May 23, 2021 – John
JOHN 15:26-27, 16: 4B -15
Today is Pentecost Sunday, one of the 4 major festivals of the church year. This is the last big Sunday, a feast day in the medieval church, before we enter ordinary or normal time. So, we’re wearing red today because red is the liturgical color of the Holy Spirit. Red is the color of fire and symbolizes the presence of God. Just as Moses saw the burning bush as a symbol of God’s presence, so we wear red today as a symbol of God’s presence with us. It also reminds us of the coming of the Spirit on that Pentecost so long ago after the Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to sit at the right hand of God the Father.
For many people getting a handle on God sending the Holy Spirit is hard to grasp. Perhaps we don’t quite understand what exactly happened on this day, and just maybe, talk about the Spirit is not as sweet as talk about a baby born in a manger, angels singing in the heavens, gifts being passed about and shepherds tending their sheep. At Christmas time, God comes to us in the form of a baby. At Easter, we see the empty tomb. Both of these are amazing events, but not really very threatening to our human existence. The image, however, of the Holy Spirit can be unsettling and even a little scary. Yet, Pentecost Sunday is just as important as Christmas. On Christmas God sends a baby that will walk this earth as a human and eventually die on the cross for our sin. At Pentecost, God sends us the Holy Spirit, in a rush of wind and tongues of fire.
It is good to remind ourselves that the Holy Spirit is a gift given to us by God. In fact, it can be considered Jesus’ farewell gift to us. Without the living Spirit, we would cling to outside authorities to tell us what is right or wrong. Listen to what John 14:26 tells us. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” That is, the Holy Spirit makes the Word of God come alive to us in our own situations, and helps us pull out for ourselves how God’s Word relates to us in today’s world.
The Holy Spirit is God’s gift for each of us to comfort and guide us, to empower us in our everyday lives. It is a gift, like GPS, to help us find our way in this world. A gift that helps us transform our lives to be more like that of Christ. To do this, however, we need to be able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. We live in a world of noise, distractions, and busyness. Even living in what I call the “boomies” doesn’t always get you away from outside noise. Cars go by on the nearest road, farm equipment buzzes in the distance, and on and on. For quiet we often have to rely on what I call inner silence.
One of the verses that I have always resonated to is Psalms 46:10. “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” “Be still and know that I am God.” Advice that encourages us to spend some time each day just sitting quietly, slowing down the busy thoughts that seem to run through our mind constantly, and just sit quietly with God, listening for the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. It sound really easy, doesn’t it? Yet when we actually sit down and try to quiet our thoughts it can be like wrestling with a greased pig. Often, each time we think we have quieted our thoughts and can just rest in quiet with God, the quiet slips away just like grabbing a greased piglet at the fair. Actually being quiet takes a great deal of patience and persistence. Yet, the reward is great when the Spirit speaks to you through your heart.
In 1 Kings 19, we hear the story of Elijah and God choosing to speak to him through a quiet whisper. God often chooses to speak through a still, small voice, not because He isn’t powerful enough to shout, but because He wants us to remove all the white noise and distractions from our lives and focus on Him.
The best way to begin is to find a fairly quiet place. Note that I said fairly quiet place. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, asks Jesus to join you, and then when a thought comes cruising through your mind, just envision it passing on and try to quiet your thoughts again. Then listen for the small voice coming from your heart. Don’t be discouraged if you feel you have not been able to sit silently with God. Just keep practicing, for it will happen when you least expect it to.
God speaks to us in many ways and it is good to cultivate a posture of listening when we do our daily prayers. Don’t just run into prayer with your checklist in hand and pray, “Dear God, please help me here, bless this, bless that, protect them, help me have a good day. Amen.” Spend time listening. You may not hear anything, but it’s important to remember that prayer is designed as a dialogue with God, not a monologue.
As we begin our new week, may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds focused on our Lord Jesus Christ whom the Holy Spirit reveals to us for everlasting life? Listen intently, and you will hear the Holy Spirits voice guiding you on the path set forth before you. Matthew 7: 13-14 tells us, “For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” However, the gate that leads to destruction is broad and many enter through it. May you always hear and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit who will lead you along that narrow road to the narrow gate. Amen