Pentecost Sermon
June 8, 2014
Preacher: Pastor Carrie Smith
Grace and peace to you from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Less than a
month ago, it was snowing in Crystal Lake. Can you believe it? But summer is finally here. School is out (or almost
out, depending on your district!). And the arrival of summer means one very
important thing for kids of all ages: Summer Superhero Movies.
In case you
hadn’t noticed, superhero movies are kind of a “thing” right now. Just in 2014,
movies have been released featuring Robocop, Captain America, the Amazing
Spiderman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, Transformers, and the upcoming
flick that’s getting a lot of buzz around my house: Guardians of the Galaxy.
Moviemakers (and the bankers who fund them) have figured out that we Americans
love our superhero movies. It can be the umpteenth reincarnation of Batman, or
a complete retelling of Spiderman, or just a really bad comic book script about
a minor character, and we will not only shell out the money, but will stand in
line for hours (in costume!) to see it the first night.
I’m not an
expert on movie culture and history, so I’m not sure if this is truly a new
phenomenon. But I suspect there is something about the times we live in that
makes these movies so attractive right
now. I wonder if it has to do with the fear we’ve been conditioned to have about
the state of the economy and the threat of terrorism. Or maybe it’s a result of the instant
information about world tragedies that comes to us, day and night, on our
smartphones. It could be that we flock to see characters with super-human powers
because we regular mortals often feel quite power-less. After all, if we don’t
have the power to rid the universe of evil, it does feel good to sit in a dark,
air-conditioned room and watch the Man of Steel or Catwoman do it without
breaking sweat.
If you’ve
ever felt powerless or lost, confused or afraid in the face of the world’s
problems, then you have good company in the ones Jesus called his friends and
disciples. In today’s Gospel reading you heard how, on Easter evening, after
hearing the news of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were all gathered in the
house behind locked doors. These were men who had left everything and everyone
they knew to follow an itinerant preacher and prophet. They had spoken truth
against power. They had fed the poor. They had touched lepers and eaten with
sinners. They had taken nothing with them, but relied only on the kindness of
strangers for food and shelter. They didn’t always get it right, but they had walked
boldly with Jesus, doing brave and risky things they never imagined they would
do.
And now,
here we see them, hiding behind locked doors. And why?
Because they
felt powerless.
They felt
powerless to stop the so-called trial that convicted Jesus.
They felt
powerless at the foot of the cross.
They felt powerless
when he was laid in the tomb.
They felt
powerless to fight the grave-robbers they imagined when they heard the tomb was
empty.
They felt
powerless (and skeptical) when the women told unbelievable stories of
resurrection.
And now,
hiding in this locked room as darkness fell, they felt powerless to face the
future without Jesus. Gone was all the bravado and passion and activism that
had inspired them on the journey. Now, they were just regular mortals, with
regular powers, and no superhero to lead them in the fight against evil. They
were afraid.
Then,
suddenly, he was there, standing in front of them!
Although the doors to the
room were locked, the risen Christ came and stood among them and said, “Peace
be with you.” He proved who he was by showing them his hands and side. Once
they were convinced, Scripture tells us “the disciples rejoiced.” Picture that
room for a moment: Can’t you just hear the whooping and hollering? Can’t you
see them crying and embracing, breathing sighs of relief? Can’t you see them
releasing all that fear and tension, their shoulders resting a bit lower, their
faces relaxing into smiles?
The disciples were ready to
party, because their hero was once again with them, but Jesus had more
important things to talk about. One more time, he said to them firmly, “Peace
be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And then, knowing how they
had locked the doors, knowing they were afraid, and understanding how powerless
they felt, Jesus gave them a gift.
With all of the disciples
gathered around him, Jesus breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
And bam! Those who were once
Fearful Followers of a Failed Prophet are now Mighty Members of a Movement.
Each and every one of the disciples received the Holy Spirit and became
powerful beyond their wildest imaginations. The presence of the Holy Spirit, a
gift from God, empowered the disciples to continue Jesus’ mission.
And what was that
superpower? What was it that the Spirit empowered them to do?
It was the power…(Drumroll…)
to forgive sins!
Wow. Picture that room
again. Can you hear the dead silence? Can you see the perplexed faces of the
disciples?
I don’t know about you, but
I might have liked to receive a different superpower in that moment. I mean,
there are so many choices, Jesus!
I don’t need to fly or climb
walls or turn things into perpetual winter.
But I might like the power
to cure cancer!
Or I might be interested in
the power to take away a family member’s addiction;
The power to predict the
future;
The power to grow money
trees;
The power to make someone
love me;
Or the power to make
everything the way it used to be!
Really, any of those would
be just fine, Jesus.
But Jesus said: “Receive the
Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you
retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
The disciples, once aimless,
powerless, and afraid, had received both a purpose and power through the gift
of the Holy Spirit. They were empowered to go…and forgive.
My sisters and brothers in
Christ, on this Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate how we, too, through the
presence of the Holy Spirit, have received purpose and power beyond our imagination.
On the day of our baptism we were brought to the waters of salvation, just like
Alyssa, Eli, Peyton, Mason and Kaylee, who are baptized today. And
there, at the waters, we were marked with the cross of Christ and sealed by the
Holy Spirit.
We've been sealed by the Holy Spirit, and that means that we, who
often feel powerless and afraid, have nothing to fear. Just as the tongues of
fire fell upon each and every head on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 1,
each of you has received power through the Holy Spirit! You did nothing to earn
it. You didn’t even have to prove you could use it. The Spirit of God is a
gift, bestowed upon you at baptism, empowering you to continue God’s mission in
the world.
And we begin that mission, says Jesus, by practicing forgiveness.
Now, the power to forgive might
seem a small thing in the face of the world’s great problems.
Forgiveness might seem an insignificant
weapon in the war on poverty, for example, or in the struggle against
oppression and injustice.
But then,
consider: How many people are walking around needing peace and forgiveness?
How many are
burdened with guilt over past wrongs?
How many
walls have been erected out of fear, resentment, and misunderstanding?
How many
poisons infect the lives of those who harbor anger?
How much war
has been committed because world leaders could not (or would not) forgive
centuries’ old grievances?
How much
pain, how much sorrow, how much evil in the world do you suppose is a direct
result of the human need to forgive, and to be forgiven?
Jesus said
“As the Father sent me, so I send you.” Jesus was sent to walk among us because
God, the creator, loves the world more than we can imagine. God loves us so
much that through the cross, the sin of the world is already forgiven. All of
it! Every one! Yours, and mine. The mistakes we’ve already made and the ones we
haven’t thought of yet. Finally, and forever. Once and for all.
So if the
cross already took care of it, and all is forgiven, why do we need to practice forgiveness?
Because even if we’ve heard the good news, we don’t always remember it—or believe it
applies to us. Even if we believe we are forgiven, we may not extend the same
gift to others.
And it’s all
that guilt, fear, anxiety, judgment, and secrets that become the cosmic poison
that creates war, conflict, resentment, distrust, and evil.
But you are
not powerless, sisters and brothers. You, who are sealed by the Holy Spirit in
baptism, have superpowers! You, who have been forgiven, are sent by Jesus to
continue the powerful divine work of forgiveness.
Through the Holy Spirit, you have the power to
release hearts from prisons of guilt and shame.
Through the
Holy Spirit, you have the power to put to rest age-old family conflicts.
Through the
Holy Spirit, you have the power to tear down walls.
Through the
Holy Spirit, you have the power to make peace.
Sisters and
brothers, united by the Holy Spirit, you are Mighty Members of a Movement. And this powerful
movement starts with forgiveness.
Repeat after me, saying: “In Christ, I am forgiven.”
And the next
step goes something like this: Turn to your neighbor and let them know:
“Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I forgive you.”
The peace of
Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit be with you all!
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