Earth, Wind, Fire, Water – the basic elements of life – the
basic elements that’s allow us to live on this our island home.
Earth is used in our Ash Wednesday services – as well as in
funeral language. We have our Earth day
celebrations. I think this one is
implied in Paul’s writings about Creation.
It is certainly mentioned in the psalm.
Wind is a violent intrusion into where the disciples were
gathered. Wind or breath is how we
usually portray the movement of the Holy Spirit. And today, Pentecost, is when we celebrate
the coming of the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate: to be our guide, to speak to
God on our behalf, to help us experience God in new ways all the time and
everywhere.
Fire – tongues of fire - resided on the heads of the
disciples – looking like mitres I imagine – as they begin to speak in tongues
previously unknown to them – maybe the reversal of the tower of Babel? Opening the way to eternal life to every race
and nation – as we said in the collect – every person.
Water – we will pray in just a bit that the Holy Spirit will
stir up the waters of baptism for the four new Christians we will make among us
this weekend. The Spirit moved over the
waters in the creation stories, Jesus was baptized with water, and the first
miracle involved the changing of water into wine.
Four basic elements of life for every human being. When they are animated by the Holy Spirit
they help to convey what it means to be a Christian – a follower of Christ –
the most basic tenets of our faith. They
all come into play on this Pentecost weekend.
Why do we still celebrate Pentecost? Is it merely a birthday party for the
church? A commemoration of the beginning
of the story of the church in the world?
I hope not. I hope we can look at
the state of the church in the world today.
Can we see this Pentecost as the calling of the Holy Spirit
to rebirth the church? Can we groan in
labor pains, birthing something new?
In the Acts passage, we actually get to hear Peter preach –
on the prophet Joel’s writings about the young people prophesying and the older
people dreaming dreams – what could the church be? What could we become if we listened to the
young people and dreamed new dreams? The readings were done in different
languages. I wonder how much of
rebirthing the church involves learning new languages of those who move among
us.
This summer, Mather Lauren will be leading a Bible study on
Diana Butler Bass’ new book, Christianity After Religion. Buy it – read it – join the discussion in
person, on Facebook, on her blog, dare to prophesy and dream dreams.
All of the elements are powerful in their own ways – all are
essential to life. However, even as we
celebrate Pentecost I think we are called always to “Remember we are dust and to dust we shall return” –
the church as we know it will change – AND IT SHOULD or we are worshipping
idols!! We need to already be fully
inclusive of ALL people – no exceptions; we need to already be using feminine
language for God at least as much as we use masculine language, we need to be
listening more and preaching less – ALL OF US.
The world is more than ready for
that kind of a church. I believe we are
well situated to make these shifts – but we need to have done it yesterday.
The Holy Spirit is still alive and well and working within
these elements and within us – we
believe that or we wouldn’t be here. The
Holy Spirit will assure the continuation of the church – with or without
US. I pray that we will be set on fire –
and that we will not just mistake it for a Texas summer. I pray that we will prophesy and dream new
dreams – that we will listen and act. I
pray that all of this will look different by the time the newest Christians
among us are grown. Come Holy Spirit,
Come!! Amen.
