Cedar Valley Lutheran Church
Pentecost C June 8, 2025 Acts 2:1-21
One of the things we all have in common is the fact that we all enjoy getting a gift. Now, I know the old saying goes that “it’s more blessed to give than to receive”, still being on the receiving end is pretty hard to beat.
There are times, of course, when we expect gifts – times like Christmas and birthdays and anniversaries. But there are other times when gifts come out of nowhere from somebody we least expect. And when those surprising gifts appear, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with gratitude. An ordinary day becomes unforgettable and the appreciation it brings fills us with joy. Those are the kind of gifts that make us feel valued and honored and affirmed. They make us feel blessed.
What makes Pentecost such a special day in the life of the church is the fact that it is the day God surprises the disciples with an unexpected gift – the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter and the other disciples were gathered together when suddenly, without warning, a strong wind blew through the house they were in, tongues of fire flickered over each of their heads, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever wondered what it was like for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Well, if their experience tells us anything it has something to do with power – power that was not of their own doing. With the gift of the Holy Spirit these first disciples had the power to fearlessly speak with conviction and boldness. And when they told the story of Jesus the power of the Holy Spirit opened ears to hear and opened hearts to embrace the good news of the gospel in faith. And from there, the power of the Holy Spirit formed a community and together, in a bond of unity, the church was born and started to grow. Of course, all of these things happened, not because the disciples were so smart and not because they were so capable. This happened purely and simply because the gift of the Holy Spirit was given to them and at work through them by the grace of God.
Now, I know sometimes it seems like God’s Pentecost gift has been lost. The power seems to be gone, the boldness appears to have vanished, and the sense of unity feels like it has disappeared. Sometimes our fears take over and we worry. Our hard work is met with little response. It seems like God has forgotten us like one of those times when somebody forgets to give us a gift we were expecting. And because our egos are so delicate we are overcome with feelings of unworthiness and defeat and hurt. It’s easy to feel sorry for ourselves and we start blaming and complaining.
But there are other times, aren’t there? Times when God’s Pentecost gift of the Holy Spirit catches us by surprise. Times when the right moment and the right words or actions come together to make everything right – times when a life is changed by something we unknowingly said or did – times when bold decisions are made – times when we find the courage to stand up for what we believe. And when that happens unexpectedly, we can’t help but be filled with gratitude and awe.
It is moments like these that help us believe in miracles and it makes us feel good to have played a part in God’s plan. We know from such experiences that God is real and that God is at hand and that the power of the Holy Spirit is at work and that anything is possible. And like those first disciples, it’s not because we are so smart or so capable, we are simply vessels through which the Holy Spirit works. We can’t predict such times, we can’t orchestrate them into being, we can’t work harder or work smarter to make them happen, they are out of our hands. And that takes the pressure off of us because we aren’t in control. And this is what makes me hopeful, because it is not up to us – we are off the hook. God has got this and the best we can do is trust in God to do what God will do to bring God’s love and grace to the world.
Pentecost 7B July 7, 2024 Mark 6:1-13
We see in our gospel reading for today the continuation of a theme that has been running through the life and ministry of Jesus from the beginning. Again and again, Jesus has been forced to deal with rejection: rejection for what he teaches, rejection for what he does, and rejection for who he is.
The Pharisees criticize him for healing on the Sabbath. His disciples chastise him for sleeping in the middle of a stormy sea. Even his mother and his family try to get him to stop working so hard because his zealousness is proving to be an embarrassment to them. And today, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth and it happens again. The people who sat next to him in worship, who celebrated with him at festivals, who watched him play and grow up, can’t accept what he has become.
At first, listening to Jesus teach in the synagogue, these family friends and neighbors are astonished by his eloquence and spiritual insight. They are impressed: “Where did he learn all of this?” they ask each other. “How did he get to be this good?” they wonder. “When did he get so wise all of a sudden?” they question. “After all, he is one of us. Up until recently he was just a local handyman, patching our roofs, framing our doors, and fixing our wobbly tables and chairs.” What happened? Where did Jesus get all of this?
Well, the answer to their questions is that he got all of this from them. He got it from his parents and siblings and relatives. He got it from his teachers at the synagogue. He got it from the values kept by his neighbors and from the stories he learned of his hometown heroes and his local scallywags. Jesus, in essence, is a mirror, showing them who they are and the role they played in shaping his identity and his place in the world. And the same is true for us. So much of what it is that makes us who we are and the things we do is shaped by our environment. And the history we carry and the people who have left a mark on our lives play a big part in our identity.
But their amazement suddenly shifts and they take offense at him. Someone in the crowd – perhaps a jealous neighbor, or maybe a childhood rival, or possibly the village gossip who loves to stir up trouble – questions the fact that Jesus has stepped out of his lane and ignored his place in the community. “He was one of us and now he thinks he’s something more – he has become something we didn’t expect him to be – something that doesn’t fit into the box we put him in.” And their doubts leave him powerless to do what he would love to do for them – what he has done for so many others.
But before we judge them too harshly, let’s imagine that we are also standing among his homies wondering the same thing ourselves. Like them, how often have we missed the holy among us because we could only see what we wanted to see? How often have we missed the new thing God is doing in Jesus because what we could only see is the old and familiar? How often have we not allowed Jesus to surprise us?
I remember something a wise friend told Pam and me when we were newly married. She said that we should surprise each other every once in a while with something unexpected. That surprise, she said, keeps the intrigue and the mystery of love alive in a relationship. I believe that part of the gospel mission for us involves an element of surprise. Because our openness to being surprised, keeps us open to the intrigue and mystery of God’s deep love for us so that it doesn’t get old and boring and meaningless.
My prayer for you, my friends, is that when you listen to Jesus you can hear a new thing God is doing underneath the comfortable traditions and the familiar habits of your faith. I pray you will be surprised by the mystery of the abundant life God has for you in Jesus – a life filled with love and grace … with mercy and forgiveness … with freedom and peace. May you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear the surprising good news God has for you in Jesus Christ, our Lord.