1) The Spirit of God is the melody that energizes the Church: In the last years of his life, the great cellist and conductor Pablo Casals suffered greatly from rheumatoid arthritis and emphysema. At 90, he was badly stooped, and his head pitched forward; his breathing was labored. He needed the help of his wife, Marta, to get dressed in the morning. Marta would then help him shuffle into his studio where he would, with great difficulty, arrange himself on the piano bench. Casals would then manage to raise his swollen, clenched fingers above the keyboard. A visitor describes what he saw next one particular morning: “I was not prepared for the miracle that was about to happen. The fingers slowly unlocked and reached toward the keys like the buds of a plant toward the sunlight. His back straightened. He seemed to breathe more freely. Now his fingers settled on the keys. Then came the opening bars of Bach’s Wohltemperierte Klavier [Well-tempered Clavier], played with great sensitivity and control . . . He hummed as he played, then said that Bach ‘spoke to him here’ – and he placed his hand over his heart. “Then he plunged into a Brahms concerto and his fingers, now agile and powerful, raced across the keyboard with dazzling speed. His entire body seemed fused with the music; it was no longer stiff and shrunken but supple and graceful and completely freed of its arthritic coils. “Having finished the piece, he stood up by himself, far straighter and taller than when he had come into the room. He walked to the breakfast table with no trace of a shuffle, ate heartily, talked animatedly, finished the meal, then went for a walk on the beach.” (From Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient: Reflections on Healing and Regeneration by Norman Cousins). Like music that inspires and exhilarates, the Spirit of God is the melody that energizes the Church, uniting our many different voices into the song of the Love of God. God has formed us into a community, or Church, an instrument for bringing His life and love into our world. But what makes our Church more than just a gathering of good people is His “Breath” infusing the Church with the music of His Divinity. Today we celebrate that presence. In Jesus’ breathing upon the assembled disciples on Easter night the new life of the Holy Spirit, the community of the Resurrection — the Church — takes flight. That same Holy Spirit continues to “blow” through today’s Church giving life and direction to our mission and ministry to preach the Gospel to every nation, to immerse all of humanity into the music of God’s love and the symphony of the Resurrection.
2) Paderewski immortalizing a boy’s music: Once, a mother took her five-year-old son with her to a concert by Ignace Paderewski, the great Polish pianist. The mother and her son got their seats close to the stage. Then the mother met her old friend and got involved talking with her. She failed to notice that her son had slipped away to do some exploring. At the right time the lights dimmed and the spot light came on. Only then did the mother see her five-year-old son on the stage, sitting on the piano bench, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little star." Before she could retrieve her son, Paderewski walked on to the stage. Walking over to the piano, he whispered to the boy, "Don't stop, keep playing." Then, leaning over the boy, Paderewski reached out his left hand and began to fill in the bass. Later, he reached around the other side of the boy and added a running obbligato. Together, the great maestro and the tiny five-year-old mesmerized the audience with their playing. The image of the great maestro and the tiny five-year-old at the piano makes a fitting image of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples. On the first Pentecost the Holy Spirit whispered encouragement to the disciples. The Holy Spirit transformed the feeble efforts of the disciples into something powerful. (John Pichappilly in The Table of the Word; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
3) Why are the Swiss watches gone? If in 1968 someone had asked which country would dominate watch-making in the 1990s, most people would have said Switzerland. This is because Switzerland had dominated the world of watch- making for the previous sixty years. They led the search for new ways to manufacture better and more durable watch parts. They developed the best waterproofing techniques. In fact, in 1968 the Swiss made 65% of all watches sold in the world, and laid claim to 90% of the profits. However, by 1980 in Switzerland, watchmakers had been laid off by the thousands and the Swiss controlled a paltry 10% of the watch market. Why? The Swiss had ignored an important new development, the Quartz Movement. Ironically a Swiss invented the Quartz movement, but it was rejected because it had no mainspring or knob. It was too much of a paradigm shift for them to embrace. It was too new and too strange. Today's text from Acts tells of a powerful paradigm shift in the people of God demanded by "God's deeds of power," the miraculous activities that accompanied the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles.
5) All Mr. Yates needed was suddenly provided. During the Great Depression, a man by the name of Yates owned a sheep ranch in West Texas. Day by day he grazed his sheep and wondered how he was going to pay his bills. It was in the middle of the Depression, and even government subsidies would not give him enough income to break even. Then one day an oil company came to town. They asked permission to drill a wildcat well on Mr. Yates' land. At 1,115 feet, they struck oil to the tune of 80,000 barrels a day. All Mr. Yates needed was suddenly provided. When I read that old story, one that Bill Bright tells, I wondered if it might be a parable of our spiritual life. “All I have needed God's hands have provided,” says the hymn, Great is Thy Faithfulness. That is a parable of our spiritual life. The power we need to become what God intended us to be is already in our souls in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
6) "Oh, it sleeps about eighty." A family driving a large camper pulled up in front of the Church just as the pastor started toward home. Desiring to be friendly, the pastor introduced himself and expressed his admiration for the camper. The man of the family told him rather proudly: "This camper sleeps eight people." Then he asked: "What is the capacity of your Church, Pastor?" The beleaguered pastor replied rather glumly, "Oh, it sleeps about eighty." It is embarrassing sometimes how little the modern-day Churches resemble the Church that first Pentecost: the sound of a wind-storm, tongues of fire, disciples speaking in different languages, thousands being added to the Church and lots of excitement – excitement everywhere!
8) Wilma Rudolph winning Olympics gold medals: Neil T. Anderson, in his book Victory over Darkness, tells a thrilling story about a little girl born with major health problems which left her crippled. She had a large, wonderful Christian family. Her mother used to tell her. "If you believe, God will make it happen. You will be able to run around like your brothers and sisters." She took her mother’s counsel to heart and began to believe that God could heal her. She practiced walking without her braces with the aid of her brothers and sisters. On her twelfth birthday, she surprised her parents and her doctors by removing her braces and walking around the doctor's office unassisted. She never wore the braces again. Her next goal was to play basketball. The coach only agreed to let her play as a means of getting her older sister on the team. One day she approached the coach and promised him if he would give her an extra 10 minutes of coaching each day, she would give him a world-class athlete. He laughed, but seeing she was serious, half-heartedly agreed. Before long her determination paid off. She was one of the team's best players. Her team went to the state basketball championships. One of the referees noticed her exceptional ability. He asked if she had ever run track. She hadn't. He encouraged her to try it. So after the basketball season she went out for track. She began winning races and earned a berth in the state championships. At the age of 16, she was one of the best young runners in the country. She went to the Olympics in Australia and won a bronze medal for anchoring the 400meter relay team. Four years later in Rome she won the 100-meter dash, the 200meter dash and anchored the winning 400-meter relay team "all in world-record times.” Wilma Rudolph capped the year by receiving the prestigious Sullivan Award as the most outstanding amateur athlete in America. Her faith and hard work had paid off. [Neil T. Anderson, Victory over Darkness (Ventura, California: Regal Books, 1990), pp. 107-108.] In a sense, that is what Pentecost is about. People opened themselves to the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit empowered them to do things they never dreamed possible. Pentecost is about empowerment: "a small group of folks turned the world upside down.”
9) In yachting, no wind means no race! Rev. Alan Walker of Australia often tells about the race of the sailing yachts in which Australia finally defeated the USA for the prized America's Cup. For 132 years, the cup was kept and defended by the United States. Again, and again there were challenges for the cup, but each time it was retained by the USA. Finally, in 1983 Australia mounted a serious challenge. The event took place as scheduled, and after six races, the two yachts were deadlocked at three wins each. Now the whole world seemed to take notice. Australia was alive with anticipation. The sporting world was focused on the race. The day came for the final race. After more than 100 years, the United States was in danger of losing its very precious cup. Thousands of people came to watch the race. Television cameras were ready to beam the race by satellite around the world. The crews were ready. The boats were polished. The yachts pulled into place at the starting line. All was ready, but there was no race! There was not enough wind. In yachting, no wind means no race!" In the life of the Church, as in yachting, no wind, no race. Who would deny that the Church today lacks power, life, energy, excitement? The Church today needs the power of the Holy Spirit.
10) Torch and Bucket: There is the story of a person who saw an angel walking down the street. The angel was carrying a torch in one hand and a bucket of water in the other. “What are you going to do with that torch and that bucket of water?” the person asked. The angel stopped abruptly, looked at the person and said, “With the torch, I’m going to burn down the mansions of Heaven, and with the bucket of water, I’m going to put out the fires of hell. Then we’re going to see who really loves God. The angel’s point is that many people obey God’s Commandments out of fear of punishment of Hell or hope of reward in Heaven. They don’t obey him for the reason Jesus gives in today’s Gospel. They don’t obey them out of love: “If you love me,” Jesus says in today’s reading, “you will obey my commandments.” (Mark Link in Sunday Homilies).
11) Do you belong to a Pentecostal church? During the Italian occupation of Ethiopia in the days of Mussolini, Christian believers suffered considerable persecution. In his book, Fire on the Mountains, Raymond Davis tells of the love demonstrated by believers for each other during this period of affliction, which in turn made a major impression on unbelievers. For example, no provision was made to feed the prisoners in jail by the invading army. This was the responsibility of relatives and friends. Christians in the prisons had no problem, though. They were well cared for by friends and family. In fact, so much food was brought them by fellow believers and Church groups that enough remained to feed the unbelieving prisoners also. This observable love, vibrant though nonverbal, brought many to seek the Lord. Such love was previously unheard of. As a result the word spread far and wide. Non-believers sought out believers to learn more about the Christian faith. When prisoners who had come to know Christ while in jail were released, they went back home and attended the nearest church. [Leslie B. Flynn, You Don’t Have To Go It Alone, (Denver, Colorado: Accent Books, 1981).] It is only right, then, that we should pray that we might be a “Pentecostal Church,” if we understand what that means.
12) “I need to know if you are Pentecostal.” The well-known author and preacher, Fred Craddock, tells a rather funny story about a lecture he was giving: A few years ago, when he was on the West Coast speaking at a seminary, just before the first lecture, one of the students stood up and said, "Before you speak, I need to know if you are Pentecostal." The room grew silent. Craddock said he looked around for the Dean of the Seminary! He was nowhere to be found. The student continued with his quiz right in front of everybody. Craddock was taken aback, and so he said, "Do you mean do I belong to the Pentecostal Church?" He said, "No, I mean are you Pentecostal?" Craddock said, "Are you asking me if I am charismatic?" the student said, "I am asking you if you are Pentecostal." Craddock said, "Do you want to know if I speak in tongues?" He said, "I want to know if you are Pentecostal." Craddock said, "I don't know what your question is." The student said, "Obviously, you are not Pentecostal." He left. What are we talking about this morning? Is the Church supposed to use the word Pentecost only as a noun or can it be used as an adjective? And so I ask you: Are you Pentecostal? If the Church is alive in the world, it is Pentecostal. The Church is alive if we are in one accord, sharing our blessings with the less fortunate ones, if we are joined together in prayer and if we are repenting people asking forgiveness from God and others every day.
13) “It was the Holy Spirit.” Fr. Bob Spitzer, a Jesuit priest who was the president of Gonzaga University for 12 years tells about a powerful prayer to the Holy Spirit. It involves asking for the healing of hurts and memories, not just for own self, but for those one has harmed, always seeking forgiveness. He tells the story of making an offhand comment that afterwards he regretted. Unable to call the man, he went to the chapel and asked the Holy Spirit to heal any harm he had done. A few days later, something extraordinary happened. Fr. Spitzer ran into the man walking on the campus, and the man said, “You know Father, I’ve been thinking about what you told me. At first I was kind of angry, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized what you were getting at. You actually helped me a great deal.” As Fr. Spitzer remarked later: “It was the Holy Spirit.” (http://www.magisreasonfaith.org/files/pdfs/spitzerbio.pdf).
13) “It was the Holy Spirit.” Fr. Bob Spitzer, a Jesuit priest who was the president of Gonzaga University for 12 years tells about a powerful prayer to the Holy Spirit. It involves asking for the healing of hurts and memories, not just for own self, but for those one has harmed, always seeking forgiveness. He tells the story of making an offhand comment that afterwards he regretted. Unable to call the man, he went to the chapel and asked the Holy Spirit to heal any harm he had done. A few days later, something extraordinary happened. Fr. Spitzer ran into the man walking on the campus, and the man said, “You know Father, I’ve been thinking about what you told me. At first I was kind of angry, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized what you were getting at. You actually helped me a great deal.” As Fr. Spitzer remarked later: “It was the Holy Spirit.” (http://www.magisreasonfaith.org/files/pdfs/spitzerbio.pdf).
14) The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of communication: There have been numerous books written on the difficulty that men and women have in communicating. It has been estimated that women say something like 6,000 – 8,000 words a day and that men utter 2,000 – 4,000 words a day. At the end of the day the man has spoken his 4,000 words and doesn’t want to communicate any more. He simply wants to sit quietly, watch TV and go to bed. A woman most likely won’t have spoken her 8,000 words for the day yet. She may have 2-3,000 words to go and uses them to share every event of the day. This conversation may sound familiar. Wife: Hi darling …it’s good to see you home. How was your day? Husband: Good. Wife: I heard that you were going to finalize that big deal today. How did it go? Husband: Fine. Wife: That’s good. Do you think the boss will give you a raise? Husband: Maybe. Wife: Hey! Today I found out that I’m pregnant. Husband: That’s good. and so on… and then she goes on to tell everything that happened in her day. The Holy Spirit communicates with men and women equally through the Holy Bible and inspires them and guides them in their communication with God. May God's Spirit guide and help us as we go out from here today and give us the courage and power to speak his Word to others. (Rev. Gerhard)
15) Come, Holy Spirit: There is a period of human history called the Dark Ages. It started in about the fifth century and continued for the next 600 years. You might say it was a 600-year depression – food was scarce, people lived hand-to-mouth – and Western civilisation barely hung by a thread. The one bright spot was the local Cathedral. Building Cathedrals, even in small towns, gave work to thousands of people. These buildings became the cultural, social and spiritual centres of life. Murals, stained glass windows, sculptures and pageantry helped teach the great stories of the Bible at a time when very few people could read. With this in mind, some of the cathedral builders chose to impress on the people the meaning of Pentecost. In the great domed and richly painted ceilings were a number of small carefully disguised doors. During worship on Pentecost when the whole town was gathered in the cathedral, some unlucky parishioners were drafted to climb up on to the roof. At the appropriate moment during the liturgy, they would release a live dove through the one of the small doors. This dove would swoop over the congregation as a living symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit. At the same time the choir boys would make whooshing noise, the doors in the ceiling would be opened again and this time rose petals would be showered on the congregation, symbolizing tongues of flame falling on the worshippers below. You can imagine the impact that this had on those medieval Christians whose lives were drab and hard. They might not have been able to read about Pentecost from the Bible but nevertheless this visual demonstration must have left a lasting impression. (Rev. Gerhard).
16) Together they finished the race. Derek Redmond ran in a semi-final of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Halfway round the track this British athlete collapsed with a torn hamstring. For some strange reason, he wanted to finish the race, and he struggled to his feet. Derek's Dad got up out of the stand, and he broke his way through security. His Dad picked up his crying son, and together they finished the race. That man did what the Holy Spirit does for us. It’s when we are spiritually exhausted, when we find ourselves giving into the spirit of slavery again and again, when we can't pray, when we don't want to pray, when our Faith is just not strong enough –- when there is no way we can finish the race. That’s when the Spirit picks us up, and drags us to the finish line. (Rev. Gerhard).
17) Some Pentecost traditions: Some parishes have begun the tradition of encouraging people to wear red clothing on Pentecost, since red is the liturgical color of the day. This reflects the old custom of decorating homes and churches with colorful flowers on this day. In Poland, for example, and among the Ukrainians, Pentecost is sometimes called the “Green Holiday,” and in Germany the “Flower Feast.” In some Latin countries, there is the term Pascha Rosatum, Latin words that mean “Feast of Roses.” And in Italy there is the name Pascua Rossa, meaning “Red Pasch,” inspired by the red vestments worn on Pentecost. Medieval Christians liked to dramatize the Pentecost symbols of the dove and flames of fire. Historical accounts tell us, for example, that in France, when the priest intoned the words “Come, Holy Ghost,” trumpets would blow, signifying the violent wind of which the Scriptures speak. In other countries, choirboys would hiss, hum, make odd noises with wind instruments, and rattle their benches. Then from a hole in the wall above, called “The Holy Ghost Hole,” a great swinging disk with a beautiful image of a dove would descend, and remain suspended above the middle of the church. From the same opening in the wall would follow a shower of flowers, representing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and water symbolizing Baptism. In the thirteenth century, French cathedrals would release white pigeons inside the buildings, and drop roses from the Holy Ghost Hole. Some towns in central Europe even dropped pieces of burning straw, representing the flaming tongues of Pentecost. This last custom eventually found disfavor, as more and more churches and worshipers caught fire, spiritually and literally. (Fr. Hoisington).
18) "Did you and Grandma ever get into any fights?" A little girl asked her grandfather, "Did you and Grandma ever get into any fights?" The grandfather replied: "We don't talk about it very often, but there was a time when we were not getting along very well. We seemed to be picking on each other a lot and finding all kinds of things to argue about and really getting on one another's nerves. Well, one day I came in from the garden and I heard a voice upstairs. I went to the stairs and heard your grandmother telling God what she could not bring herself to tell me." "Well, what did you do?" asked the grand-daughter. "I quietly walked up the stairs," he replied, "and knelt down beside her and told God my side of the story. And from that day to this, we have never had a problem which we couldn't resolve by talking it over with each other and with God." Do you think the Holy Spirit was active in that couples' marriage? There can be no doubt. Conflict will always remain part of every relationship. The fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control – will always remain critical for happy relationships with others.
19) The Holy Spirit clean-up job: The Holy Spirit not only gives life but even brings dead bones to life. In Greek mythology, we read about the demi-god Hercules, son of Zeus and Alcmena. He was noted for his strength and was commanded by the King whom he was serving in expiation of a crime to clean the stables of Augeas, which housed 3000 oxen. The stable had not been cleaned for 30 years and Hercules was told to do the job within a day. This was a herculean job to complete. He could not do it by his own enormous power so he directed the river Alpheus to run through the stable and so completed the task. The apostles themselves did a great job of cleaning and giving life to people by letting the Holy Spirit move into them. (Elias Dias in Divine Stories for Families).
20) Unseen Guest: Rossini was a great composer of music. He composed beautiful pieces of music, and, therefore, the King of France presented him with a watch which he kept in his showcase with great pride. One day he showed it to his friend. His friend was surprised to know the real worth of the royal watch. He touched a button on the watch and a beautiful photograph of Rossini popped up. All stood in awe! Rossini had had the watch for several years and but had never realized the value and the importance of the watch. Many people do not know much about the Holy Spirit and the importance of Him in our lives. (Elias Dias in Divine Stories for Families; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
Said the first: “Well I don’t see her, so it is only logical that she doesn’t exit.” To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and listen, you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.” Today is Pentecost: The Church’s birthday! “Before Pentecost, the disciples were unsure of what they were to do next, and spent most of their time in hiding. After Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit, they understood their mission to spread the Good News of Jesus, and they had the courage to come out of their hiding and speak openly about who Jesus was, and what he had accomplished by his dying and rising.
(http://www.staugustinechurch.net/homilies/pentecostSundayhomily.htm)
23) Carnal versus Spiritual: There was once an Eskimo who used to take his two dogs for a bet-fight in the town square. One was a black dog the other was white. The people gathered week after week to see the dogs fight and betted heavily. On some days, the black dog won and on others the white. No matter which dog won, the Eskimo made money. The secret behind duping the people was that he would feed well the dog which he wanted to win. Do you feed your spiritual self and keep it strengthened by the daily anointing of the Holy Spirit to win over the carnal person? "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man, but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." (Daniel Sunderaj in Manna for the Soul; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
24) Film: Being John Malkovich: In the very strange 1999 surrealist movie, Being John Malkovich, someone discovers a portal into Malkovich's mind, enabling visitors to see and experience things through his body and to influence his actions. He becomes aware of what's happening and finds the portal himself. At the climax of the movie, there is a bizarre but powerful scene when he enters the portal, being swept down a dark tunnel with a roaring sound to emerge as a participant/observer in his own world. He discovers that everyone has his face and his voice, and every word spoken is in his name. Connections with the Pentecost story: -- the paradox of the Creator entering his own creation by an unexplainable power; the potential of the portal to connect people in an unprecedented kind of indwelling. But the exploitation of the portal by those who find it -- selling access, allowing it to be used to violate someone's integrity -- reminds me of all who abuse the gift of the Spirit for their own ends or to manipulate others. Seeing the face of Malkovich everywhere reminds me of the Spirit making Jesus present through us in a new and all-encompassing way. We are recognizably Christ-like, though still ourselves, and all we say and do is “in his Name.” It's a frightening moment in the movie, because Malkovich has no wish to become omnipresent as a Christ-figure, but the image is powerful. (Marnie Barrel -Film insights in The Text this Week; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
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Did you ever notice the Spirit in yourself or others around you?Some days ago I asked some school children to tell me about the Holy Spirit. They told me about fire, the storm, Peter on the balcony, the languages and the baptisms in the street. When I asked them: "Did you ever notice the work of the Spirit in yourself or others around you?" No one knew what to answer. They looked at me with their large querying eyes. I changed the question. I asked them: "Did you ever do anything really good?" Again they had no answer. Again I asked: "Did your parents, father and mother, ever do anything good?" No answer. So I said: "Sit down comfortably. Close your eyes ask yourself, what good did I do?" They sat down as comfortably as they could. They closed their eyes and suddenly the answers came. One had saved a small child from a river. One had forgiven her sisters. One said: "My mother takes care of me. That is good." Another said: "My father is helping a poor man." Slowly, slowly they became aware of the good, the love, the care in their daily lives: the work of the Holy Spirit.
Joseph Donders in 'Praying and Preaching the Sunday Gospel'
In today's gospel John shows how closely the presence of the Spirit in the Church was connected with the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The descent of the Spirit ushers in the blessing of peace, "Peace be with you! Shalom!" Secondly, the Spirit is the gift of the Father breathed on them, given to them by Jesus. It is always a gift given from the abundance of the Father, and the gift becomes valuable when we accept it with open hands and with an open heart, believing in the power of this Holy Spirit. Those who receive the gift experience the forgiveness of sins; they are healed and set free from the bondage of sin in all its varied forms. The Spirit brings reconciliation with God and we in turn are called to be instruments of peace and forgiveness towards all our brothers and sisters. By tying the gift of the Holy Spirit to Easter, the gospel emphasises that the Spirit is the gift of the Risen One, and as such conveys the benefits of His death and resurrection. The Pentecost imagery of wind and fire emphasises the replacement of the Mosaic Law by the gift of the new law of the Spirit as the basis of life for the new community gathered together and bound together by the Holy Spirit.
The important lesson
I was sitting on a beach one summer day, watching two children, a boy and a girl playing in the sand. They were hard at work, by the water's edge, building an elaborate sand castle with gates and towers and moats and internal passages. Just when they had nearly finished their project, a big wave came and knocked it down, reducing it to a heap of wet sand. I expected the children to burst into tears, devastated by what had happened to all their hard work. But they surprised me. Instead, they ran up the shore away from the water, laughing and holding hands and sat down to build another castle. I realized that they had taught me an important lesson. All the things in our lives, all our complicated structures we spend so much time and energy creating, are built on sand. Only our relationships with other people endure. Sooner or later, the wave will come along and knock down what we have worked so hard to build up. When that happens, only the person who has somebody's hand to hold will be able to laugh.
Rabbi Harold Kushner from 'Stories for a Man's Heart'
Pentecost everywhere, all the time
I was in an underground train, a crowded train in which all sorts of people jostled together, sitting and strap-hanging -workers of every description going home at the end of the day. Quite suddenly I saw in my mind, as vividly as a wonderful picture, Christ in them all. But I saw more than that: not only was Christ in everyone of them, living in them, dying in them, rejoicing in them, sorrowing in them -because He was in them and because they were here, the whole world was here too, here in this underground train: not only the world as it was at this moment, not only all the people in all the countries of the world, but all the people who had lived in the past, and all those yet to come. I came out into the street and walked for a long time in the crowds. It was the same here, on every side, in every passerby-Christ!
Caryll Houselander in 'A Rocking-horse Catholic'
The Indwelling Spirit
Rossini was an Italian who composed some beautiful music. He was once given a beautiful watch by the King of France. He was very proud of this watch because it was a royal gift. A few years after he had been given it, he showed it to a friend. His friend told him that although he had the watch for years he did not know its real value. "Impossible" said Rossini. "Lend it to me for a moment", said his friend. Taking the watch, he touched a secret spring and an inner case flew open revealing a beautiful little painting of Rossini himself. The composer had never known that the painting was there.
Anthony Castle in 'Quotes and Anecdotes'
The Spirit of Reconciliation
There were two brothers living on adjoining farms who developed a bitter conflict. It began with a small misunderstanding that grew into a major difference, and exploded into bitter exchange of words. They stopped talking to each other as well as visiting each other. One day a man came knocking at the door of John the elder brother. It was a carpenter looking for a day's work. John said, "Look across the creek at that farm. Once there was a meadow between our farms but my brother bulldozed it and now there stands a creek between us. Well, he might have done it to spite me. But I got the better of him. I have a pile of lumber in my barn and I want you to build an 8-foot tall fence so I don't have to look at his place anymore. Okay?" Meanwhile, John needed to go to town for supplies. When he returned he stood horrified because there was no fence but a bridge. And to his amazement his younger brother came across the bridge with arms outstretched. The two brothers embraced one another. Sometimes we need a third person to reconcile us. No wonder Jesus sent his Spirit to us to do that job. Peace and forgiveness are the two signs of a transformed people. Pentecost is the right time to renew our commitment to peace and forgiveness.
John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word'
25) Holy-Roller Service: A little girl was visiting her grandmother in a small country town in the Southern United States. They attended a very emotional religious service, where people expressed their feelings by jumping about and shouting -- what we might call a "Holy Roller" service. The little girl asked her grandmother if all that jumping meant the Holy Spirit was really there. Her grandmother said. "Honey, it don't matter how high they jump up, it's what they do when they come down that will tell you if it's the real thing." It would be good if we were a little more enthusiastic about our religion, but what matters is what we do in everyday life. Does the Holy Spirit have a practical effect on our daily life? In what way? (Gerard Fuller in Stories for all Seasons; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
26) High tide of the Holy Spirit: A ship strayed off course near San Diego some years back. It became stuck in a reef at low tide. Twelve tugboats were unsuccessful in their attempts to budge it. Finally, the captain instructed the tugs to go back home. He sighed, "I'll just be patient and wait." He waited until high tide. All of a sudden, the ocean began to rise. What human power could not do, the rising tide of the Pacific Ocean did. It lifted that ship and put it back into the channel. Something like that happened to the early Church on the Day of Pentecost. They were all together in one place – confused, unmotivated and fearful – when suddenly the tide of Holy Spirit rolled in.
27) Niccolo Paganini on one string: The renowned Italian violinist, violist, cellist, guitarist and composer, Niccolo Paganini, was due to perform one night in a very prestigious Concert Hall in Paris. Even as he walked on to the stage, the audience stood up and cheered with irrepressible excitement and heart-warming esteem. Resting his violin under his chin, the celebrated musician began to play with such dexterity and brilliance that the audience listened with spellbound silence. Suddenly one string of the violin snapped. But the consummate professional was not deterred. On the contrary, he continued to play with three strings, and the music was just as fascinating and impressive. Moments later a second string snapped; and minutes later the third. The audience gasped in stunned disbelief. What was Paganini going to do? Would he bow and leave regretfully? Without losing his cool, the famous maestro raised his hand, called for silence and announced: "Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to hear Paganini on one string." What followed thereafter literally took everyone's breath away - the performance was flawless, the music exquisite, the entertainment heavenly and just on one string! Such is the incomparable touch of the Master's hand. This extraordinary story aptly describes the singular and marvelous role of the Spirit in our personal lives. (J. Valladares in Your Words, O Lord, Are Spirit, and They are Life; quoted by Fr. Botelho).
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From Fr. Jude Botelho:
At Pentecost the Spirit breaks through all the barriers and comes dramatically with all the signs that accompany it. The Spirit comes like a mighty wind, unstoppable and unpredictable; the Spirit comes as fire that enlightens, warms and purifies; the Spirit comes in the shape of tongues descending on each of the apostles giving each one the gift of speaking, of communicating. The miracle of Pentecost is not seen only in the external signs that accompany it, but is seen in the transformation brought about in the apostles themselves. At Pentecost the apostles become fearless and face the crowds and are proud to proclaim Jesus Christ. Before Pentecost they did not understand things that Jesus explained to them, now they not only understood but they themselves were understood by people who listened to them. When they were least expecting it, the promise that Jesus gave was fulfilled. God cannot be controlled or put on our time-table. So often God is at work in our lives but we do not recognize it.Did you ever notice the Spirit in yourself or others around you?Some days ago I asked some school children to tell me about the Holy Spirit. They told me about fire, the storm, Peter on the balcony, the languages and the baptisms in the street. When I asked them: "Did you ever notice the work of the Spirit in yourself or others around you?" No one knew what to answer. They looked at me with their large querying eyes. I changed the question. I asked them: "Did you ever do anything really good?" Again they had no answer. Again I asked: "Did your parents, father and mother, ever do anything good?" No answer. So I said: "Sit down comfortably. Close your eyes ask yourself, what good did I do?" They sat down as comfortably as they could. They closed their eyes and suddenly the answers came. One had saved a small child from a river. One had forgiven her sisters. One said: "My mother takes care of me. That is good." Another said: "My father is helping a poor man." Slowly, slowly they became aware of the good, the love, the care in their daily lives: the work of the Holy Spirit.
Joseph Donders in 'Praying and Preaching the Sunday Gospel'
In today's gospel John shows how closely the presence of the Spirit in the Church was connected with the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The descent of the Spirit ushers in the blessing of peace, "Peace be with you! Shalom!" Secondly, the Spirit is the gift of the Father breathed on them, given to them by Jesus. It is always a gift given from the abundance of the Father, and the gift becomes valuable when we accept it with open hands and with an open heart, believing in the power of this Holy Spirit. Those who receive the gift experience the forgiveness of sins; they are healed and set free from the bondage of sin in all its varied forms. The Spirit brings reconciliation with God and we in turn are called to be instruments of peace and forgiveness towards all our brothers and sisters. By tying the gift of the Holy Spirit to Easter, the gospel emphasises that the Spirit is the gift of the Risen One, and as such conveys the benefits of His death and resurrection. The Pentecost imagery of wind and fire emphasises the replacement of the Mosaic Law by the gift of the new law of the Spirit as the basis of life for the new community gathered together and bound together by the Holy Spirit.
The important lesson
I was sitting on a beach one summer day, watching two children, a boy and a girl playing in the sand. They were hard at work, by the water's edge, building an elaborate sand castle with gates and towers and moats and internal passages. Just when they had nearly finished their project, a big wave came and knocked it down, reducing it to a heap of wet sand. I expected the children to burst into tears, devastated by what had happened to all their hard work. But they surprised me. Instead, they ran up the shore away from the water, laughing and holding hands and sat down to build another castle. I realized that they had taught me an important lesson. All the things in our lives, all our complicated structures we spend so much time and energy creating, are built on sand. Only our relationships with other people endure. Sooner or later, the wave will come along and knock down what we have worked so hard to build up. When that happens, only the person who has somebody's hand to hold will be able to laugh.
Rabbi Harold Kushner from 'Stories for a Man's Heart'
Pentecost everywhere, all the time
I was in an underground train, a crowded train in which all sorts of people jostled together, sitting and strap-hanging -workers of every description going home at the end of the day. Quite suddenly I saw in my mind, as vividly as a wonderful picture, Christ in them all. But I saw more than that: not only was Christ in everyone of them, living in them, dying in them, rejoicing in them, sorrowing in them -because He was in them and because they were here, the whole world was here too, here in this underground train: not only the world as it was at this moment, not only all the people in all the countries of the world, but all the people who had lived in the past, and all those yet to come. I came out into the street and walked for a long time in the crowds. It was the same here, on every side, in every passerby-Christ!
Caryll Houselander in 'A Rocking-horse Catholic'
The Indwelling Spirit
Rossini was an Italian who composed some beautiful music. He was once given a beautiful watch by the King of France. He was very proud of this watch because it was a royal gift. A few years after he had been given it, he showed it to a friend. His friend told him that although he had the watch for years he did not know its real value. "Impossible" said Rossini. "Lend it to me for a moment", said his friend. Taking the watch, he touched a secret spring and an inner case flew open revealing a beautiful little painting of Rossini himself. The composer had never known that the painting was there.
Anthony Castle in 'Quotes and Anecdotes'
The Spirit of Reconciliation
There were two brothers living on adjoining farms who developed a bitter conflict. It began with a small misunderstanding that grew into a major difference, and exploded into bitter exchange of words. They stopped talking to each other as well as visiting each other. One day a man came knocking at the door of John the elder brother. It was a carpenter looking for a day's work. John said, "Look across the creek at that farm. Once there was a meadow between our farms but my brother bulldozed it and now there stands a creek between us. Well, he might have done it to spite me. But I got the better of him. I have a pile of lumber in my barn and I want you to build an 8-foot tall fence so I don't have to look at his place anymore. Okay?" Meanwhile, John needed to go to town for supplies. When he returned he stood horrified because there was no fence but a bridge. And to his amazement his younger brother came across the bridge with arms outstretched. The two brothers embraced one another. Sometimes we need a third person to reconcile us. No wonder Jesus sent his Spirit to us to do that job. Peace and forgiveness are the two signs of a transformed people. Pentecost is the right time to renew our commitment to peace and forgiveness.
John Pichappilly in 'The Table of the Word'
Every Sunday, a tribal from the mountain used to come to the market place along with two dogs - a white dog and a black dog. He had trained the dogs to fight on command. Every Sunday afternoon there used to be a dogfight in which the people in the market-place used to take bets. One Sunday the black dog won; another Sunday the white dog won - whichever dog won, invariably the tribal always won. His friends asked him what the secret of his winning was. He said, "I starve one and feed the other. The one I feed always wins because he is stronger." -We have two natures within us, fighting for mastery -the carnal and the spiritual nature, or the sinful and Christ-filled nature. The one we feed the most wins in the end. If we feed our spiritual nature and allow the Holy Spirit to empower us, He rules over us. But if we feed our sinful nature, the flesh rules over us. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. "Come Holy Spirit!"
John Rose in 'John's Sunday Homilies'
May the Spirit of Jesus fill you and bring newness into your life!\
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From Sermons.com
The well-known author and preacher Fred Craddock tells a rather funny story about a lecture he was giving: A few years ago, when he was on the west coast speaking at a seminary, just before the first lecture, one of the students stood up and said, "Before you speak, I need to know if you are Pentecostal." The room grew silent. Craddock said he looked around for the Dean of the seminary! He was nowhere to be found.
The student continued with his quiz right in front of everybody. Craddock was taken aback, and so he said, "Do you mean do I belong to the Pentecostal Church?" He said, "No, I mean are you Pentecostal?" Craddock said, "Are you asking me if I am charismatic?" the student said, "I am asking you if you are Pentecostal." Craddock said, "Do you want to know if I speak in tongues?" He said, "I want to know if you are Pentecostal." Craddock said, "I don't know what your question is." The student said, "Obviously, you are not Pentecostal." He left.
What are we talking about this morning? Is the church supposed to use the word Pentecost only as a noun or can it be used as an adjective? And so I ask you: Are you Pentecostal?
In spite of the fact that the church doesn't know what the adjective means, the church insists that the word remain in our vocabulary as an adjective. The church is unwilling for the word simply to be a noun, to represent a date, a place, an event in the history of the church, refuses for it to be simply a memory, an item, something back there somewhere. The church insists that the word is an adjective; it describes the church. The word, then, is "Pentecostal."
If the church is alive in the world it is Pentecostal. And you thought we were Methodist! [Insert your own tradition here.]
How do we keep this aliveness, this fire burning, this spirit moving? What must exist in us, around us, and through us, if we are to be Pentecostal? Simply these three things:
1. We Are To Be Of One Accord
2. We Are To Join Together Constantly in Prayer
3. We Are To Repent
2. We Are To Join Together Constantly in Prayer
3. We Are To Repent
Let me begin with three quick stories. See if you can find the common thread that runs through them.
The First Story is about a woman who lives here in Texas. She is a motivational speaker who is often asked to give the key-note address at conventions and convocations.
Recently she returned home after speaking five nights in a row. Her husband said: "Honey, I know you must be really tired. Why don't you "sleep in" in the morning?"
That sounded good to her, so she did stay in bed longer than usual. When she finally got up she put on an old worn-out blue robe that was frayed and faded but comfortable... and some old house-shoes that had no back to them... the kind that you have to slide your foot into them... and then slide your foot as you walk to keep them on. Then, she walked by a mirror and saw that her hair was a major disaster... so she stopped and put some of those big pink plastic rollers in her hair. That done, she headed for the kitchen.
When she walked into the kitchen to get her morning coffee, she noticed it immediately. Her husband had forgotten to take out the trash! In that community if you didn't get your trash out on time, it was tough luck. They would not wait for you.
So she grabbed the two big trash bags quickly and began to shuffle outside...
- pulling the heavy trash bags along the ground,
- trying to keep her worn-out robe closed by holding her arms close together,
- sliding her feet along to keep her house-shoes on,
- and sporting huge pink plastic rollers in her hair.
- pulling the heavy trash bags along the ground,
- trying to keep her worn-out robe closed by holding her arms close together,
- sliding her feet along to keep her house-shoes on,
- and sporting huge pink plastic rollers in her hair.
Just at that moment, the garbage truck was pulling away... she shouted to the driver: "Am I too late?" And he took one look at her and replied: "No, hop on!"
The Second Story comes from Dr. Jim Standiford, who is pastor of First United Methodist in San Diego. (FUMC, San Diego, October 31, 2004, "A Vocabulary of Faith Is What America Needs")
When Jim first came to San Diego, he played golf a couple of times with a man named Lawson Cooke. Some months later, Jim's wife said: "Jim, you used to play golf with Lawson Cooke, but you two haven't played together for some time now. Why don't you play golf with Lawson Cooke anymore?"
Jim replied: "Well, would you play golf with somebody who kicked his ball out of the rough into the fairway... or took a countless number of mulligans... or hit the wrong ball... or didn't write down the right score on the score card and kept hitting ball after ball into the lake?"
She said: "No." And Jim said: "Well, Lawson Cooke wouldn't either!!!"
The Third Story comes from a minister who put an ad in the local paper for a well-rounded handyman, who could fix things around the church and help out with routine chores.
The very next morning after the ad ran, a well-dressed young man came and asked to speak to the minister. The pastor "sized up" the young man... and then asked him a flurry of questions:
- Can you start a fire? "Yes Sir!" Can you have breakfast ready by 7:00 a.m. every morning? "Yes Sir!"
- Can you polish the silver and wash the dishes? "Yes Sir!"
- Can you keep things picked up and neat... and the lawn mowed? "Yes Sir!"
- Can you polish the silver and wash the dishes? "Yes Sir!"
- Can you keep things picked up and neat... and the lawn mowed? "Yes Sir!"
And the minister continued: "And, of course, there will be electrical problems and unexpected leaking pipes and restroom overflows and... wait a minute! The young man interrupted, "I came here to make arrangements for my wedding. But if it's going to be like that, I think I'll just forget the whole thing!"
Now, all three of these stories are humorous. They made me laugh when I first heard them... but what is even better about them (and is the common thread that runs through them and links them together)... is the fact that we know these three stories the only way we could... The people telling the stories (the motivational speaker and the two pastors) are all telling the stories on themselves. They are laughing at themselves as they tell the stories and they are doing so with obvious joy and delight.
That is a dramatic sign of a healthy person... to have a sense of humor and to be able to laugh at yourself.
It's delightful to laugh with children at the cute and funny things they sometimes say.
It's fun to laugh at the comical antics of circus clowns or the hilarious wit of good comedians... But, the best humor of all is when we laugh at ourselves. It's a real mark of emotional maturity. It eases our self-pity; it diminishes our pride and saves us from taking ourselves too seriously.
Ethel Barrymore said it well. She said: "You grow up when you get your first good laugh at yourself."
To have a good sense of humor...to be able to laugh at yourself... those are significant and dramatic signs of a healthy personality.
Now, let's take this a little deeper and ask this question: What are the dramatic signs of a healthy faith? It's a good question to raise and think about today as we celebrate Pentecost Sunday (The Birthday of the Church)... Do we as a church family have a healthy faith? ...
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You Are in the SpiritIt's like the story of the shark and the whale. Both were swimming in the sea when the shark swam up to the whale to engage in conversation. As they swam along, the shark said to the whale, "You are so much older than I, and wiser too. Could you tell me where the ocean is?" The whale responded, "The ocean is what you are in now." The shark would not believe it. "Come on, tell me where the ocean is so I may find it!" The whale repeated, "The ocean is here, now; you are in it." Unbelieving, the shark swam away searching for the ocean.
The moral of the story, I believe, is this: don't spend too much time looking for God because the Spirit of God is here in the now of your life, dwelling within you, within me, within this community. And that truth is nurtured in prayer.
Susan M. Fleenor, The Indwelling Spirit of Pentecost
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The Pentecostal Spirit of LoveToday's holy solemnity puts new heart into us, for not only do we revere its dignity, we also experience it as delightful. On this feast it is love that we specially honor, and among human beings there is no word pleasanter to the ear, no thought more tenderly dwelt on, than love.
The love we celebrate is nothing other than the goodness, kindness, and charity of God; for God himself is goodness, kindness, and charity. His goodness is identical with his Spirit, with God himself.
In his work of disposing all things "the Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world" from the beginning, "reaching from end to end of the earth in strength, and delicately disposing everything; but as sanctifier the Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world" since Pentecost, for on this day the gracious Spirit himself was sent by the Father and the Son on a new mission, in a new mode, by a new manifestation of his mighty power, for the sanctification of every creature.
Aelred of Rievaulx (1109-67)
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ControlA wealthy family from Massachusetts used to take a month's vacation every summer to the coast of Maine, taking their maid with them. The maid had an annual ritual at the beach. She wore an old-fashioned bathing suit, complete with a little white hat, and carried enough paraphernalia to stock Wal-Mart. She would settle herself on the beach, cover every inch of her exposed flesh and journey down to the water's edge. There she would hesitate while taking deep breaths and working up her courage to enter the icy-cold water. Finally, she would daintily extend one foot and lower it slowly into the water until she barely had her big toe submerged. Then she repeated the act with the other foot. Then, having satisfied her minimal urge for a swim, she would retreat to her chair and umbrella and spend the remainder of the vacation curled around a book.
I'm afraid that may be a parable of our Christian commitment. Are we afraid to give in to the Pentecost experience, fearful that we might lose control? That's what it is really all about, isn't it? Control. We want to be in control. Well, if Pentecost is to do nothing else, it should remind us that we are not in control, not even - or perhaps I should say especially - of ourselves.
Randy L. Hyde, Time to Deliver
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They All Come Together
John Ortberg tells the story of a friend who made his first trip south of the Mason-Dixon Line from Chicago to Georgia. On his first morning in the South he went into a restaurant to order breakfast, and it seemed that every dish included something called grits...which, as my Tennessee friends tell me, is exactly the way God intended it. Not being familiar with this southern delicacy, he asked the waitress, "Could you tell me, exactly what is a grit?" Looking down on him with a mixture of compassion and condescension, she said, "Sugar, you can't get just one grit. They always come together."
John Wesley knew there was no personal holiness without social holiness, and Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Dillard says, "You can no more go to God alone than you can go to the North Pole alone." We're just like grits...you can't get just one. They come together.
John E. Harnish, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com
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Peace
The peace Jesus gives to us through the Holy Spirit is more than we can ever imagine:
Peace means the cessation of all warfare, but it also means much more.
Peace means a feeling of inner well-being, but it also means much more.
Peace means an end to psychological tensions, but it also means much more.
Peace means halting interpersonal conflicts, but it also means much more.
Peace means the settling of silence on the soul, but it also means much more.
Peace means a feeling of inner well-being, but it also means much more.
Peace means an end to psychological tensions, but it also means much more.
Peace means halting interpersonal conflicts, but it also means much more.
Peace means the settling of silence on the soul, but it also means much more.
In Valyermo, California , the Benedictines converted a 400-acre ranch into a religious community called St. Andrew's Priory. As you enter the grounds, you find that the land is posted: "No Hunting Except for Peace."
The world is hunting for peace. What will we give it?the torch of Christ's ministry with great commitment. In the story, Jesus returns to heaven after His time on earth. The angels gather around Him to learn what all happened during His days on earth. Jesus tells them of the miracles, His teachings, His death on the cross, and His resurrection.
When He finishes his story, Michael the Archangel asks Jesus, "But what happens now?" Jesus answers, "I have left behind eleven faithful disciples and a handful of men and women who have faithfully followed me. They will declare My message and express My love. These faithful people will build My church." "But," responds Michael, "What if these people fail?...What then is Your other plan?’ And Jesus answers, ‘I have no other plan!’” (1)
