Pentecost Sunday: Evidence of the Holy Spirit

Lectionary Passages for this Sunday

As we come to the end of the 50 great days of Easter this Sunday with the celebration of Pentecost, we think about the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.  According to the account in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit arrived in dramatic fashion.  There was a violent rushing wind, tongues of flame, and those assembled suddenly began speaking in languages they did not know.  (Acts 2:2-4)

As a seminary student studying church history, I wrote a term paper on the Azusa Street revival that originated here in downtown Los Angeles and began on April 14, 1906.  Like the original day of Pentecost, Azusa Street spurred a tremendous outward spread of the Gospel that became known as the Pentecostal movement and the later Charismatic renewal movement that worked its way into evangelical, mainline protestant, and even Roman Catholic churches.  Over 100 years after Azusa Street, Pentecostalism is still today the fastest growing edge of the Church and it is exploding in the global south.  Pentecostalism is not afraid of miracles, signs, and wonders.  They are front and center in that movement as they were in the book of Acts.

However, as important as miracles, signs, and wonders were both in the ministry of Jesus and the Spirit empowered Church, they are not the main evidence of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus made this very clear as we read in Matthew 7.

15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'  Matthew 7:15-23 (NKJV)


Here Jesus tells us to pay attention to the fruit and not signs and wonders.  Obviously Jesus is saying that signs can be faked, or perhaps even done by the power of a spirit other than the Holy Spirit.  The wonders and miracles Jesus performed were signs that God's Kingdom had indeed arrived.

But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.  Matthew 12:28 (NRSV)

Jesus' miracles were signs of the Gospel (good news).  They signaled that a regime change was taking place.  The old tyrant, Satan, who had called the shots over the world was being overthrown, and that through Jesus, God was becoming rightful King at last.  In this new kingdom, love, righteousness, peace, and joy would be the new order.  This was good news for the poor!  Satan's kingdom, is based on selfish power grabs.  As a result, there are always losers who must pay the price.  The hungry, the exploited, the marginalized, and the poor are the most obvious victims of the kingdom of Satan (and the victimizers are also victims even if they don't know it).  Jesus' ministry was primarily among the hungry, exploited, outcasts, and poor.  His teaching and stories spoke of how, in God's kingdom, they were the blessed ones and His miracles were signs that what He said was true.  In God's kingdom there is enough blessing to go around.  Blessings are not just for the rich, powerful, and well connected.  In fact Jesus made it clear that the types of blessings the rich and powerful enjoy are temporary and only fools spend their lives seeking them.

So what does all of this have to do with the Holy Spirit?  It shows us that the evidence of the Holy Spirit is not signs in of themselves.  The true evidence of the Holy Spirit in action is the spread of the good news of God's kingdom to the poor.

The cover of the most recent issue of Christianity Today magazine caught my attention.  On the cover there is a picture of blond, Laguna Beach, California native, Heidi Baker (pictured above) stooped over a young boy in Mozambique, laying her hands on his head and praying fervently.  The sub-caption reads, "The tireless Heidi Baker uses her gift of healing to serve the poorest of the poor in a forgotten corner of the planet."  Bingo!  There it is.  The evidence of the Holy Spirit.  Poorest of the poor.  Forgotten corner of the planet.  The good news of God's Kingdom being spread holistically to the poorest of the poor in a forgotten corner of the world.  Heidi's ministry is marked by spectacular miracles.  The deaf find that their ears have been opened and the blind see.  Before you dismiss these miracles happening through the ministry of Heidi Baker as trickery of the poor and gullible, know that a study performed by Indiana University detected significant improvement in both sight and hearing of the deaf and blind after healing prayer by Heidi and her team in Mozambique.  This same study team did not find the same significant results among North American faith healers.

The evidence of the Holy Spirit is not the signs themselves, but the Good News being experienced in real ways among the poor and forgotten.  Heidi's husband and ministry partner, Roland, exhorts believers to, "Seek out the most marginalized you can find."  Heidi and Roland demonstrate that the Holy Spirit motivates believers to proclaim the Good News to the poor and when they do, the power of the Holy Spirit is made known in real and miraculous ways.  

Generally speaking, one of the main reasons we Americans don't experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is that we are hell bent on preaching a different "good news."  We blend good news with prosperity, money, success, and achievement.  In our corporate worship, the Holy Spirit has been reduced to something we feel.  Worship leaders have been indoctrinated in the idea that we have to create an atmosphere where people FEEL the Holy Spirit (presence of God).  Unfortunately, worship leaders and teams are evaluated on how well they "ushered in God's presence."  This has led to a lot of manipulative techniques to drum up emotions that make people feel that they have had a Holy Ghost experience.

But what if the evidence that the Holy Spirit has shown up in a worship service is not so much about what happens in the service?  What if it is more about what happens as a result of the service?  In Acts 2, we don't see the people gathered in the upper room going home afterward saying, "Wow, what a powerful experience.  We've got to come back next week and try to make this happen again."  Instead what you see immediately afterward is the Church being birthed as the Body of Christ to continue the work of Christ of proclaiming the Good News.  We see the Gospel being preached.  We see it being lived.  We see people devoted to one another, praying together, growing under the teaching of the apostles, breaking bread and sharing at each other's tables, and those who had more sharing with those who had less.  In fact we see an erasure of poverty among the believers (Acts 4:34).  Talk about good news for the poor!  The Church became a living testimony of what life under God's reign looks like.  It was an attractive site which caused many to be added to their number each day (Acts 2:47).  It is exciting to know that God's Spirit is still on the move in poor and forgotten places like Mozambique.  But what about here in America?

It's nice when we feel the Holy Spirit moving powerfully in a worship service.  But it isn't a chill, or a warm sensation, tears of joy, or any other feeling that let's us know that the Holy Spirit showed up on Sunday morning.  It is instead when we leave knowing the heart of God in such a profound way that we see the world differently.  Our deepest desire begins to be that we would see God's Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.  And it doesn't end with desire, but desire becomes a fire that motivates us to do something tangible, and often beyond our abilities and means, to make God's kingdom a reality.  When we then step out in faith and obedience, the Holy Spirit gets to work and we begin to see miracles!  This Sunday, let's not go into the worship service seeking some sort of Holy Spirit high.  Instead, let's ask God for the Holy Spirit to reveal God's heart in such a compelling way that we have to do something about it when we leave. 

Seventh Sunday of Easter: Jesus Is Ascended

Lectionary Passages for the Ascension

Lectionary Passages for this Sunday

We know that there is a 50 day period between the Resurrection of Jesus and Pentecost.  Scripture tells us that Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3).  That is why Ascension Day is always celebrated on a Thursday 10 days before Pentecost Sunday.  Most Christians these days, although clearly aware of Easter, may only be vaguely aware of Pentecost Sunday, but most likely will pass right by Ascension Day without any thought about it.  But for Jesus' earliest followers, the Ascension was of utmost importance.

Author and Regent College professor Darrell Johnson discusses the importance of ascension in the following three videos.  Watch these videos during this 10 day period between the Ascension and Pentecost.  Also the Global Day of Prayer has a great 10 Day Prayer Guide for use on the 10 days beginning on Ascension Day (May 17) and ending the day before Pentecost (May 26th).  I encourage us to pray these prayers each day.

The Ascension and the Church

 

The Ascension and the Lord's Supper

 

The Ascension and Jesus Christ

Sixth Sunday of Easter: Radical Peace

This Sunday's Lectionary Passages


Mother's Day has become one of those Hallmark Holidays.  We spend about 14 Billion on Mother's Day each year.  But what most people don't know is that Mother's Day in America started as a radical plea for peace.  Julia Ward Howe (pictured left), who wrote the lyrics of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, also instituted the first celebration of Mother's Day in 1870 as a plea for peace.  Tired of mother's losing their sons and women having to embrace their husbands "reeking of carnage" due to war, Howe penned the following Mother's Day Proclamation:

Arise, then, women of this day! 

Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or tears!  

Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. 

Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. 

Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn 

all that we have taught them of charity, mercy and patience. 

We women of one country will be too tender of those of another 

to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the bosom of the devastated earth, a voice goes up with our own. 

It says, "Disarm, Disarm!"

The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. 

Blood not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession. 

As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, 

let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. 

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail & commemorate the dead. 

Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family 

can live in peace, each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesars but of God.

 

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient 

and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, 

to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, 

the amicable settlement of international questions, 

the great and general interests of peace.

Although Howe's holiday never gained real traction during her life, later another woman, Anna Reeves Jarvis picked up her idea and used the "holiday" as a time to promote peace and reconciliation among West Virginian families and neighbors who had been torn apart by the Civil War.  After Jarvis' death, her daughter Anna Jarvis campaigned for an official holiday.  This led to the first official celebration of Mother's Day on May 10th, 1908 at Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, the church where her mother had taught Sunday School for 20 years and had worked tirelessly for peace and reconciliation.

As we celebrate Mother's Day, it is important to remember the history of this holiday in America as being a radical declaration of non violence.  The type of peace advocated by Howe and Jarvis, was the type of peace that the New Testament church lived out.  What were the ingredients for the witness of peace among the early church?  I would say they include the following:

1.  The absolute belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and it serving as proof that He had conquered once and for all the violent and coercive powers of this world.

2.  Because Jesus had conquered the worst that evil powers of this world could throw at Him, Christians practiced absolute allegiance to Jesus Christ as the true Lord.  Rome made sure that its citizen's allegiance was to Caesar.  In fact, Rome insisted Caesar was son of the gods and proclaimed him as Lord.  When Christians proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God and Lord, they simultaneously proclaimed Caesar to be a fraud.

3.  Belief in the resurrection of those who had died in the faith.  Early Christians believed wholeheartedly that they too would be resurrected.  They lost their fear of death and thus were free to obey Jesus Christ and His commandment to practice radical love and peace even when it became a threat to do so.  Early Christians did not shy away from suffering, persecution, or the fear of death.  In fact they expected to face the same trials Jesus suffered, including martyrdom.

4.  Their poverty and lack of political capital.  Early Christians were generally not the wealthy and powerful in society.  This became more true as laws banning the practice of their faith made them vulnerable to loss of means and income.  Our early brothers and sisters did not stand a chance in a war against the powerful iron boot of the Roman army whose job it was to swiftly and decidedly crush any threat to the Pax Romana (Roman Peace).  Early believers did not even have the power of the ballot box.  Their "power" was their faithful witness to the love and peace that is possible under the Lordship and Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit.  Over the centuries this principle seems to hold true.  Christianity has had its best moments and spread like wildfire when it is poor and powerless.  This holds true today.  Just look at where Christianity is exploding.  However, when it becomes married to money, influence, nationalism, and military might it has had its worst moments.

5.  Remembering Jesus' words to Peter, when at His arrest he used violence to defend Him, "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword."  After Jesus' resurrection, early believers understood that there was no need to pick up the sword because Jesus had conquered evil, not by meeting violence with a greater force of violence, but by the greatest force; love.  Therefore early Christians were always willing to die for Jesus but were not willing to kill for Him.

From our New Testament reading this Sunday (Mother's Day), we find these words from the First Epistle of John.

For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith.  I John 5:3-4 (NRSV)


What was Jesus' commandment?  We find it in this Sunday's reading from the Gospel of John.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."  John 15:12-13 (NRSV)

We can't live this type of love without FAITH in the Risen Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ who has conquered evil and death.  Outside the context of faith in the death and resurrection of Christ, it is absolutely absurd not to fight for self protection and preservation.  That is where worship becomes so important.  Good worship proclaims the truth of the Gospel that Jesus Christ is the true Lord.  It calls us to put our trust in the One who has conquered.  When we stop worshiping rightly, our allegiances can easily begin to shift.  We begin to have faith in money, in political power, in military solutions against all threats, in the Republicans, in the Democrats, and worst of all in our own abilities to impose our wills on those who stand in our way to achieving our ends (even good ends).  Most, if not all, conflict that divides churches is a result of those using the devil's means to achieve godly ends.  It boils down to a lack of faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

In worship, we must proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  With the issue of Lordship settled, we can then live in love and be at peace.