The Day Of Pentecost
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
Pentecost is the "50th day" of Easter. It brings the great 50 days of the Pasch to a close and, at the same time, it introduces the Pentecost cycle, which is also the longest season of the church year; it extends to the First Sunday in Advent. As early as the eighth century, in France, there was an attempt to break the long season into shorter segments. Saints days provided the key to the division of the season - June 29, Saints Peter and Paul; August 10, St. Lawrence; September 29, St. Michael and All Angels. Thus, Sundays were numbered from Trinity Sunday to June 29, June 29 to August 10, August 10 to September 29, and September 29 to the Last Sunday after Trinity, or Pentecost (Roman Catholic). Such subdivisions are particularly useful in the planning of one's preaching ministry (see the introduction for more on this). There are no major feasts/festivals between Pentecost and the First Sunday in Advent. The Roman ORDO rightly calls these Sundays "Sundays in Ordinary Time." (Some rubrics allow minor festivals to take precedence over Sundays, when the festivals fall on a Sunday.)
The Lutheran Book Of Worship calls this cycle/season the time of the church, suggesting that this is a period for growth (as the liturgical color - green - for the season suggests) and maturing in the faith, for integrating into the life of the people of God what has been disclosed to them in the gospel during the first half of the year. From this perspective, it becomes a bit tedious, especially for the pastor attempting to "preach through Pentecost," as the season is now generally called, for the first, or 25th, time. (One marvels at a master preacher like the late Paul Scherer, who once remarked that he had preached from the same epistles and gospels for a quarter of a century, and had never exhausted them!) From another point of view, it should be remembered that the preacher has the opportunity, during Pentecost, to preach semi-lectio continua through one of the gospels of the year, and, in a long pastorate, to preach on the little "courses" of second lessons built into the lectionaries in succeeding years.
Pentecost is the festival of the release of the Holy Spirit, who is to be the counselor, comforter, and teacher of the faithful, and at the same time, it is the festival that marks the beginning of the Christian church. It not only brought Easter to a conclusion, but it also was a baptismal occasion, second only to Easter, in this respect. And while there is no consensus on when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred after Jesus' resurrection, it is rather obvious, from the development of the church year, that the church preferred to celebrate the advent of the Holy Spirit on the 50th day of Easter and as a festival that replaced the Jewish festival of Pentecost. As always, Pentecost continues to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but with an added dimension now; the Lord has kept his promise to send the Spirit to empower his people, his church, and he has done so and continues to do so. The church not only prays, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!" but the church is to be concerned for the care of all creation and, taught and directed by the Holy Spirit, it engages in the work of preserving the earth and all things in and on it.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for Pentecost picks up the "teaching" and "comforting" motifs of the Spirit's work in the world: "O God, who didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through thy son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
Most of the liturgical churches have prepared one or more new prayers for Pentecost, which are designed to pick up the several themes of the day.
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 (RC); 104:25-32 (E); 104:25-34 (L) - Although this psalm is appointed for other Sundays of the year (see the ORDO, for example), it is traditionally associated with Pentecost, because it speaks of the Spirit as Creator of the world and all things in it, from the psalmist's point of view, and of the renewal of all of creation in God's redeeming act in Jesus Christ. The work of renewal begins with the creation of the church, the Body of Christ, which is to carry on his work and witness to his Lordship in the world. So the psalmist sings and the Christian joins in the song: "You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; and so you renew the face of the earth." And while Pentecost broadcasts this theme, every Sunday picks it up from the Easter event, of course, and makes each Lord's Day a day of new creation, or as it was known, the Ogdoad, the "eighth day" of creation.
Psalm 33:12-15, 18-22 (alternate - E) - Here is another psalm which finds multiple use in the several lectionaries of the church. It was commented upon in The Lectionary Preaching Workbook III, Cycle A.
Psalm prayer (104 - LBW) - "God of all light, life, and love, through the visible things of this world you raise our thoughts to things unseen, and you show us your power and your love. From your dwelling-place refresh our hearts and renew the face of the earth with the life-giving water of your Word, until the new heaven and the new earth resound with the song of resurrection in Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Acts 2:1-11 (RC, E) - This reading is about the coming of the Holy Spirit on the 50th day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ; in this respect, it is in conflict with John, who in his gospel, places it on Easter evening. The obvious element in this reading is that the devout Jews were amazed when they heard the commotion of the rushing wind and the noise of the believers as they spoke in "other tongues," because they could understand - whatever their native language - what was being said about "the mighty works of God." Aside from the latent controversy over the time of the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, this reading marks the beginning of the Christian church; the call to believe and witness to the Lord now falls upon a wider community of faithful believers, and it will be up to the church to represent Jesus Christ in the world until the end of time. (See, also The Lectionary Preaching Workbook(s) III, Cycles A and B, for more on this reading.)
Joel 2:28-32 (alternate - E) - The Lutheran and Common lectionaries continue the above reading, which relates Peter's speech to the Jews, affirming that "these men are not drunk," and quoting this passage from Joel 2. (The ORDO and The Book Of Common Prayer appoint this reading for the Vigil of Pentecost; The Lutheran Book Of Worship does not use it.) What it is, really, is the text for Peter's speech/sermon; the complete sermon was never recorded, or, perhaps, even remembered, except for the text. From the viewpoint of Peter and the church, the "outpouring of the Spirit" is upon the entire human race, not the Jews, because Jesus Christ died for all.
Genesis 11:1-9 (L, C) - This reading is selected for Pentecost, because it tells the story of the building of the tower of Babel, which was an exercise in disobedience and willfulness on the part of the builders; they wanted to retain one language and live in one location on the earth, rather than take charge of the entire earth and care for it. Accordingly, God confused their language, causing them to speak in different tongues, and scattered them abroad.
Pentecost, from the viewpoint of the church, reverses that action, because the foreigners heard the Christians speaking in their own tongues and telling of God's mighty works on the earth.
Acts 2:1-21 (L, C) - As a second reading, this pericope includes the prophecy of Joel, as included in Peter's sermon/speech to the Jews on the day of Pentecost; it completes the reading and is appointed for annual use in the Lutheran and Common lectionaries. Incidentally, The Lutheran Book Of Worship calls for the Joel passage to be read twice in year/cycle A, as a first reading and then as part of the second reading.
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 (RC); 12:4-13 (E) - In this section of his first letter to the Corinthian congregation, Paul speaks about the various and assorted "gifts of the Spirit," primarily because of the problem that "speaking in tongues" by some Christians had upon the community as a whole; it was divisive. So Paul reminds them that the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people; those who speak in tongues dare not think that they are superior to others, that their gift is more important than the other gifts. All have been "baptized by the same Spirit," and all who "have the Spirit" proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. All believers belong to him and to his community, the church; speaking in tongues, or using any of the other gifts of the Spirit, cannot be considered to be a meritorious work; the "gifts of the Spirit" are just that - gifts of the risen Christ to his people - and are to be employed for the upbuilding of the church and the spread of the gospel in the world.
John 14:8-17 (E); 14:8-17, 25-27 (C) - This reading is blanketed by two selections from John 14 for the Fifth and Sixth Sundays of Easter, Year/Cycle A. Comments and sermon suggestions may be located in The Lectionary Preaching Workbook III, Cycle A.
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-11 (L) - This segment of Jesus' "departure speech" to his disciples not only tells them that he is "going away" and that they will not see him again, but it also includes the promise of the Comforter, and they should rejoice in that. It is a bit extravagant, on Jesus' part, to tell the disciples that they should be glad that he is leaving them for good, that this is to their benefit. But from the standpoint of the gift they will receive, the gift of the Holy Spirit, they have a reason to rejoice, because it confirms their faith in the risen Lord and gives them direction and power to be his disciples, his witnesses, in the world.
John 20:19-23 (RC, E) - This reading is where the Lord appeared in the upper room, greeted the disciples with "Peace be with you," showed them his hands and his side, declared "peace" a second time, outlined their mission ("as the Father has sent me, even so I send you"), and breathed on them, saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit." He also gave them the power to forgive - or retain - sins, which is a reference to baptism, because one's sins are forgiven in baptism. Despite the fact that John seems to stir up a controversy as to when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples - whether on Easter Eve or 50 days after the resurrection - the Gospel for the Day makes it clear that Pentecost is the conclusion of Easter; the resurrection of the Lord requires the ascension and Pentecost to make it complete. The Holy Spirit is a gift of the resurrection of Christ to the church to shape, empower, and send it into the world in its mission for the Lord.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-11 (L) - "The Unasked Question." - Perhaps they did not ask the question of Jesus, "Where are you going?", simply because they were afraid of the answer that he might give them. Or it could simply be that they didn't want to face up to the fact that he would not be with them any longer. If they didn't ask the question, perhaps they would not have to face up to a very distasteful answer.
Jesus told them, nevertheless, that he was going away for good; he was returning to the Father. Now that was something to think about. Jesus didn't simply say, "They are going to crucify me and put me to death." He said, "I go to the Father." He would be put into a tomb, but he would go right through it into the arms of God the Father! But after all, if he merely said, "I am going to die," and nothing more, they could have asked their own question: "Does that mean that we will never see you again?" Perhaps they remembered the earlier part of his speech about death: "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself." In spite of this, they were afraid to ask, "Where are you going?"
Not only that, but Jesus said, "... it is to your advantage that I go away...." Can you imagine that? Jesus just seemed to make matters worse, didn't he? But he wanted them to understand what he would do for them in his departure from the earth; he would send them the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, which would "convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment." Through the work of the Counselor, they will be able to preach the gospel with effectiveness and people will be brought to repentance and faith.
Sinners refuse to recognize their sin and their need of Jesus Christ, their Savior. Few people are like Franz Joseph Haydn, who wrote about his struggle with sin in his life; sin actually interfered with his work, he believed. He wrote: "I get up early, and as soon as I have dressed I go down on my knees and pray God and the Blessed Virgin that I may have another successful day. Then when I've had some breakfast, I sit down at the clavier and begin my search. If I hit on an idea quickly, it goes ahead easily and without much trouble. But if I can't get on, I know that I must have forfeited God's grace by some fault of mine, and then I pray for grace once more till I feel I'm forgiven."
It is to the Righteous One, Jesus Christ, that repentant sinners turn for restoration and pardon; their righteousness is in him alone, certainly not in themselves nor anything they can say and do. That Jesus offered and gave himself for the sins of all, to make people righteous and deliver them from judgment, death, and damnation. Because he died, rose again, and ascended to heaven, all people have the way to life opened up for them and that's ultimately why it was good for the disciples and us that Jesus went away, returned to his Father, and sent the Spirit, who gives us access to the Mercy-seat and God's loving grace.
Genesis 11:1-9 (L, C) and Acts 2:1f. - "Blowing Away The Tower." - Note: This reading ought to be part - the first part, I believe - of a sermon on Acts 2. It shows "Babel" as the creation of diversity of language and the disunity that leads to despair and distrust, hatred and violence, in the world. Acts 2 would portray God's action on Pentecost by which there is a total reversal of "Babel," so that all people - recognizing it, or not, are and will be one in Jesus Christ, the Lord of all. When the wind blew on the day of Pentecost, the Tower of Babel was blown away by the Spirit of unity and harmony and the Holy Spirit continues to create a community in Christ that lives in harmony and concord with God and other human beings. "Blow mighty wind of the Spirit, until every Babel-sort of tower topples to the earth !"
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 (RC); 12:4-13 (E) - "There Is A Dove Above The Font."
1. Pentecost is about the gift of the Father and the Son to the world; they sent the Holy Spirit to human beings, and the Spirit is the "gift of gifts" for those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord.
2. It is the Spirit, working in the Word and hovering over the waters of baptism, which makes the Word effective in our lives and brings us to faith and incorporates us into the Body of Christ in holy baptism. Through the Holy Spirit, our lives begin in the water as we "come up" for air.
3. But we continue to need the constant renewal of the gift of the Spirit, because, unfortunately, we continue to sin and need forgiveness. We are sinners and saints at the same time, and if we don't recognize that and repent regularly in daily renewal of our baptism, we are in deep spiritual trouble, and make no impact on a world crying out for mercy and justice. Father Gerard Sloyan, New Testament, liturgical, and homiletical scholar, writes about this condition: "T. S. Eliot's dry brain in a dry season is the Christian's enemy. After a birth in water, the tragedy is that aridity can set in for a lifetime. A sanctuary where Jesus' friends assemble well heated, well appointed, the worshipers themselves well clothed. A very muted protest is sounded within, if, indeed, words are ever spoken, about the systems that make this comfort possible and the discomfort that surrounds us." The poor do not just happen. They are a creation of the rich. That is probably why you never hear a word in Scripture that praises the prosperous. "It was never easy to be a Christian. It gets harder in our day to be a churchgoer, and that is something different."
4. It is time to join Haydn and Sloyan and all those saints who cry to the Lord in repentance and faith, "Lord, have mercy upon us. Forgive us and fit us with faith that not only endures but spends itself in Christ's loving service.
Pentecost is the "50th day" of Easter. It brings the great 50 days of the Pasch to a close and, at the same time, it introduces the Pentecost cycle, which is also the longest season of the church year; it extends to the First Sunday in Advent. As early as the eighth century, in France, there was an attempt to break the long season into shorter segments. Saints days provided the key to the division of the season - June 29, Saints Peter and Paul; August 10, St. Lawrence; September 29, St. Michael and All Angels. Thus, Sundays were numbered from Trinity Sunday to June 29, June 29 to August 10, August 10 to September 29, and September 29 to the Last Sunday after Trinity, or Pentecost (Roman Catholic). Such subdivisions are particularly useful in the planning of one's preaching ministry (see the introduction for more on this). There are no major feasts/festivals between Pentecost and the First Sunday in Advent. The Roman ORDO rightly calls these Sundays "Sundays in Ordinary Time." (Some rubrics allow minor festivals to take precedence over Sundays, when the festivals fall on a Sunday.)
The Lutheran Book Of Worship calls this cycle/season the time of the church, suggesting that this is a period for growth (as the liturgical color - green - for the season suggests) and maturing in the faith, for integrating into the life of the people of God what has been disclosed to them in the gospel during the first half of the year. From this perspective, it becomes a bit tedious, especially for the pastor attempting to "preach through Pentecost," as the season is now generally called, for the first, or 25th, time. (One marvels at a master preacher like the late Paul Scherer, who once remarked that he had preached from the same epistles and gospels for a quarter of a century, and had never exhausted them!) From another point of view, it should be remembered that the preacher has the opportunity, during Pentecost, to preach semi-lectio continua through one of the gospels of the year, and, in a long pastorate, to preach on the little "courses" of second lessons built into the lectionaries in succeeding years.
Pentecost is the festival of the release of the Holy Spirit, who is to be the counselor, comforter, and teacher of the faithful, and at the same time, it is the festival that marks the beginning of the Christian church. It not only brought Easter to a conclusion, but it also was a baptismal occasion, second only to Easter, in this respect. And while there is no consensus on when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred after Jesus' resurrection, it is rather obvious, from the development of the church year, that the church preferred to celebrate the advent of the Holy Spirit on the 50th day of Easter and as a festival that replaced the Jewish festival of Pentecost. As always, Pentecost continues to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but with an added dimension now; the Lord has kept his promise to send the Spirit to empower his people, his church, and he has done so and continues to do so. The church not only prays, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!" but the church is to be concerned for the care of all creation and, taught and directed by the Holy Spirit, it engages in the work of preserving the earth and all things in and on it.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for Pentecost picks up the "teaching" and "comforting" motifs of the Spirit's work in the world: "O God, who didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through thy son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
Most of the liturgical churches have prepared one or more new prayers for Pentecost, which are designed to pick up the several themes of the day.
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34 (RC); 104:25-32 (E); 104:25-34 (L) - Although this psalm is appointed for other Sundays of the year (see the ORDO, for example), it is traditionally associated with Pentecost, because it speaks of the Spirit as Creator of the world and all things in it, from the psalmist's point of view, and of the renewal of all of creation in God's redeeming act in Jesus Christ. The work of renewal begins with the creation of the church, the Body of Christ, which is to carry on his work and witness to his Lordship in the world. So the psalmist sings and the Christian joins in the song: "You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; and so you renew the face of the earth." And while Pentecost broadcasts this theme, every Sunday picks it up from the Easter event, of course, and makes each Lord's Day a day of new creation, or as it was known, the Ogdoad, the "eighth day" of creation.
Psalm 33:12-15, 18-22 (alternate - E) - Here is another psalm which finds multiple use in the several lectionaries of the church. It was commented upon in The Lectionary Preaching Workbook III, Cycle A.
Psalm prayer (104 - LBW) - "God of all light, life, and love, through the visible things of this world you raise our thoughts to things unseen, and you show us your power and your love. From your dwelling-place refresh our hearts and renew the face of the earth with the life-giving water of your Word, until the new heaven and the new earth resound with the song of resurrection in Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Acts 2:1-11 (RC, E) - This reading is about the coming of the Holy Spirit on the 50th day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ; in this respect, it is in conflict with John, who in his gospel, places it on Easter evening. The obvious element in this reading is that the devout Jews were amazed when they heard the commotion of the rushing wind and the noise of the believers as they spoke in "other tongues," because they could understand - whatever their native language - what was being said about "the mighty works of God." Aside from the latent controversy over the time of the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit, this reading marks the beginning of the Christian church; the call to believe and witness to the Lord now falls upon a wider community of faithful believers, and it will be up to the church to represent Jesus Christ in the world until the end of time. (See, also The Lectionary Preaching Workbook(s) III, Cycles A and B, for more on this reading.)
Joel 2:28-32 (alternate - E) - The Lutheran and Common lectionaries continue the above reading, which relates Peter's speech to the Jews, affirming that "these men are not drunk," and quoting this passage from Joel 2. (The ORDO and The Book Of Common Prayer appoint this reading for the Vigil of Pentecost; The Lutheran Book Of Worship does not use it.) What it is, really, is the text for Peter's speech/sermon; the complete sermon was never recorded, or, perhaps, even remembered, except for the text. From the viewpoint of Peter and the church, the "outpouring of the Spirit" is upon the entire human race, not the Jews, because Jesus Christ died for all.
Genesis 11:1-9 (L, C) - This reading is selected for Pentecost, because it tells the story of the building of the tower of Babel, which was an exercise in disobedience and willfulness on the part of the builders; they wanted to retain one language and live in one location on the earth, rather than take charge of the entire earth and care for it. Accordingly, God confused their language, causing them to speak in different tongues, and scattered them abroad.
Pentecost, from the viewpoint of the church, reverses that action, because the foreigners heard the Christians speaking in their own tongues and telling of God's mighty works on the earth.
Acts 2:1-21 (L, C) - As a second reading, this pericope includes the prophecy of Joel, as included in Peter's sermon/speech to the Jews on the day of Pentecost; it completes the reading and is appointed for annual use in the Lutheran and Common lectionaries. Incidentally, The Lutheran Book Of Worship calls for the Joel passage to be read twice in year/cycle A, as a first reading and then as part of the second reading.
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 (RC); 12:4-13 (E) - In this section of his first letter to the Corinthian congregation, Paul speaks about the various and assorted "gifts of the Spirit," primarily because of the problem that "speaking in tongues" by some Christians had upon the community as a whole; it was divisive. So Paul reminds them that the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people; those who speak in tongues dare not think that they are superior to others, that their gift is more important than the other gifts. All have been "baptized by the same Spirit," and all who "have the Spirit" proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. All believers belong to him and to his community, the church; speaking in tongues, or using any of the other gifts of the Spirit, cannot be considered to be a meritorious work; the "gifts of the Spirit" are just that - gifts of the risen Christ to his people - and are to be employed for the upbuilding of the church and the spread of the gospel in the world.
John 14:8-17 (E); 14:8-17, 25-27 (C) - This reading is blanketed by two selections from John 14 for the Fifth and Sixth Sundays of Easter, Year/Cycle A. Comments and sermon suggestions may be located in The Lectionary Preaching Workbook III, Cycle A.
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-11 (L) - This segment of Jesus' "departure speech" to his disciples not only tells them that he is "going away" and that they will not see him again, but it also includes the promise of the Comforter, and they should rejoice in that. It is a bit extravagant, on Jesus' part, to tell the disciples that they should be glad that he is leaving them for good, that this is to their benefit. But from the standpoint of the gift they will receive, the gift of the Holy Spirit, they have a reason to rejoice, because it confirms their faith in the risen Lord and gives them direction and power to be his disciples, his witnesses, in the world.
John 20:19-23 (RC, E) - This reading is where the Lord appeared in the upper room, greeted the disciples with "Peace be with you," showed them his hands and his side, declared "peace" a second time, outlined their mission ("as the Father has sent me, even so I send you"), and breathed on them, saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit." He also gave them the power to forgive - or retain - sins, which is a reference to baptism, because one's sins are forgiven in baptism. Despite the fact that John seems to stir up a controversy as to when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples - whether on Easter Eve or 50 days after the resurrection - the Gospel for the Day makes it clear that Pentecost is the conclusion of Easter; the resurrection of the Lord requires the ascension and Pentecost to make it complete. The Holy Spirit is a gift of the resurrection of Christ to the church to shape, empower, and send it into the world in its mission for the Lord.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-11 (L) - "The Unasked Question." - Perhaps they did not ask the question of Jesus, "Where are you going?", simply because they were afraid of the answer that he might give them. Or it could simply be that they didn't want to face up to the fact that he would not be with them any longer. If they didn't ask the question, perhaps they would not have to face up to a very distasteful answer.
Jesus told them, nevertheless, that he was going away for good; he was returning to the Father. Now that was something to think about. Jesus didn't simply say, "They are going to crucify me and put me to death." He said, "I go to the Father." He would be put into a tomb, but he would go right through it into the arms of God the Father! But after all, if he merely said, "I am going to die," and nothing more, they could have asked their own question: "Does that mean that we will never see you again?" Perhaps they remembered the earlier part of his speech about death: "Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself." In spite of this, they were afraid to ask, "Where are you going?"
Not only that, but Jesus said, "... it is to your advantage that I go away...." Can you imagine that? Jesus just seemed to make matters worse, didn't he? But he wanted them to understand what he would do for them in his departure from the earth; he would send them the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, which would "convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment." Through the work of the Counselor, they will be able to preach the gospel with effectiveness and people will be brought to repentance and faith.
Sinners refuse to recognize their sin and their need of Jesus Christ, their Savior. Few people are like Franz Joseph Haydn, who wrote about his struggle with sin in his life; sin actually interfered with his work, he believed. He wrote: "I get up early, and as soon as I have dressed I go down on my knees and pray God and the Blessed Virgin that I may have another successful day. Then when I've had some breakfast, I sit down at the clavier and begin my search. If I hit on an idea quickly, it goes ahead easily and without much trouble. But if I can't get on, I know that I must have forfeited God's grace by some fault of mine, and then I pray for grace once more till I feel I'm forgiven."
It is to the Righteous One, Jesus Christ, that repentant sinners turn for restoration and pardon; their righteousness is in him alone, certainly not in themselves nor anything they can say and do. That Jesus offered and gave himself for the sins of all, to make people righteous and deliver them from judgment, death, and damnation. Because he died, rose again, and ascended to heaven, all people have the way to life opened up for them and that's ultimately why it was good for the disciples and us that Jesus went away, returned to his Father, and sent the Spirit, who gives us access to the Mercy-seat and God's loving grace.
Genesis 11:1-9 (L, C) and Acts 2:1f. - "Blowing Away The Tower." - Note: This reading ought to be part - the first part, I believe - of a sermon on Acts 2. It shows "Babel" as the creation of diversity of language and the disunity that leads to despair and distrust, hatred and violence, in the world. Acts 2 would portray God's action on Pentecost by which there is a total reversal of "Babel," so that all people - recognizing it, or not, are and will be one in Jesus Christ, the Lord of all. When the wind blew on the day of Pentecost, the Tower of Babel was blown away by the Spirit of unity and harmony and the Holy Spirit continues to create a community in Christ that lives in harmony and concord with God and other human beings. "Blow mighty wind of the Spirit, until every Babel-sort of tower topples to the earth !"
1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13 (RC); 12:4-13 (E) - "There Is A Dove Above The Font."
1. Pentecost is about the gift of the Father and the Son to the world; they sent the Holy Spirit to human beings, and the Spirit is the "gift of gifts" for those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord.
2. It is the Spirit, working in the Word and hovering over the waters of baptism, which makes the Word effective in our lives and brings us to faith and incorporates us into the Body of Christ in holy baptism. Through the Holy Spirit, our lives begin in the water as we "come up" for air.
3. But we continue to need the constant renewal of the gift of the Spirit, because, unfortunately, we continue to sin and need forgiveness. We are sinners and saints at the same time, and if we don't recognize that and repent regularly in daily renewal of our baptism, we are in deep spiritual trouble, and make no impact on a world crying out for mercy and justice. Father Gerard Sloyan, New Testament, liturgical, and homiletical scholar, writes about this condition: "T. S. Eliot's dry brain in a dry season is the Christian's enemy. After a birth in water, the tragedy is that aridity can set in for a lifetime. A sanctuary where Jesus' friends assemble well heated, well appointed, the worshipers themselves well clothed. A very muted protest is sounded within, if, indeed, words are ever spoken, about the systems that make this comfort possible and the discomfort that surrounds us." The poor do not just happen. They are a creation of the rich. That is probably why you never hear a word in Scripture that praises the prosperous. "It was never easy to be a Christian. It gets harder in our day to be a churchgoer, and that is something different."
4. It is time to join Haydn and Sloyan and all those saints who cry to the Lord in repentance and faith, "Lord, have mercy upon us. Forgive us and fit us with faith that not only endures but spends itself in Christ's loving service.
