From Believers Hearts
A sermon by Ted Virts
June 8, 2014
Sonoma CA
Theme:
The Country by Billy Collins
I wondered about you
when you told me never to leave
a box of wooden, strike-anywhere matches
lying around the house because the mice
might get into them and start a fire.
But your face was absolutely straight
when you twisted the lid down on the round tin
where the matches, you said, are always stowed.
Who could sleep that night?
Who could whisk away the thought
of the one unlikely mouse
padding along a cold water pipe
behind the floral wallpaper
gripping a single wooden match
between the needles of his teeth?
Who could not see him rounding a corner,
the blue tip scratching against a rough-hewn beam,
the sudden flare, and the creature
for one bright, shining moment
suddenly thrust ahead of his time—
now a fire-starter, now a torchbearer
in a forgotten ritual, little brown druid
illuminating some ancient night.
Who could fail to notice,
lit up in the blazing insulation,
the tiny looks of wonderment on the faces
of his fellow mice, onetime inhabitants
of what once was your house in the country?
Scripture: Acts 2:1-21
“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit…”
Well, the day is here. It is Pentecost, the celebration of the birthday of the church – the Holy Spirit arrives and suddenly the story changes from What is God up to with Jesus, to what is God up to with us.
And it is my last Sunday in the pulpit as your pastor. No matter how you look at it, something new is coming.
The Christian feast of Pentecost is a reversal of the tower of Babel story, where God confounds the common language of the people, lest they become like God. As Luke tells it, now we all speak the understandable message of forgiveness, purpose and unity.
It is worth noting that the Spirit comes to the community, to the people of God. In fact the early church used to say that if all weren’t present, the Spirit couldn’t be there in full.
It is not as the old hymn says, that Jesus is mine. The coming of inspiration here is not a personal gift, rather it is the experience that enables us to proclaim the wonders of God.
The Spirit abides, as the gospels say, as teacher, comforter in community – among us. As the Walk to Emmaus says “Weren’t our hearts on fire when he spoke to us along the way.” And Jesus is recognized when he is invited and we share the common meal and common story – together.
What is it that sets the “heart on fire”, that has others look at us “ablaze” and say I want what they have
The Spirit lights us up with meaning, with tears, with joy, with the urge to jump up and down.
What does that for you?
For some it is the ability to let go of the past. In the 80’s film The Mission a former soldier drags his armor around until it is finally cut loose.
For some it is the touch of love when you least expected it – someone directly or indirectly saying “you matter”
Maybe it is being part of the community or family of faith that reminds you that you are not alone.
For some it is meaning or purpose – You are called, You are sent, God saying “I am counting on you.”
Sure, the world may have taught you something different –
Your past condemns you
You aren’t good enough
You don’t matter
You are insignificant and powerless…
The leap of faith asks the question – which do you believe?
Jesus tells you that you are held deep in the heart of God.
Which story is yours?
Let me tell you about what happens when the Spirit comes – you are set free
From the chains that you have put on yourself
From the binding that others would put on you.
Here is what it looks like. You are washed clean, given a new start, a new way of living and seeing the world.
We get to witness that this morning.
First with a baptism – Let me ask Daniella to come foreward.
A baptism is a sacrament in our church – a sacred moment – an outward sign of an inward truth, as United Methodists see it, baptism is a public acknowledgement of a change of heart.
Baptism ritual with Daniella
We get to witness how the Spirit really works this morning as Daniella and Annie, Emily and James make an impossible promise and join the church.
These folks have been studying the world view that Jesus offers, and, as the song goes, they have decided to follow Jesus. They promise what they cannot know – no one knows the future, the joys, the troubles, the tests, the questions and hardships that will come, and yet these folks are willing to set their compass toward what Jesus has pointed – full life is about loving God, it is about seeing the world as a place of grace, about seeing yourself as fully secure in God, and being part of God’s work toward bringing wholeness to this world. These folks are saying, “This is where I am headed” and they are saying that as part of this community of faith, and we are saying that we will share that journey with them, helping them as they need it, asking for help as we need it.
Joining the church vows:
Membership in the United Methodist Church is a commitment to active faith through involvement with this local congregation.
In joining this congregation of the United Methodist Church you are asked to affirm this involvement by the grace of God and with the help of this community.
· Will you seriously and joyfully continue to seek closeness with God, as revealed in Jesus Christ?
· Will you affirm the faith described in the Scriptures of the Holy Bible?
· Will you strive to faithfully live your life as a follower of Jesus?
· Will you pray and worship God through active participation in the spiritual life of this church?
· Will you willingly give of your time and money for the work of God through this congregation of the United Methodist Church?
· Will you work for justice, the ending of suffering and the transformation of the world as an expression of your Christian life?
· Will you share the truth of your faith with others as the Spirit of God leads you?
Pentecost, the coming of the Spirit is about your vows, your life, your journey together and the faith, the trust, that this life, as we follow Jesus can be God-filled.
And of course, sometimes you will notice that such that it brings tears to your eyes, and sometimes you’ll be distracted by the cares of the world and you may forget the promises you have made and that we have made together.
But God will not forget. This community will not forget.
The spirit comes like wind, like fire, and in a still small voice.
The spirit comes to you and to me to remind each of us, and us together that we are of sacred worth and eternal value.
The spirit comes and calls and shoves and irritates you to live the truth of your value and your creator in such a way that the world is changed.
When I was going through the ordination process nearly 30 years ago we had to give a 3 minute “sermon” to the clergy of the Annual Conference. Mine quoted a John Prine song “I just want to dance with you>’ and noted that That is God’s invitation to you and to me. And it works a little better if we let God lead.
For exit and closing today I want to do a rerun of a short video I’ve shown here a couple of times. The words that are not in English are these:
The Stream of Life Praan (Tagore)
The same stream of life that runs through my veins day and night
runs throught he world and dances in rhythmic measures
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of earth
in numberless blades of grass and breaks into fumulous waves of leaves and flowers
It is the same slife that is rocked in the ocean cradle
of birth and death in ebb and in flow
I feel my limbs are made glorius by the touch of this world of life
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment
Here’s how the spirit works. You hear the call, you get a little twitchy and you start to dance and others catch on.
“Where the Hell is Matt” Available on YouTube - click the 2008 version
Here is the benediction, the Good word for today and beyond.
Keep dancing….Let’s go eat…