The Spirit of Love at Work
This sermon can be heard here.
Gate Pa –
Pentecost Sunday 2021
Readings:
Psalm: Psalm
104:24-34, 35
First
Reading:
Acts
2:1-21
Second
Reading: Rom
8:22-27
Gospel:
John 15:26-27
16:4-15
What I want to
say:
To use
St. Augustine of Hippo’s “On the Trinity” to explore how we experience the Spirit
at working our world and in our lives today
What I want to
happen:
- How do we experience Spirit of love in our lives?
- Where do we see Spirit
of love at work in our world today?
- What difference, if any, does that make?
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
As one of the commentators said this week
“And welcome to Pentecost. May the Holy Spirit stir up new
life you.
May the Holy Spirit rage in your heart like a fire,
blow in your mind like hurricane gales,
and speak through you with the tongues of angels and mortals.”[1]
Today we remember, reflect on, and celebrate
ongoing work of the Spirit of God, Holy Spirit
-
In creation
-
In story of people of God
-
In formation and ongoing mission of
the church
-
In our lives
-
And in our world today
2. Pentecost
Day we do this determined by Luke’s version of
the story
Different from John
Occurs on Jewish Festival of Pentecost
Pentecost is first and foremost a Jewish
Festival
Made some comments about that in my theme for
the week
And our prayer for day is based on that festival
and giving of Torah to Moses
Leads me to wonder how Spirit leads us to continue
living in God’s presence,
-
Freeing slaves of today
-
Living God’s liberation today
-
Being God’s justice today.
3. Domestication
Trouble for us is that we are too familiar with
this tory
-
who felt earth
move listened to Acts reading
-
left feeling bewildered,
amazed, astonished or perplexed?
-
guess is none of
us
2000
years hearing
so
familiar
too
familiar
miss
just how radical and disturbing this story is
make
it safe
turn it into birthday party for the church with
balloons and candles
-
all of which I
have done
-
and probably will
do again
4. What is the same and what is new?
This
is the same Spirit of God that hovered over the waters of chaos in Genesis 1
and brought forth order and life
This
is the same Sprit that continues to animate all creation
This
is the same Spirit that allowed Joseph to understand dreams
This
is the same Spirit that called Moses from a burning bush and freed the Hebrew
slaves from Egypt
This
is the same Spirit that gives Torah
And
through the Prophets reminded rulers and people of Torah’s requirement to live
justly
The
work of the Spirit is not a safe nor can it be domesticated
May the Holy Spirit rage in your heart like a fire,
blow in your mind like hurricane gales,
and speak through you with the tongues of angels and mortals.”[2]
5. St. Augustine of Hippo
Maybe
9 years ago I talked about St. Augustine of Hippo
Different
from Augustine of Canterbury – brought Roman Catholicism to Britain
St.
Augustine of Hippo is one greatest theologians of Western church
One
of most prolific writers
Coined
idea of original sin
-
not about being
born bad
-
But that humanity
has forgotten that we are made in image of God
-
God who is love
(as John says in his gospel)
-
As a result our
sin is that we kill love
-
And give in to
death
Trouble
is – what does it mean for God to be love?
What
does it mean for us to be made in image of love?
Augustine
wrestled with this issue
Over
decades wrote “on the Trinity” as his response
Important
little book
Unlike
most other many writings took him long time finish
-
Lays out a basis
for a theory of psychology
-
It explores the
purpose of the incarnation, passion, resurrection and ascension of Christ
-
Offers insights
into nature of the Trinity
Finishes
with description of Trinity as God the Lover, the Beloved, and the love between
In
incarnation the second person, the Beloved comes as one of us
To
teach us and show us in words ana actions who God the Lover is
Reminding
us that we are made in the image of God the Lover
And
as beloved
What
it looks like to live in the Spirit of Love
These
concepts are too hard to think about in the abstract
So
Jesus offers us a life
A
story
Something
tangible not abstract
To
remember
To
reflect on
To
contemplate
To
allow to become our foundational story – as Bonnie talked about last week
And
as we remember and reflect we realise who we truly are
Beloved
Made
in the image of God the Lover
Invited
to live in the Spirit of Love.
6. The Paraclete
Which
brings us to John’s gospel
And
what Jesus teaches about the Spirit of Love
And
what the Spirit of love does
Except
Jesus uses the words Paraclete
really
big word
lots
and lots of ideas and meanings
so
hard translate
what
ever word you use limits its meanings
so
lot of translations just go with paraclete
Jesus
says that he was the first paraclete
And
that Spirit will continue what he was doing
So
some words to describe Jesus ministry with the disciples
-
Teacher
-
Guide
-
Companion
-
Sent them out and
gathered them back together
-
Encouraged them
-
This last block
of teaching set just before
o
betrayed by one
inner circle, and denied by another
o
Deserted by rest
of male disciples
o
Arrested, tried
and crucified
§ All about to get very bleak
-
In that situation
Jesus offers comfort and encouragement
All
of these are held within word Paraclete
-
Companion
-
Guide
-
Sender and gatherer
-
Encourager
-
Comforter
-
Motivator
Teachers
Reminder
We
are reminded of all Jesus taught in words and actions
We
are reminded how God is love
We
are made in the image of that Love
We
are invited to live in Spirit of love in good times, the mundane times, and the
hardest of times
7. Concluding questions
May the Holy Spirit rage in your heart like a fire,
blow in your mind like hurricane gales,
and speak through you with the tongues of angels and mortals.”[3]
-
Where do we see
Spirit of love at work in our world today?
-
What difference,
if any, does that make?
[1] Rolf Jacobson, <https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/the-newness-of-the-spirit>
[2] Rolf Jacobson, <https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/the-newness-of-the-spirit>
[3] Rolf Jacobson, <https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/the-newness-of-the-spirit>
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