Pentecost 2011 Acts 2:1-21, Numbers 11:24-30


We have some serious work to do with this day of Pentecost, including the name. (It's Greek for fifty days, after Passover)  Christmas and Easter are bursting at the seams with activity. Part of that is that the culture has not picked up on Pentecost as it has Christmas and Easter. It feels a bit forced, imposed fun and novelty to me; art invites us to feel, but  advertising tries to tell us what to feel. The Spirit seems like  a distant relative in the family of faith. Fearful of being labeled  as pentecostal, the older Protestant churches keep a proper formality when even lightly touching the Spirit.

We learn of the Spirit in our reading from Numbers. Moses can;t do it all alone. Just as his father in law Jethro asked him to get some dispute mediators, now God takes a direct hand in responses to his complaint of the burden of leadership.. It spread out. Then it takes a democratic turn as it flows out  to Eldad (Loved by god) and Medad (Loving/affectionate), even though they skipped the meeting where the Spirit was bestowed. . Joshua (God helps/saves/delivers)  is concerned about this abrupt power shift, but Moses is more sanguine and wishes that everybody had the spirit. the spirit should not, cannot, be contained or constrained for one alone, so it is shared, divided up, but not diminished.No velvet rope divides us, but each gets a share that fits them.The spirit is a personal force, not an impersonal one. though it is a personal set of forces, it is anonymous, and self-effacing, like the picture of John the baptist always pointing away from himself. The Spirit pours out increased virtue and ability that fit the needs of the community,

Pentecost started small. Its democratic movement went worldwide. It is a celebration of understanding cultures and tongues Pentecost is a mixture of celebrating individuals and community. They are in a room together, but instead of a consuming blaze, individual tongues of flame appear over each.  (domesticating fire and playing with the words little fires on each (Bowker 148-9) Spirit has the 12 ordinary apostles do extraordinary.The Spirit lives in order and freedom, and within that  constant tension. Pentecost has  Scripture, the living word, takes on new shape and meaning. Speaks to different languages and customs, to the young and old, to the rich and poor. This is how we often divide each other up. Lately, it has become fashionable to wonder if the social gulfs are so wide that different groups cannot comprehend each other. Pentecost says that we can understand each other. God's spirit bridges the gaps of biology, culture, and experience. This global understanding could be a bridge for us to come to grasp other faiths not only from a position of privilege but from the inside out and find what they can teach us about our own journeys in faith (Willimon quote from thoughtful christian) .

The fresh breeze of the spirit blows right through this sanctuary. The spirit can blow through a committee meeting, and yes, even a Presbyterian session meeting. Inspired v. dispirited, vivifying and revivifying, befriending and gracing, empowering and sharing. 2011 is a year for turning a page here. The next page, the next chapter of the life of this church remains unwritten. We do not enter into the future alone or without resources. The spirit breaks open a sense of possibility, of "moving outside the box" as has become a mantra in corporate circles, of all places. In time, the spirit will help us together to discern what we should keep and treasure and where we need to move into the undiscovered country, the future.