Much More than a Gentle Breeze

"Much More than a Gentle Breeze"
a condensed version of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 2007 at Union Congregational Church in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "Much More than a Gentle Breeze"

This Morning's Scripture reading is:
Acts 2:1-21

It’s time for a language lesson! We had one during our call to worship and how here’s another!

Moses asked to God, "What is your name?" and God responded "I AM WHO I AM"

Some might say, ‘That’s not a name! God was skirting the question!"

But it is much deeper than that. In Hebrew, I AM WHO I AM consists of four characters. Yo, Hey, Vah and Hey. (I guess that’s really three – but one repeats)

It is often pronounced "Yahweh." It is such a holy name that in most Bibles it is rendered Lord instead of YAHWEH out of respect for the holiness of the name. It is so powerful that it is rarely uttered. Interestingly, the name is similar to a Hebrew verb "eyheh" which means "to be." God’s name carries with it "the one that causes all to be"

Rob Bell, a pastor in Grand Rapids, Michigan, explains a little more. He says that the letters that make up the name, Yo, Hey, Vah, Hey have a quality that makes them sound like the sound of breathing. God, who breathed life into the first humans and breathes life into us, is called by a name that causes all to be and sounds like breathing. Let’s say it. Yo, Hey, Vah, Hey.

The lesson’s not over.

Four words are translated 'spirit' in the Bible. Two of them, (Hebrew neshamah: breath; and the Greek phantasma: ghost) are used only twice. The other two words are used hundreds of times.

Ruach -- Hebrew; Pneuma -- Greek.

They both mean wind or spirit or breath.

Let's say them -- Ruach; Pneuma (like pneumatic pressure)

Both are words that we see when the Bible describes the Holy Spirit.

And breathing, breath, wind and Spirit all have a similar feeling about them when they are written or spoken.

This Spirit, this wind – this sound of breathing describes God. But when we really get "wind" of this description, we get uneasy or scared.

When the day of Pentecost (50 days after Jesus resurrection) had come -- the Holy Sprit came in dramatic fashion. The wind in the house sounded like a tornado. Fiery tongue-like things appeared and rested on the people gathered there -- and then they started speaking in other languages. And then other people who gathered there started hearing words in their native languages. The believers were all gathered in a house -- and all of a sudden there was a violent and rushing wind that filled the place where they were. It was intense -- thrilling -- moving -- troubling . . . Strange things seemed to be flying all over the room. It was unsettling! And after the wind came, things would never be the same. Some were excited by the change. Others were uneasy, scared or angry. They just wanted things to get back to normal.

But it didn't.

Let's roll back the clock a long way -- way back on Genesis. In Genesis 10, you can read and find out that the descendants of Noah traveled east and "found a plain in Shinar." {Incidentally, Shinar is in ancient Mesopotamia -- modern day Iraq. -- although some who study these kinds of things think that Shinar is in China) and then they decided to build a tall tower. Have you heard the account of the Tower of Babel. Here is where God confused the people’s languages and then scattered them all over the Earth.

Now on Pentecost the languages that made the people separate are understood again. Pentecost is the reverse of Babel! We’ve been using different languages today in worship to communicate that God’s love is real and true in all languages. Our common language of love even with our different spoken words can bring us together. But all too often, when we concentrate on our differences instead of the things we have in common, language drives us apart.

It was that way for the people on that day of Pentecost. They were filled with the Holy Spirit -- the breath of God -- the wind of change -- Pneuma.

Some people were confused by it all. Others were very skeptical or even upset about it. But then Peter addressed the people -- he said that the ones who were overcome by the Spirit were not drunk or crazy or in any way enthusiastic.

I'm using enthusiastic in it's 1800's version -- when frontier preachers like John Wesley and George Whitefield were accused of blind enthusiasm -- or fanaticism-- or being possessed and uncontrollably . . . enthusiastic. Today enthusiasm usually carries with it positive connotations – not always. Changing and evolving language can completely alter our understanding of things.

The people on the day of Pentecost were filled with the Spirit -- and they were doing as God was leading.

Of course, the leap we can now make to "When we’re doing as God is leading we’re filled with the Holy Spirit too!" can carry with it many problems. When people are following God's leading and others don't think what is going on is right or wise or proper, disagreements, hard feelings and ultimatums begin to appear. And what’s to keep anyone from abusing the "God is leading us" kind of talk from anyone who is simply doing what they want to do? I wish I had the perfect answer for that one. Instead I live with the questions and often the confusion.

What kinds of things confuse us here at Union Congregational Church? What kinds of things bring out skepticism, fear, jealousy or anger?

How do we find a way to understand what God is telling us to do? How do we find a way to hear the call from God that may astound us and have us doing something better than we have ever imagined as we grow in Spirit? If we act with enthusiasm (and now I'm using the current usage of the word instead of the way it was used towards Wesley and Whitefield) does it mean that we're drunk or otherwise out of our minds in what we believe? And how do we discern what is what God calls us to do and what is it that comes from our own motivation?

I believe that when the Holy Spirit fills us -- we are not moved to give God less of ourselves. We are motivated and driven to grow in our faith -- to reach out to others in need and to turn away from the things that keep us from God's call on our lives.

What does that mean for us?

It might mean going out to eat one less time per week and instead giving the money we'd spend to charity.
It might mean joining one less organization and instead devoting our time to joining a Bible study. It might mean saying "Sunday morning is when our family worships. Sorry coach -- no games or practices at that time will work."
It might mean setting our priorities to put God first.
It definitely means being willing to let God do the driving -- the guiding -- the filling with the Spirit. God is not our co-pilot – God is the one driving! It means to stop trying to be in control of God and instead letting loose the Spirit.

A few years ago I heard a song that has brought so much joy – to me and to so many who have sung it with me. I’d like to teach it to you now.

(Teach "Let Loose the Spirit" with the sanctuary version of the dance)

"Let Loose the Spirit"

(Maybe written by Phil Porter)

Let loose the spirit - Let loose the joy

Let loose the spirit - Let loose the joy

With one another - Sister and brother

Let loose the spirit - Let loose the joy

(Then you repeat it more and more quickly)

The song has a Jewish celebration song tune -- and a great dance

Everyone's holding hands . . .

(To the left) Let loose the spirit - Let loose the joy (the whole time high step -like a march - followed by a small step)

(To the right) Let loose the spirit - Let loose the joy (the whole time high step -like a march - followed by a small step)

With one another (hands up in the air) - Sister and brother (hands back down)

Let loose the spirit - Let loose the joy (the whole time high step -like a march - followed by a small step)

To start again -- switch directions, move more quickly and then get out of breath.

(After the dance -- have everyone sit down)

It is my prayer that we will be open, willing and moved to be filled with God's Holy Spirit. Let's let loose the Spirit.

I hope that our congregation is part of the uneasy, thrilling, moving, troubling wind of the Holy Spirit. I hope we’re experiencing the Holy Spirit moving us toward new ideas and new opportunities to reach out to all with God’s love. I hope we’re experiencing the Holy Spirit nudging us to invite a friend to worship. I hope we’re experiencing the Holy Spirit calling us to give our time and money generously to God’s work in the church and throughout the world. I hope we’re experiencing that the exciting, troubling, thrilling wind of the Holy Spirit is much more than a gentle breeze.

I’d like to close with a prayer adapted from one written in 1968 by Metropolitan Ignatius of Latakia -- a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Without the Holy Spirit -

God is far away,

Christ stays in the past,

the Gospel is a dead letter,

the Church is simply an organization,

authority a matter of domination,

mission a matter of propaganda,

the liturgical services no more than a reminder of the past,

Christian living a slave morality.

But in the Holy Spirit-

God is with us,

the risen Christ is here,

the Gospel is the power of life,

the Church is the Body of the living Christ,

authority is service,

mission is Pentecost,

the liturgy is both memorial and anticipation,

human action is God at work in this world.