Wind, Breath, Spirit: God at Work in the Ordinary (Pentecost)

Ezekiel 37: 1-14 & Acts 2: 1-21

Roger Lynn

May 31, 2020

Pentecost Sunday

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One of my very favorite words is “ruach” – an ancient Hebrew word which literally translates as wind or breath. It is also one of the primary words which scripture uses to talk about God’s Spirit. As images go, I like it a lot – it is evocative in its powerful simplicity. Wind and breath are so elemental – basic – ordinary, and yet so essential. It doesn’t get much more essential than breath. If we stop breathing for very long we stop living. We cannot even see the wind – only the effects it produces. I also like this image because it is very earthy – all wrapped up in the ordinary, messy business of living as human beings in these very human bodies on this very physical planet. It is such a primal reminder that God is intimately involved with us right here in the midst of our life and our living – as close to us as our breathing.

Both scriptures for this morning offer us portrayals of the powerful difference which God’s Ruach can make in our lives and in our world. It can be as dramatic as the difference between a pile of bones and a living, breathing human being, or as life-changing as the difference between a disconnected group of individuals who can’t even understand each other and a unified community which is bound together for common ministry. God at work in the midst of the ordinary – bringing new life into what can sometimes seem to be hopeless situations. 

Storms, Fear, and The Presence Of Christ

a first-person narrative sermon
Mark 4: 35-41
Roger Lynn
May 24, 2020
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We just didn’t get it. We never quite understood what it all meant. I often wondered why in the world Jesus chose us to be his disciples, when we had such a hard time comprehending anything he tried to share with us. We watched him heal people. We listened to him teach and tell stories. He would patiently explain things to us – often more than once. We spent lots of time just being around him. And still we found ourselves surprised by him, over and over again. For one thing, it was all so overwhelming. We knew, just by listening to him and watching the way he lived his life, that Jesus was someone extraordinary. I always felt fortunate just to be near him. But I also felt more than a little intimidated, and very confused. The things he said and did just seemed to run so much against the grain of everything we had grown up believing. Letting go of the control of your life and trusting in God completely is a difficult lesson to learn, and one which we found ourselves re-learning many times.

I remember once when we were out in the boat with Jesus, crossing over to the other side of the lake. We had made such a trip many times before, and we’d run into our share of storms. I’ve never really been able to explain exactly why that particular storm frightened us so much. I only know that it did. We were battling against the wind and the waves, trying to keep from being swamped. We almost lost the sail, and we began to fear that we might even lose our lives. The panic and fear which gripped us began to wash over all of us like a drenching wave. And it was then that someone noticed Jesus laying in the back of the boat – asleep. At first we couldn’t believe it. For just a moment we all simply stopped and stared. How could he possibly be sleeping through the storm? Then we suddenly found our fear filling us with a sense of outrage. We woke him up and we screamed at him. “You don’t care about us,” we cried. “If you really cared about us, you would get up and do something.” I do not really know what we expected him to do. It is true that we had seen him do plenty of amazing things, but in that moment we weren’t thinking about any of those other occasions. We only knew that in the here and the now we were afraid and Jesus didn’t appear to be doing anything.

Surviving And Thriving In The World

John 17: 11

Roger Lynn

May 17, 2020

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“It was a dark and stormy night.” That is how all of Snoopy’s stories began in the comic strip Peanuts. And these days in which we now find ourselves can sometimes feel like that. Life can be difficult and painful and overwhelming. Indeed, there are times when such an assessment seems to be the norm rather than the exception. The news seems to be full of tragic, heartbreaking, and frustrating stories on a daily basis. And lately it seems like all of those stories are just variations on the same story. In the midst of such times, it can be difficult to know where to turn or what to do, and there is the temptation to focus merely on surviving – leaving the thriving for another day.

When such experiences begin to close in around us, it is helpful to remember that we are not alone and we have not been abandoned. God continues to be on our side. In Jesus’ prayer which we find near the end of John’s Gospel he proclaims the truth that the disciples are now and have always been in God’s care and keeping. It is worth remembering that in the Gospels the disciples always represent us. So Jesus’ prayer speaks directly to our own circumstances. It is significant to note that Jesus asks for two things – God’s protection and unity. “Holy One, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” (John 17:11) It seems to me that in this one statement we find essential keys to help us move beyond merely surviving in the world to thriving. We can remember in whose hands our lives are held, and we can strive to live life in relationship with those around us. Living a life which is free of challenges is not an option, even for people of faith. But when we live lives which are intentionally and intrinsically connected to God and to each other, then we have the resources to face whatever comes. Survival can be achieved in isolation, but to thrive we need to expand our horizons and our connections.

Stepping Into God's New Day

Revelation 21: 1-5
Roger Lynn
May 10, 2020
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The process of “re-opening” has begun. There are phases and stages and metrics by which to gauge the progress. There are conversations about safety, and the economy, and getting back to “normal.” But we are the Church, and for us it is never about getting back to “normal.” “Cast your nets on the other side of the boat,” Jesus told Peter and James and John when he first called them to a new life. And a new life in a new day is what we are always being called to. We are an Easter people and resurrection is at the heart of what God is always and forever doing in the midst of us. In John’s Revelation, it ends with a bold vision of a new heaven and a new earth. “And behold, I make ALL things new!” declares God. When a butterfly emerges from the cocoon, it isn’t simply a caterpillar with wings attached. The caterpillar which enters the cocoon must dissolve in order for something wholly new to emerge at the other end of the process. So, as we in the church prepare to re-emerge into the world, may we do so with the awareness that God is preparing us and calling us to become something wholly and holy new.