Acts 2:1-21

It’s been one-thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-seven years since the disciples, all gathered together in a house in Jerusalem, heard a sound coming from heaven like “the rush of a violent wind,” and were visited by… and imbued with… the fire of the Holy Spirit. Or it might have been one-thousand, nine-hundred and eighty-seven years, depending upon how you calculate it. If you have questions… see me after class. In any case, it’s been just under two millennia since that first Pentecost, fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, the day when the Advocate… the Helper…the Comforter that Jesus promised would come to be with us, was made manifest in the world. 

Some churches celebrate this day with pony rides and balloons, kind of like a birthday party. The feast of Pentecost does, arguably, commemorate the “birth” of the Church, after all. But part of me wonders if “whooping it up” for the Church in this fashion is a little self-serving. Who is the church? We are the church. And when we’re at our best—our very best—we are merely an instrument for spreading the Good News of God’s saving grace on earth. And when we’re not at our best… well, sometimes I cringe. In any case, celebrating the Feast of Pentecost, the birth of the Church, the same way we might celebrate our own birthdays seems a little too much like patting ourselves on the back and saying, “Yay, US!” 

Y’all may remember, back on Ash Wednesday, I asked the question: “What if it really is all about us?” What if, after we (God’s people) messed everything up in the Garden, God came after us… not to punish or destroy, but to bring us back into relationship? What if, despite our persistent rebelliousness, God entered into one covenant after another with us, with Noah, with Abraham, with Moses and David, all aimed at restoring his people to wholeness with him and the rest of creation? What if God sent Jesus Christ as the bearer of a New Covenant to rescue us from the error of our sins, and open to us the gates of everlasting life? What if God will stop at nothing to bring his lost sheep home? 

Those of y’all who were in Sunday School last week might remember us going through the portion of the Catechism dealing with “The Church” …our Church, the community of the New Covenant… the Church that is described as one, holy, catholic and apostolic. Y’all remember, right? “The Church is one, because it is one Body, under one Head, our Lord Jesus Christ.” “The Church is holy, because the Holy Spirit dwells in it, consecrates its members, and guides them to do God’s work.” “The Church is catholic, because it proclaims the whole Faith to all people, to the end of time.” “The Church is apostolic, because it continues in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles and is sent to carry out Christ’s mission to all people” (BCP 854). And you probably remember your annoying teacher (that would be me) following up each of these definitive statements quietly with, “When we’re at our best.” And we are, so often, decidedly not at our best. Left to our own devices, we can be fractious and profane… exclusionary and narrow-minded… not at all Church! And that’s a big part of the reason Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with us after he was gone. Surely the Spirit is meant to be a comforter and advocate for us, yes. But the Spirit also speaks to us when we stray, and helps us return to the path of at-one-ment with God that Jesus has set before us… if we’ll listen. So, Pentecost may be for us… a key event in the salvation history of the world, but it isn’t about us. It’s about God. We must never forget that.

We say, “We are the Church!” and we are. But what does that mean? …to be God’s Church? I’d like to share a poem with you titled: “The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ,” written by Robert Fergusson, teaching pastor at Hillsong Church. I often recite this poem on Pentecost because it paints such a powerful picture of what our one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church can be… when we’re at our best. Read at your own risk…

She is the plan of God on earth; always in her Father’s eye: Cherished, mysterious, beautiful and potent beyond measure: King-empowered and life infused. She emerges triumphant; limitless with potential; a harbor for the hopeless and an answer for the ages: The church resplendent – a bride for His Son.

She is the body of Christ on earth; born, like her Head, amidst tribulation… under jealous skies… cradled in her innocence and guarded for His purpose. She grows in wisdom and stature… with victory on her lips and freedom in her hands. Hers is an unstoppable cause. She embraces the world with dignity, honor and compassion… gives vision to the sightless and life to the dying.

She is the family of God on earth. Within her compass, the hungry find sustenance and the weary receive strength. She is a haven for recovering humanity… enthralled by grace. She invites the broken, the vulnerable and the outcast to be immersed in love. She stands imperfect… but perfection resides within her. She is flawed but washed with forgiveness. She has a treasury of faith and a wealth of belonging.

She is the house of heaven on earth: A representative, resolute to reconcile. The Word within her accepts the receptive but challenges the heartless. She is the ecclesia, called out to serve the world: Calling out to welcome in. Blood-washed and armed with testimony, the cross on her lips liberates the chained and offends the unchanging. Like her Master she is pursued and persecuted. Yet she rises with strength in her heart and fire in her soul.

She is the bride of Christ on earth; readying herself for the day when all eyes will be upon her. Prepared and presented before the LORD: The Lamb for whom the world waits, who comes like the rising sun, majestic and magnificent beyond description, while she dazzles with reflectedglory. Spotless, perfect and mature, she bows low to cast her crowns and passionately worship Him. Her temporal focus becomes her eternal gaze. She is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, rejoice… but rejoice in the Lord. Today is not about us, the Church. Today is about our God who has sent forth his Spirit so that the face of the earth may be renewed and the New Jerusalem may become reality… and about God’s overarching plan to give help to the needy, strength to the weak, and hope to the hope-less. And yes, we’re all part of that, but we’re only the bearers of that great and glorious Good News. 

Happy one-thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-seventh birthday, Church!