The Promise of Peace
John 14:25-31
Pentecost is not one of the normal holidays most people observe. Most people in our nation will be celebrating Memorial Day this weekend, not Pentecost. There’s not exactly a Hallmark card market for Pentecost because most people don’t know what to do with it. It is something like a cross between Halloween and Christmas. What would a card say, maybe something like “may the Holy Ghost haunt all your blessings” or “Speaking in tongues: It’s not just for sissies!”
Typically on this Sunday each year we hear the story of the first Christian Pentecost experience found in the second chapter of Acts. In some churches there will be readings in various languages, sometimes all at the same time, to symbolize the babble of hearing the Word from God like those first Pentecostals experienced it. (It is kind of like what happens around here when we pray the Lord’s Prayer using all the various versions at the same time.) Speaking of Pentecostals – they are among that portion of Christendom that probably won’t note this day as special. I guess if you are a Pentecostal, then every Sunday is Pentecost. No, it is usually the more reserved denominations and congregations – the ones who would never be caught dead speaking in tongues or acting “pentecostal” – that usually mark this day as a nod that Holy Spirit is indeed part of the Trinity. Then they secretly hope they never have to encounter this Spirit for the rest of the year.
I decided to use one of the other texts assigned for this Sunday. Our gospel text today is a response from Jesus to a question Philip voiced for the rest of the disciples, “Show us God. That will satisfy us.” Yeah, right! Show us God.
But when you really think about it that is one of the main questions people ask us as the church, in one form or another. It is a question that brought many of us to this place as we searched for truth and insight into the ways of the divine. How do I know God is real? Where is God when I hurt? Why did God do this to me? Why is God silent to my prayers? Is God’s love really unconditional? Show me God. It is a question that lingers in our hearts, but are we ready to follow where the answer takes us?
It is one thing to claim to be followers of the historical Jesus. It is quite another thing indeed to allow the power and fire of Holy Spirit to be given free reign in our lives. For when the Spirit comes, things don’t stay the way they were. When the Spirit comes, we find our lives ignited with energy and hope. When the Spirit comes, white-knuckled control issues are taken out of our hands. When the Spirit comes, a congregation the size of ours steps out in faith and beyond our wildest imaginations raises over $385,000 towards “Blessed and Blessing Others.” That’s where we are as of today with less than 90 pledges. If you haven’t had a chance to return a pledge card, there are some located in the narthex after worship today.
When the Spirit comes, there is a promise of peace… a peace not as the world gives. That’s what Jesus said in our reading today. Peace is what you have when you’re released from fear. Peace is where you find yourself when you free-fall into the arms of God. Peace – which passes all understanding – doesn’t make sense but is what is real when you say, “God, here is my life, my world, my challenges. Help me create something beautiful.”
I have to tell you that over the last several weeks some of our leaders were having trouble finding that peaceful place. I admit. There were moments when I was among them. There was something anxious and thrilling about stepping out into the unknown with the challenge of implementing “Blessed and Blessing Others” – a task so huge that it wasn’t possible on our own to meet it. There are times as your pastor it seems my job is to say to you, “Come this way, the hundred foot cliff I’m taking you over is just over here. Everyone jump together now.”
I did have one little ace in the hole that I could fall back on. No, there wasn’t a lone benefactor who was going to push us over the top without any effort. (In fact, it took a lot of us sweating bullets sometimes to get there.) There were no sure things awaiting us, only possibilities. There were those few days when we had done all the work and were now waiting to see what the response would be that were… less than tranquil, shall we say. My ace in the hole was this: I knew we couldn’t fail. Once we passed the $250K mark set by the bank that put everything into motion, everything was blessing. If we raised $275,000 that was blessing because most of us weren’t convinced we had that in us. If we reached $300,000 that was gravy on the blessing. It would be enough to do some important work. When we passed $375,000 well, “hallelujah!”
We set a goal of $500,000 because we needed to shoot for something that would require us as a body to step off that cliff. You see, whatever amount of generosity flows into the work of God among us, it is a blessing. It is much more important to me that we live our blessing than it is that we hit a number.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s still time for more to participate in the blessing. “Operators are standing by to take your call” if you are not one of those who already pledged and you have the means to participate.
It is just that in this place, at this point in history, among these faithful gathered here, we have now seen the evidence of the promise of peace.
There is a lot more ahead of us. It will take every last one of us to have a successful Pride weekend the last weekend of June. It takes over 100 people doing their part to prevent Aaron and his team from going crazy keeping everything organized. Setting up and tearing down, working in the booth or bookstore, helping with worship, helping with the concert, helping with the parade, fielding questions about “Would Jesus Discriminate?” at the park. We can do it. We’ve seen the evidence of the promise of peace.
There are going to be days ahead as the billboards go up around town and people become more interested in your yard signs and your tee shirts and as we approach the town hall meeting in July, that not everyone who hears about the good news of “Would Jesus Discriminate?” will think it is good news. We can handle anything. We’ve seen the evidence of the promise of peace.
So hear that Pentecostal promise from Jesus one more time and let it sink into all the recesses of your soul. “My peace I give you, not as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not let them be afraid.”
Sources:
www.homileticsonline.com The Forgotten Holy Day, May 2007.