Rev. George Miller
June 8, 2025
Acts 2:1-4
Do you recall when we were in the original
Garden, with God walking with us in the cool breeze of the afternoon?
Do you recall the evening we were with
Abraham? A lonely night under the stars when
God offered this promise-
You will have a family, you will have
land, and your family will bless all the families of the world.
Today, that promise is fulfilled. After the experience of Christ, the Holy
Spirit comes down upon the people.
Not only does this life-giving, transformational
breath of God pour down, it pours upon all,
igniting an indescribable, magical experience
in which numerous languages are spoken, and all voices heard.
The voices of scholars and vendors, disciples
and the mission-doers, the new-to-town and the 8th generation.
With fire, they speak and share and
conversate, inspiring Peter to stand and give a sermon so enthusiastic, so alive.
Just as we celebrated our Graduates this
morning, this moment is important.
It’s the birth of the church.
God’s promise to Abraham has come true this
morning- all the families of the world are blessed through Abraham’s.
Now everyone- Greek, Celtic Gaul, Roman, Jew, Gentile, immigrants, women,
warriors have access to that Heavenly Lego Set called “The Kingdom Of God.”
Heaven on Earth is here- and everyone has
access to it.
Good, great news! Right?
Right???
Maybe not.
Because now, now the language one speaks,
the language one ministers in, is no longer just one, but many.
Now the traditions, the way things have
been done, what was acceptable, has changed-,
who now gets to be in leadership, who gets
to make decisions, who gets to have a 3-year term has now changed.
Though history, tradition, and culture are
to still be honored, it is no longer the history, tradition, or culture of the
Jews, but all people.
The Gauls who worship by water. The Greeks who eat cheese and exercise. Romans who have a romance with war.
The descendants of Sarah and Abraham who
see Sabbath, circumcision, and staying away from pork as sacred.
Sure- the Holy Spirit fell upon the people
as divided tongues, as of fire, but now that every voice is heard, every voice gets
to speak, everyone is included…Those divided tongues can cause….division.
We’ve been studying the letter to the
Galatians, and heard firsthand how differences were causing division.
We experienced Paul trying his best to
address those issues, bringing it all back to grace- Through Jesus Christ we have been gifted grace.
How we respond to that grace and how we
treat one another makes all the difference.
Sister and Brothers of St. Lucas, founded
145 years ago when we were very much a rural community-
isn’t it interesting and encouraging to
know that the issues we have faced over time are similar to what the first
church experienced?
Since we are a congregation with many
people, voices, and many ideas, we are not a stagnant, mass-produced body.
We are a living, breathing body of Christ
made up of many different members who speak/hear differently, bring their own
unique passions, skills, and thoughts.
We could be another kind of church. A church that teaches one way and one way
only.
Or a place where folk are denied the
holiest of meals.
Or Bible Studies about what you must
believe instead of what God is still speaking.
Pentecost morning was about God’s blessed
spirit falling upon everyone, regardless if they were devout or full of
debauchery, if they were from Eastern Europe or West Asia.
Pentecost is God’s nighttime promise made
to one man being known to all women and men in the light of day.
What this means is that any church, any
body of Christ, any committee, or team of 2 and more will have different voices,
different ideas, different ways of doing things.
And it all comes down to how we deal with
it.
Do we create space for honest voices to
say honest things?
Do we welcome previously unheard voices to
speak up and be heard?
Do we honor those who disagree?
Do we realize that decisions made to honor
the majority may make some unhappy?
Do we accept that any time there is a new
voice, a new idea, a new cultural insight-
there will be time, trial, and error
involved? And can we honor the process?
As recipients of grace, can we bestow
grace and second chances to those who make very human mistakes?
Can we bestow grace upon ourselves, as it
is often through honest mistakes and big swings that we learn our lessons?
Today is Pentecost. It is great and it is wonderful; it is also
messy, and loud, and different, and often difficult.
That is when we recall our traditions and remember
who we are- the ancestors of Eve and Adam, who walked with God is the garden
breeze.
We are children of Sarah and Abraham who
were given the promise of family, land, and worldwide blessing.
We are the co-disciples of Mary Magdelene
and Peter who served alongside Jesus.
We are recipients of Paul’s emotional
letters, reminding us repeatedly of the grace given through Jesus.
Let’s embrace our different voices, embrace
our sacred past, and embrace the global grace that God has given.
For that, let us say “Amen.”
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