“You’re
Fired! When the Walls Come Tumblin’ Down”
You’re fired! Or as John Emerson says of retirement, “You’re re-fired!”
Not by Donald Trump – God forbid! -- but by Holy Spirit! You’re born again!
You are a new creation! A new person and a new people! A new heart and a
new earth! Your whole world is made new! You are baptized – not only with
water – but now also with fire and with Spirit! Never to be the same
again. Thank God, our culture has not got hold of Pentecost as it has of
Christmas and even of Easter. Not that it could get hold – for Holy Spirit
eludes every grasp of every grasper, every “seeker” as we say, even every
believer and follower of Jesus. For Spirit is sent by Jesus – to be very
power and presence of Jesus made even more effective by Jesus’ absence, in
the world but not of it! Present and powerful everywhere! Every time,
every place, every people, every nation, every color, every tongue, every
gender, every class, every condition, every orientation, every lifestyle.
Yet contained, controlled, confined by none of them, by none of us!
In fact, on this day of Pentecost -- this
Jubilee 50th day of Easter, this day or receiving the Holy Spirit
and thus the very birthday of the Church as the Body, of Christ, and the
re-birthday of this congregation through the confirmation, the renewing and
strengthening in faith and work of these four young Christians – on this day
of Pentecost -- the walls really do come tumblin’ down! Just as Mike
Cleveland’s new anthem tells of Joshua! Who fought his battle as much with
Holy Spirit, imagination and instruments of creativity! Or as we will sing
at the end of worship: “Build us a table and tear down the wall! Christ is
our host. There is room for us all!” And as this chapter of Romans
concludes, when we let walls come tumblin’ down, then we know – nothing,
nothing, nothing in all of creation can separate us from the love of God in
Christ Jesus our Lord – which means, by the work of the Holy Spirit, nothing
separates any one from all others!
UM preacher Bill Wylie-Kellerman says the
Pentecost story begins with fearful followers locking themselves in the
upper room, and ends up with them running loose in the streets! And nobody
can figure out exactly how they get there! Are they swept out and along by
this great wind? He says, “It’s as if the walls dissolve! Or [remembering
when these disciples first locked themselves up Easter night] in a reversal
of the resurrected Christ’s passage into their midst, they pass through the
walls and out!” However it happens, as Jesus came “outside in,” so the
disciples his body now go “inside out.” “The disciples take the
resurrection to the streets!” Wylie-Kellerman emphasizes. How do we do
that, sisters and brothers? How do we go with Spirit into the streets?
Spirit, as we celebrate next week, is third
party to the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Creator, Redeemer,
Sustainer of Life! Spirit invites us to venture beyond all exclusive
dualisms, all “either/or” ways of thinking -- and into a more inclusive,
more paradoxical way of thinking in terms of “both/and.” Spirit allows us
to hold our differences and contradictions together in one thought, one
image, one word, one action – until we can see things in new and third -- or
fourth, or fifth, or as many as it takes – ways of seeing. Following from
pop theologian Buzz Lightyear’s call “To Infinity, and Beyond,” we named our
confirmation experience this year, “To the Trinity, and Beyond!” Of course,
we begin in our own scripture and our own tradition – what we are born into
and raised up with.
But our living experience and our ability to
reflect upon it quickly tell us we do not and cannot hold and hoard all the
answers for ourselves. Other peoples of other scriptures and other
traditions and revelations also follow in similar variations upon same
essential truths. Not even all Christians, or all United Methodists, or all
members of this congregation think and act alike – thank God! And so we
visited in the worship places of Jewish and Muslim and Buddhist peoples of
our community. In caring conversation with others as sisters and brothers,
we gain new insight into ourselves. We help ourselves to clarify and to
claim, that is to say, to confirm, who we are and what we believe! And we
watched “The Cotton Patch Gospel” assuring us Jesus is as relevant to
Atlanta, GA, as to Jerusalem!
The Holy Spirit is truly a “moving
experience!” Moving over the void, the deep, in the very beginnings of the
creation – moving yet over us, recreating us everyday! The Spirit moves as
wind and flame upon the tiny band of Jesus’ fearful friends and followers
this day. Spirit sets in motion their hearts and their life as a people
committed to the living witness and service of Jesus to the ends of the
earth! As Jesus himself has no place to lay his head, so we the Church, the
Body of Christ, have no place to hide, no place to rest, from his life and
his work, his ministry and his mission. Sometimes it seems both the church
and the world are divided between those who are sure God is done with us --
has perfected us or given up on us! -- and those who risk it on faith that
God is only now just beginning again, always making all things new -- the
church and the world ain’t seen nothing yet! Confirmation of faith at any
age, in any person, is such a new beginning.
Max V., Alycia, Quin, Max L. -- today God is
offering you the massive and majestic mystery of God’s own self -- in all of
God’s sizes and shapes, all of God’s visions and voices, all the ways, the
works and the worships of God as you have experienced them and as you have
reflected upon them with your gracious and generous mentors, and even with
your California/Nevada Conference Bishop Rev. Beverly J. Shamana! God is
offering all of God’s self, all of God’s selves to you in the person of
Jesus the Christ whose Spirit we pray upon you today. You have responded
with your “Yes” to the three historic questions of our life in faith.
First, we recognize the powers of evil and
injustice, sin and death around us and within us. There’s no way we can
come to consciousness, can enter the history of the world (even as Adam and
Eve do!) without acknowledging all the pain and grief we cause each other
and ourselves by our acts and our structures of sin and of death. But,
second, we claim a greater power to act, and even to structure, in the
Spirit as Advocate for goodness and justice, forgiveness and life -- and to
change the powers around and within us! Not all of them, perhaps none of
them at once – but we can, with God’s help, make a difference! And, third,
we find that greater power lies for us in this 2000-year-old “church
movement” started by Jesus the Christ -- of whom we are both members of the
one church body and hiss representatives in the world. In a moment you will
be baptized, or remember your baptisms -- and be confirmed by the Holy
Spirit working within you, as symbolized by the bright red stole made
personally for each one of you.
Some days of Pentecost we give stoles of red
cloth and anointing with oil to every believer. Today our communion will
have to remind us of how we share in this priesthood -- the vocation, the
gifts and the callings -- of every believer. Jesus promises his yoke is
always available to us, but especially when we feel weary and heavy-laden.
Jesus is that friend, that lover, that partner to us whose burden is always
gentle and light. Confirmands, Jesus will always see you for your gifts and
your strengths, for your life and for your ministry – and Jesus will always
build on your gifts and your strengths. Like every believer of every age,
you are commissioned and appointed today to the life and work, the
ministries and the mission of a real live congregation – with all the “mixed
bag” that implies!
You are not perfect – yet! – but works in
progress – even as this congregation is. We are all in this life and this
work of Jesus together! The Spirit on Pentecost does not come upon some
heroic one or chosen few. The Spirit comes upon ALL of us – “all together
in one place!” I often wonder how the presence and power of this
congregation might move if we ever could get ourselves “all together in one
place” and at one time! I believe the Holy Spirit sees all kinds of
potential for positive power in this congregation – if only we could turn
ourselves loose in the streets! We may or may not yet be a busy
congregation, in any collective sense. But we are a congregation of very
busy people! Confirmands, youth and children, please make us sure we are
never too busy for you!
I close with special attention to “Our 2006
Annual Conference Offering” insert (with envelope) in our bulletin –
“Through our partnership in ministry with the Angola West Conference, our
giving empowers churches in Angola to make a difference in the lives of
children.” Many Angolans became United Methodist in years of struggle and
exile for the sake of a new beginning of their nation. Our conference often
sends teams of us to live and work among brothers and sisters there. Maybe
some one or more of us will be moved to that opportunity.
Meantime, 100% of our gifts “will aid
ongoing programs to, –Feed children to have no homes, --Clothe children who
have little to wear, --Educate children unable to attend school, --Assist
families helping care for children abandoned due to war and poverty.”
Please give till it helps. Happy Birthday, Church of Jesus, every last
place in the world – and beginning with these renewed and strengthened young
Christian sister and brothers among us. For we are connected by Spirit all
over again today with young lives, hoping lives, dreaming lives everywhere –
in Angola, Brazil, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Mexico, New Orleans, – and to the
ends of God’s earth! Amen.
