Gafney, A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year W, p. 202)
Spirit of Liberation
Liberation from Chaos - Genesis 1-2
Liberation from Babylon - Isaiah 11:2
Liberation from Rome - Luke 3:16, Acts 1:5
What do we need to be liberated from?
The church?
Consumerism?
Self-importance? Self-delusion? Self-disregard?
Reversal of Babel (Gen. 11)?
The lectionary seems to think so (Babel’s only use in the Lectionary is Pentecost C)
Genesis - One language = building a tower to the heavens to “make a name for ourselves”
Acts - “One language” = sharing God’s great deeds of power
Not about making the people great- about making God great
Community for its own sake is not always a good thing- but a Spirit-filled community working for God is world changing
Not necessarily:
The reversal of Babel would have been uniting all people under one language- not what happens here
About Evangelism- not about undoing Babel
Couldn’t it be both?
The reversal of the self-centeredness of Babel and the focus on declaring the Good News of God’s great deeds of power in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to all the ends of the Earth (Acts 1:8)
Joel 2:28-29
Joel background - not much is known about Joel or historical context.
Possibly post-exilic, living in Jerusalem (Common English Study Bible notes, p. 1445 OT)
“The book shows a blend of judgment and deliverance.” Subheadings in order:
Lament
Mourning
Suffering
Prophet’s Prayer
Alarm and Peril
Change your hearts
Compassion and promise
Judgment on nations
Coming war
Salvation
2:28-29 is within the Compassion and Promise section.
“For Joel the outpouring of the Spirit are a prelude to disaster, but for Peter these wonders have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ… and their purpose… is nothing less than the redemption of humankind.” (Brueggemann, Texts for Preaching, Year B, p. 349)
Spirit of inclusivity
Age, gender, ethnically (all persons)
Signs and Wonders - theme throughout the first half of Acts - performed by Jesus, the Spirit, Stephen, (Moses), Philip, Paul and Barnabas
The word of the Spirit is something which has happened, did happen (on Pentecost) and continues
“Your young will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams.” Is it just me, or does that seem to be a reversal? I think of older people have mystical visions, and younger people as dreaming dreams. Yet here it is, the young are given visions usually reserved the old and wise, and dreams are given to those who may not live them out.
All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved
What does salvation mean?
What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord?
If all can call on the name of the Lord, then do we still need priests?
Response: They are drunk
Going the wrong way and dismissing the warnings: Planes Trains and Automobiles clip
Only here they are going the right way and being warned against it
Do we really want the gift of the Spirit? It will be violent. It may burn us. It may push us to places where we do not wish to go. Perhaps it is easier to dismiss
They are intoxicated with the Spirit which will lead them to do foolish things - like follow a crucified Lord
Thoughts and Questions
From the Lit Liturgy Podcast: “Christmas is stupid without Easter. Easter is pointless without Pentecost.”
Is the current church as flexible as the ancient church to adapt to where the spirit is calling or do we insist on the Spirit working within our institutional and/or traditional methods?
Do we truly allow the spirit to guide us or is the Spirit in the backseat?
Are we willing to be led by the spirit without knowing the destination?
Local churches struggling week to week
Denominations struggling year to year
Pastors struggling with calls
Can we be led out of the temple and into the wilderness?
What do we need to be liberated from?
The church?
Consumerism?
Self-importance? Self-delusion? Self-disregard?
“Without Pentecost, we’d just be people who tell Jesus’ story. With Pentecost, we’re people who live into Jesus’ story” (Danielle Shroyer, The Hardest Question blog)
Is the current church as flexible as the ancient church to adapt to where the spirit is calling or do we insist on the Spirit working within our institutional and/or traditional methods?
Do we truly allow the spirit to guide us or is the Spirit in the backseat?
Are we willing to be led by the spirit without knowing the destination?
Local churches struggling week to week
Denominations struggling year to year
Pastors struggling with calls
Can we be led out of the temple and into the wilderness?
It is easy to slip into an us and them mentality- the Spirit breaks through those barriers. Who are the “they” in your community who the Spirit is pushing you (and your church) toward?
What noise is your church making? It is drawing people together or keeping them apart?
How are you proclaiming God’s great deeds of power? Are you working to make a name for yourself/church/family/country or a name for God?
What does it mean to be saved? (also something not often talked about)
John 7:37-39
Initial Thoughts
John 7 according to The Twible, by Jana Riess: “JC’s brothers urge him to attend a festival to show of his miracles and get all famous, but that’s not his style. He’s on the QT.”
Bible Study
Context is EVERYTHING: The Last Day of the Festival
Festival of Booths (cf. 1 Kings 8:2)
“The Festival of Tabernacles (or Booths) originally celebrated the completion of the harvest, but eventually also came to commemorate God’s protection of Israel in the wilderness. In New Testament times, the festival had grown to an eight-day celebration centered at the Temple… During a second procession, the priests processed from the Temple to the pool of Siloam to draw water, returning through the Water Gate to pour the water on the altar as a libation…” (Gail O’Day, New Interpreter’s Bible, v. IX, p. 542)
“Originally a harvest festival, it came to be associated with the eschatological hope for a time when God's life-giving presence would flow out in rivers from the temple, like water from the rock in the wilderness.” Meda A. A. Stamper - Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary - Feasting on the Word – Year A, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season After Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16).
Jesus’ second festival/Passover in Jerusalem
Passover/Cleansing the temple in John 2:13-22
Passover/Festival of Booths John 6-7
Final Passover - John 14-18
Living Water
recurring theme in John
Baptism by John (1:32-34)
Water into Wine (2:1-11)
Nicodemus (3:5)
Living Water at the Well (4:7-26)
Water from Jesus (19:34)
Jesus re-imagining the ancient festival, pointing to the source of living water as himself, and those that believe - not the Temple.
Jesus is the water from the rock
Similar to Jesus declaring himself Manna from heaven (John 6:48-51) Just as those who “eat of the bread of life” will “never be hungry” - those who drink from “living water” will never be thirsty (John 4)
Similar play on words as John 3 with Nicodemus
the connection between Spirit (Pneuma), Water and womb/heart/seat of emotion and being (Koilia)
The greek word, “koilia” translated as “womb” in 3:4 is translated heart here
Scripture?
“The words identified as Scripture in v. 38 appear nowhere in the OT. The quotation in v. 38 appears to be a composite of a variety of OT texts that refer to life-giving water, wisdom, or the Spirit.” (Gail O’Day, New Interpreter’s Bible, v. ix, p. 623)
Possible passages (Meda A. A. Stamper - Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary - Feasting on the Word – Year A, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season After Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16).)
Water from rock in the wilderness (Ps. 78:15-16);
the eschatological promise of rivers flowing from the temple (Ezek. 47:1-12; Joel 3:18) and from Jerusalem (Zech. 14:8);
the promise of rivers in the desert (Isa. 43:19; 44:3; 58:11);
Wisdom, who calls to her children to come and drink (Prov. 18:4; Sir. 24:30-33); and
the beloved compared to a garden fountain, a well of living water, and flowing streams from Lebanon (Song 4:15).
Source of Living Water
Greek says, “Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water”
Punctuation makes it unclear who the water is flowing out of. Is it flowing out of Jesus, or out of the one who believes?
“The early church was divided. Origen, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine punctuated the verses so that the believer was the source of living water; Justin and Hippolytus… identified Jesus as the source.” (Gail O’Day, New Interpreter’s Bible, v. ix, p. 623)
NRSV points to the source as the believer.
NIV says the water will flow within the believer.
CEB points to the source as Jesus.
While the translation and even the Greek are unclear- perhaps there is good new in the ambiguity- perhaps living water flows from both Jesus AND the believer
“I am in my Father, you in me and I in you” 14:20
“As you Father are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us” 17:21
Both of these passages not only speak of the unity between God, Jesus and believers but also the promised gift of the Spirit (14:16-17; 16:7)
Gift of the Spirit
Explicit understanding of relationship between Jesus and the Spirit -- Gift of the spirit only comes after life, death, resurrection, and ascension
“The Fourth Evangelist is not denying the Spirit of God present in the OT. Indeed, the Spirit of God descended on Jesus at his baptism (1:34). The Fourth Evangelist is saying that the Spirit as it is known in the life of the church did not yet exist, because the Spirit of God is redefined in the light of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension” (Gail O’Day, New Interpreter’s Bible, v. ix, p. 624)
Thoughts and Questions
Pentecost is about the gift of the Spirit - take a new approach that is more Jesus focused and holistic: For those who are thirsty- Jesus is the font of living water. For a thirsty world - believers are the living water. What good news/living water of Jesus is flowing through you?
Living waters flowing from the rock/temple/jesus/church is an image of life giving abundance- how do we embody that abundance and “life-giving” focus?
Translational issues aside, it seems that by placing this text on Pentecost, the lectionary is doing some interpretation. The believers now have the same living water that once was associated only with Jesus.
Belief in Jesus is clearly an important part of the good news according to John. Belief precedes receiving the Spirit. All who are thirsty are invited to come, all who believe, drink. Drinking the living water is equated with belief in Jesus.
In the next passage, Jesus’ credibility is questioned by the leaders because he came from Galilee. They don’t think anything good could come from that place. Nicodemus reappears, and is beginning to wonder, but he is shouted down. What prevents belief? What keeps us going thirsty? Prejudice, stubbornness, fear, can all keep us from drinking the living water.
1 Corinthians 12:3-13
Initial Thoughts
An important supplement to Pentecost story. Answer the question: “So what?”
As in: The disciples received the Holy Spirit. So what?
The gift of the Holy Spirit is not a one-time deal that happened to a bunch of people a long time ago.
The Church is not “interest accrued” from the original investment of the Spirit.
The gift of the Spirit keeps happening.
We are a people of Pentecost as much as we are a people of Easter
Context of “Spiritual Gifts” is an answer to a specific problem - the correct order of worship, and the “hierarchy” of leadership.
Spiritual Gifts are just that - gift - not achievements. Faith is primary gift, all else flows from there.
Diversity of gifts is more important than a ranking of gifts.
Diversity and unity seem to be competing values, but the unity of Christ is only achieved through diversity. This is true of Spiritual gifts, but it clearly has implications beyond these attributes.
Bible Study
Part of a larger section (chapters 11-14) on how the Corinthians should conduct themselves during worship - what is faithful worship behavior
While chapter 11 deals with many of the practicalities of worship (what to wear and how to share the Lord’s Supper) chapters 12-14 address the spiritual manifestations of worship
12:1-31a - congruent role of spiritual gifts within the diverse body of Christ
12:31b-13 - the supremacy and universality of love over and above all other spiritual gifts
14 - the problem: people speaking in tongues
Context
Context of letter - “stress in diversity” is important to note. For a people struggling with hierarchy, status, and diversity, this letter is an antidote.
Previously understood that the “lesser” (blue collar workers, drones, serfs, commoners, poor, etc) should be subservient to and serve the “greater” (rich, powerful, strong, military, commercial or political leaders, etc)
Very prevalent in Hellenistic world where the client was expected to support and obey their patron
Very prevalent when CEO are valued more than factory workers or janitors and senior pastors are valued more than CE directors (Lee C Barrett, Feasting on the Word)
A question of value. See more below in thoughts and questions
Paul’s letter turns this upside down and places equal value on all the parts of the body (if not greater value on the inferior parts - see 12:22-24)
Paul is addressing Spiritual gifts but does not deny the spiritual gifts themselves- just the interpretation of these gifts
Spiritual gifts as opposed to Spiritual things
Addressing the divisions in the early church over who has the best Spiritual “things”
The Corinthians are having issues with Spiritual things (Gk: pneumatika; verse 1) and seeing these spiritual “things” as evidence of their spiritual sophistication and superiority
Paul quickley reframes these “things” as gifts (Gk: charismata; verse 4) which moved from being personal possessions or achievements and instead reframes these spiritual manifestations as “gifts” of God grace (Gk: charis).
In other words: You cannot boast about your spiritual gifts because, like grace, you did not thing to earn them- they are just that-a gift from God. Therefore glory is to God, not you.
Verse 7- the purpose of these gift is for the common good
Does it proclaim “Jesus is Lord”?
YES-Spiritual Gift
NO- Not a spiritual gift
There is no “best” spiritual gift
You may have divisions in the church between different factions: Outreach and worship, Youth Group and Music, Stewardship and Fellowship etc.
Radical message: ALL ARE NEEDED! and all are valued
Preaching and teaching is only one of many equally valued spiritual gifts - priesthood of all believers!
The radical notion of vv. 12-13
Do we truly believe this? On a universal scale?
Even if we see this as speaking solely to Christians - how often do we affirm the members of the Christian body who are in prison, or waiting for asylum at the border, or live under oppressive occupation in Palestine, or whose children are working in factories in Bangladesh. It is just as radical today to declare the Spirit baptizes us into one body as it was at the time of Paul.
One body - American or developing world, gay or straight, documented or undocumented, incarcerated or free, gender conforming or non-cis, rural or intercity… - what would you add?
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” (MLK Jr.)
“In a real sense all life is interrelated. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be...This is the inter-related structure of reality.” (Letter from a Birmingham Jail, MLK Jr)
Thoughts and Questions
When we think of spirituality as a thing to be owned, then we enter into a scarcity mindset that leads to an inward self-centered approach. When we see the spirit as a gift we enter into the abundance of God which moved us outward into service and self-sacrificial love.
In what ways do we forget that our ecclesial achievements are not spiritual things to be owned and praised, but that gifts which are entrusted to us?
How do we determine what is a true spiritual gift and what is not?
Bigger conversation - what does it mean to proclaim Jesus as Lord? What does it mean to proclaim in word or action that Jesus is cursed?
A good question to ask of all our programs and activities in and outside of the church. Does _______ proclaim Jesus is Lord? If not- then perhaps we should not be doing it.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND GET IN TOUCH:
Thanks to our Psalms correspondent, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (psalmimmersion.com,@pomopsalmist). Thank you to Scott Fletcher for our voice bumpers, Dick Dale and the Del Tones for our Theme music (“Misirlou”), Nicolai Heidlas (“Sunday Morning”,"Real Ride"and“Summertime”) and Paul and Storm for our closing music (“Oh No”).