Text: Acts 2: 1-21 Title: Something Happened Roger Allen Nelson

Text: Acts 2: 1-21 Title: Something Happened Date: 05.27.12 Roger Allen Nelson

Something happened. Something must have happened because a collection of confused and frightened followers of Jesus moved from a locked room to the center of town. Something must have happened because a tiny band of disciples, who had just deserted and denied Jesus, began to act on behalf of Jesus. Something must have happened because all sorts of other religious movements have flared up, fizzled out and been forgotten, but somehowsomeway what took place in a nondescript little corner of creation has reached to all corners of creation. Something must have happened because all sorts of other preachers and prophets have squawked in the town square but this message has changed the world. Something must have happened.

The details are simple. Fifty days after Passover, Jews from all over the known world were gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost ~ a religious festival that marked the gathering of the harvest or the gift of the Torah. The followers of Jesus were also in Jerusalem. It was fifty days after the resurrection. The biblical account is that Jesus appeared among them for forty days and then ascended to heaven. Ten days later they were still waiting and watching and wondering what to do. Then something happened.

Now, there are other stories in Scripture where God pours out his Spirit, but Luke tells here of God's Spirit blowing up like a big wind, fire flitting over the disciples' heads like birthday candles, and in turn they were empowered to preach in the variety of dialects that were represented in Jerusalem.

Maybe that's enough. Maybe what happened is...... The Spirit gave them power when they were powerless. The Spirit gave them courage when they were frightened. The Spirit gave them energy when they were weary. The Spirit gave them conviction when they were confused. The Spirit gave them language when they were speechless.

Maybe God's little energizer bunny showed up to give them a boost. Maybe that's the function of the Spirit. When you're lowdown the Spirit of God lifts you up. The Holy Spirit is God's gift to put some pep in your step,

some hip in your hop, some boogie in your woogie, some funk in your trunk.... And, I guess if that's what the Spirit does then sign me up. I could use a little power, a little courage, a little energy, and a little conviction. You too?

But, is that it? Is that the function of the Spirit? Is the role of the Spirit to lift up and encourage people? Is that what happened?

Let me suggest three other ~ and maybe more substantial ~ functions of the Spirit. Let me suggest three other things that happened at Pentecost.

The Spirit of God blows out. The movement here is not inward, not private, and not closed off, but the Spirit pushes outward, goes public, and opens up. The symbolism is toward every corner of creation and to all nations under the sun. The very breath of God blowing out.... Not contained by ethnicity, not contained by fear, not contained by race or class, not contained by politics, not contained by denomination or confessional standard, not contained.....

It is a remarkable movement. The wind blows, and a little band of people with a new understanding of God and the love of God begin to move, and that movement picks up momentum, and it reaches across land and sea and time and space ~ to even you and me. The Spirit of God blows out.

I recently began to serve on the board of delegates for the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee. For fifty years this organization, soon to be rebranded as World Renew, has been doing disaster relief and development work all over the world. They are working in the farthest corners of Africa, Asia, Central America, etc. They help communities develop resources and responses to issues of drought, famine, clean water access, AIDS prevention and treatment, food production, soil care, etc... They don't parachute in, do good, and then disappear; they are there for the long haul, building partnerships with people and agencies all over the world.

Well, there are about 1000 supporting Christian Reformed Churches, who through the World Relief Committee have a presence in 4000 communities around the world, and impact 1.6 million people. CRWRC has a budget of 14 million dollars, but because of those partnerships they're able to manage/dispense 36 million dollars in life changing/development aid.

A small little band of people, following the wind of the Spirit, blowing out toward justice and mercy for every corner of creation.... Thanks be to God.

The Spirit of God blows out. William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury, puts it this way:

Nobody can be indwelt by the Spirit of God and keep that Spirit to himself. Where the Spirit is, he flows forth. And where there is no flowing forth, he is not there.

Something happened and movement was outward. How can we follow that same trajectory? Maybe the question is not what happened at Pentecost but how can we, in our own time and place, catch the wind blowing out?

There are a lot of winds in this world. Every day gun violence blows up in city and suburb. (This morning's Tribune headline is that 24 people were shot in the city last night.) Every day addiction and alcoholism levels lives and wrecks havoc on relationships. Every day the gale force winds of greed and avarice and indifference and injustice opens a bigger gap between rich and poor. Every day depression and despair pins people to the floor.

You know what I'm talking about. Sometimes it feels like we're blown around by forces that are bigger than us.

But, what strikes me about the movement of the Spirit at Pentecost is that it is toward hope. When the crowd thinks that the disciples have been knocking back a "40" early in the day ~ Peter responds that it's not the booze that's talking but it's the hope that the prophet Joel spoke of where young people see visions and old folks still have dreams.

The Spirit of God blows hope. Hope that the current reality is not the final word of reality. Hope that's not contained by doubt or despair or death. Hope that's rooted in the very nature and activity of God.

There's a new song by Bruce Springsteen that keeps singing in my head. At one point a young black women speaks, sort of raps:

You use your muscle and your mind and you pray your best That your best is good enough, the Lord will do the rest You raise your children and you teach 'em to walk straight and sure You pray that hard times, hard times, come no more You try to sleep, you toss and turn, the bottom's dropping out Where you once had faith now there's only doubt You pray for guidance, only silence now meets your prayers The morning breaks, you awake, but no one's there...

And then a gospel choir starts to sing:

We've been traveling over rocky ground, rocky ground...

And Springsteen's voice comes in as counter point.

There's a new day coming...

If you've been traveling over rocky ground, if you know winds that are blowing you back, blowing you down, blowing sideways, if it feels like the bottom's dropping out.....

The Spirit of God that was poured out at Pentecost blows the hope of a new day, of a new creation.

The Spirit of God blows out. The Spirit of God blows hope. Finally this...

We read 21 verses. Big chunk of scripture, a lot happens, a lot of big words and big places and big action....... And, no mention of Jesus. In our text this morning there is no mention of Jesus. Something happened and Jesus was on the sidelines. But, if we read one more verse, if we stick with the story for one more moment, Peter clears his throat and says:

People of Israel, Listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God....

All of this Pentecost wind is preamble to proclamation about Jesus. All of this points toward the love of God expressed in Jesus. All of this wind blows toward Jesus.

The Heidelberg Catechism puts it this way:

(the Holy Spirit) makes me share in Christ and all his blessings, comforts me, and remains with me forever...

The language that's often used is that the Holy Spirit is the shy one of the Trinity. Not drawing attention to self, but always pointing toward the love of God expressed in Jesus.

Dear friends, something happened on Pentecost that changed the course of history and altered the face of creation...

The Spirit of God blew out.... The Spirit of God blew hope... And, the Spirit of God blew toward the love of God expressed in Jesus Christ.

May that same wind blow in our churches. May that same wind blow in our neighborhoods. May that same wind blow between us. May that same wind blow in our lives.

Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

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