After The Wind & The Fire

Acts 2: 1-4  & Revelation 21: 1-5a

Roger Lynn

May 22, 2016

(click here for the audio for this sermon)

God has always been about the business of transforming what is into what can be. From Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush which sent him to Egypt to free a captive people, to the prophets’ sense of God which led them to call for social, political and religious reforms, to Jesus’ radical proclamation of an intimate, all-loving, all-inclusive God, to the writer of Revelation declaring that God makes all things new, the history of human faith development is filled with examples of fresh, new insights and expanding awareness leading to a transformational experience of life.

The writer of the book of Acts seeks to capture one such moment of transformation when he tells the story of the day of Pentecost. Jesus is gone. The disciples have remained a small, closed, frightened community. And suddenly something new breaks into their world. They become aware of God’s Spirit in a powerful new way and that awareness transforms them and the world around them by breaking down the walls and eliminating the fear and the barriers which kept them isolated. The second chapter of Acts is filled with dramatic images which speak to us of change and transformation. There is wind and fire and the cacophony of a variety of languages being spoken at once. Something new is happening and it simply is not possible to continue on in the same old ways. Wind and fire are both powerful forces. They are not completely safe and they are not completely controllable. As images of God’s activity among us they are both disturbing and exciting. Our old, tired routines will not endure. Something dramatic and compelling is emerging.

At the end of the book of Revelation we find the image of the new Jerusalem, with God declaring that all things are made new. The old has passed away and the new is upon us. As with the images found in Acts, this is both disturbing and exciting, fearful and hopeful. We do not usually enjoy having our nice, safe, comfortable world shaken and disrupted. But true transformation cannot take place while at the same time everything remains the same. When faith becomes static it is in danger of becoming stagnant. To remain vibrant and relevant, it is always essential that we remain open to the possibilities of growth and change. God is still about the business of transforming what is into what can be.

Plymouth Congregational Church in Helena, Montana (perhaps you’ve heard of it) is a congregation in the midst of such a transformational time. Your new pastor has arrived, gotten settled in (mostly), and there is a sense of excitement in the air. New possibilities are beginning to emerge. Fresh ways of doing things are being explored. Who you were before is giving way to who we are now becoming. This will continue to be true as we open ourselves ever more fully to the leading of God’s Spirit. If we want to be a vital and relevant force in the world, then we must be willing to ask questions and not shrink back from where the answers lead us. Where are our blind spots? Where is transformation needed? Where is the growing edge that will take us further up the path towards the life to which God is always calling us? There will be a variety of answers to such question which emerge for us as we seek the leading of God’s Spirit. One such lesson to be learned from the Pentecost story in Acts is that sometimes sharing the Good News requires changing our ways. It isn’t about whether or not it bothers us. When it is a barrier for others then it is time for us to do things differently. The God who speaks in Revelation makes all things new so that the pain and tears associated with the former ways might come to an end. This will mean that there is change in our future. We will be a different congregation a year from now than we are in this moment. This is, of course, always true, whether or not we actively choose such a path. But a willingness to embrace such change as a spiritual practice, trusting that God’s Spirit will be present in the process, makes all the difference. Walking boldly into God’s future rather than being dragged kicking and screaming will allow us to enjoy the journey. The ongoing goal is to seek God’s guidance as we strive to be a congregation that touches the world with God’s transforming love. It will not always be easy and comfortable, but I am confident that it will always be a valuable and worthwhile journey. 

This fall we will have an opportunity to engage in a process of visioning as together we seek the leading of God’s Spirit. We will listen for guidance and ask for direction. We will boldly begin stepping into God’s future. And, the truth is that we have already begun. We are already paying attention to where God is calling us to go. We are already experiencing transformation in our personal lives and in the life of the congregation. We are already changing.

So, after the wind and the fire of God’s transforming Spirit sweeps through us, what next? If it truly is the wind of God’s Spirit blowing in us and through us, then we need not do it all by ourselves. We simply need to be open to new possibilities and new models for being church together, remembering that God will be with us every step along the way. What will all of this look like? To be honest, we don’t know yet. At least not completely. But I know it will mean being sensitive to the needs of others. I know that it will mean being open to the leading of God’s Spirit. I know that will involve courage and trust, both in God and in each other, as we dare to try new things – new ways of talking, new ways of thinking, new ways of sharing what is important to us. It will require creativity and patience and the willingness to continue talking to each other and listening to each other.

There is no way to know for sure where all of this will take us, but I am confident that we will get there together if we continue to look for the presence of God’s transforming Spirit in the midst of us and in the midst of the whole world. After the wind and the fire may we continue to discover fresh new ways of sharing God’s love.