"The secret value of 'What’s in it for me?'"
by Rebekah Simon-PeterLong before Starbucks offered 80,000 different ways to order a beverage, Burger King urged us to “have it your way.” The primary product in a consumer culture is choice. And the primary question it invites consumers to ask is “What’s in it for me?” But is there any place for that sort of question in the church?
The church prides itself on being a self-sacrificing body, modeled on Christ’s self-giving love. “What’s in it for me?” runs counter to everything we believe in. Or does it?
I’d like to suggest that there is a secret value in urging people to ask us that question. And a not-so-secret value in the church answering it. After all, Jesus did.
Jesus gave people a reason to follow him, answering the inherent question: What’s in it for me? He met people’s deepest needs through his hands on healing. When calling disciples, he said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men and women!” Notice he didn’t say, “Follow me so I can use you to take care of my business.” He put it in their language and answered from their perspective.
I was often unnerved, as a pastor, when someone wanted to do or be something that we didn’t already have a place for in the church. How could I fit them into our structure? How could I keep the church running? How could we get our needs met if they wouldn’t do what we needed? After all, we had trustees and church council to fill; we needed people to collect and count the offering; we needed Sunday school teachers; we had to find people to do missions, outreach and participate in Bible study. I started with what the church needed, not what they needed or wanted to give. I started with what’s in it for us, not what’s in it for them.
Turns out that’s not a recipe for longevity or sustainability. It’s not what engages most people. Yes, slots got filled, gifts were matched with needs and the church functioned fairly well for years. But not everyone who came stayed. We were left with what we started with: structures to be filled.
But those structures aren’t necessarily designed to answer people’s deepest needs, fulfill their dreams, or empower them in the journey to be fully human.
Now I would want people to ask me, “What’s in it for me?” It’s an honest question that deserves an honest answer. The secret value in their posing the question is they might actually find their own unique reason for being part of the church. They might find their answer for being connected to Christ. The not so secret value in our answering it is we get to check if we are actually serving people or asking them to serve us. In other words, if we are there to help them fulfill their lives, or just our structures.
I sat sipping one of the 80,000 Starbucks beverage choices with my 40-something cousin, Brent, last week. “I don’t really attend church anymore,” he said. “It just doesn’t seem relevant to my life. I mean I believe in Jesus and all. But why keep rehearsing the same stories over and over? Does it really change anything? I’m left with the question, ‘So what?’”
There’s a person who never got to ask the what’s in it for me question. And a church that never got to answer it.
I’ve participated in Landmark Worldwide programs for almost a decade. It’s personal and professional development based in a coaching model that engages the question: What does it mean to be human? The organization is secular in nature. But they do an excellent job of prompting questions the church is likewise concerned with. When someone registers for a Landmark program they’re asked, “What would you like to get out of your participation in this course?” It’s a powerful question that helps people connect with their dearest concerns and their long-lost dreams.
What would it be like for us to ask that question of seekers and disciples? All too often we simply tell them what we the church are prepared to offer. Or what we think they should be looking for. Or perhaps we don’t even explain that. But when people can connect with what truly matters to them, and see a way to fulfill that through the church, then they will be eager partners in their own spiritual formation. They will be eager disciples of Jesus Christ. But we must be willing to have them ask us the “What’s in it for me?” question. And to wrestle honestly with the answers.
One hot and humid Philippine afternoon, I traveled on a bus with the marvelously eccentric and profoundly visionary Bob Hentzen. A former Catholic priest and co-founder of Unbound, an organization that matches over 300,000 children and elders with sponsors, Bob had the long view on the church. “We are great at making Catholics,” he said, straw cowboy hat akimbo, as he reflected on his mother church. “But how do we do at making human beings?”
That question has stayed with me. The United Methodist Church is great at making committee members, and even church members. And now we are working at truly making disciples. But how do we do at making human beings?
The more we can deal with people as they are, and not as we think they should be, the better we’ll be able to do at it. Today, people do ask the question, “What’s in it for me?” Not a bad question for us to wrestle with. It assumes they have personal agency as well as God-given dreams, hopes and questions. And it assumes we truly have something to offer.[Rebekah Simon-Peter blogs at rebekahsimonpeter.com. She is the author of The Jew Named Jesus and Green Church.]
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"General Conference (from the outside)"
by Kira Schlesinger On Sunday, I asked one of my parishioners whose brother is an ordained Methodist elder if he had mentioned anything about the upcoming General Conference and received only a blank stare in return. It’s possible that I have more of a connection to the United Methodist Church than some clergy outside of the denomination, having attended a divinity school with a sizeable Methodist presence and history, not to mention living in Nashville, spending my own spiritually-formative years attending a UMC congregation, or recognizing our common roots in the Anglican family tree.
And so I have watched and listened as my friends and fellow clergy prepared for these upcoming days in Portland. I have heard their anxiety and their preemptive grief. I have seen them engage in dialogue around important issues with varying degrees of friendliness. In the pages of this website, I have read impassioned pleas from a variety of perspectives. As a fellow Christian, I have prayed and will be praying throughout General Conference.
The Episcopal Church meets as a body every three years, most recently in July of 2015 in Salt Lake City. While I did not attend, I was thankful for social media and the diligent reporters who kept those of us at home apprised not only of the discussion and decisions but the general tenor of the conversation. By many accounts, there was a peaceful, Spirit-filled sense to the convention as a whole. Even when votes were taken on sensitive, painful issues, no one “took their ball and went home.”
In all likelihood, whatever mainstream media coverage there is will focus on issues of human sexuality. As much as I would like to see my United Methodist friends join other mainline Protestant denominations like the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) in moving closer to inclusion, that is obviously a fraught discussion if the blogposts and social media arguments are any clue. Other decisions will be made about budgeting and resolutions; most likely, they will not get the same level of coverage as whatever happens around human sexuality. Some passionate Methodists and interested outside parties like myself might follow this more, but the broader world, the broader Church, will continue on.
As the more traditional sources of authority have lost power, one wonders if people are really listening when the Church gathers and speaks. Denominations have made statements on all kinds of issues from divestment in fossil fuels to gun control, and I often ponder if anyone in the pews is either aware or invested in denominational positions. When many people chose a congregation based on programming or worship-style rather than theology, denominational loyalty goes by the wayside.
At these denominational conferences and conventions, where we gather to do the business of the Church, perhaps the most important thing is how we do that business. The world around us has enough examples of division and anger, of refusal to compromise, of prioritizing being right over being in relationship. And the Church, being made up of sinful, messy people, frequently falls into that trap. The real witness of General Conference might be of Christians from around the world, of many different stripes, talking and praying together with a spirit of discernment. In a political season where whoever yells the loudest wins, that might be the most important thing the Church can teach the world.
"News & Religion: Should Christians resist Donald Trump?"
by Shane RaynorIn this first episode of the News and Religionpodcast, I talk with ethicist David Gushee of Mercer University about the statement he helped draft that confesses resistance to presidential candidate Donald Trump as a Christian obligation. Then our panel discusses Donald Trump and the United Methodist clergy and clergy candidates from the New York Conference who came out as lesbian, gay or bisexual last week.
David Gushee
Dr. Gushee is a columnist for Religion News Service and the author of Changing Our Mind. After the interview with Dr. Gushee, our News and Religion panel (David Dorn, Christy Thomas and Joseph Yoo) discusses Donald Trump and the 15 United Methodist clergy and clergy candidates from the New York Conference who came out as lesbian, gay or bisexual this week.
Subscribe to podcast: Google Play Music / Stitcher / RSS [iTunes coming soon.]
"What’s wrong with the way we make church decisions?"
by Julia Kuhn Wallace 
Terence Corkin
Think back to your last big church decision. It may have been about building a new sanctuary, firing a youth worker or starting a second worship service. As you think back on the debates and discussions about that issue, which image below best describes your experience?
(a) A ‘shootout at the OK Corral because some members want to win at all costs; or
(b) A positive experience of Christians conferencing together to discern the will of God?
(a) A place where the lid is kept tightly tied down on creative options that have not been thought of first by a vocal leader; or
(b) A space where all feelings, hopes and ideas are encouraged to come forward?
(a) A discussion dominated by a few articulate, domineering people; or
(b) A place where all voices are empowered, listened to and respected?
Perhaps out of frustration you scheduled a meeting to address a crucial issue and soon discovered that the final decision was made in the parking lot after the official meeting ended. Perhaps a reasonable solution was offered to resolve a matter and someone blocked its consideration with a passionate battle cry of "not in my church!" Then things ground to a halt. Situations like these, which undermine true community, highlight unhealthy patterns in religious organizations not because of what we decide but how!
Churches are experiencing growing incivility in the way their members engage with each other around matters about which they have very strong feelings. People shout at each other, keep information secret, overgeneralize, and argue for their 'side' with little or no concern for the perspectives or feelings of others. Churches lose valuable time and resources because of pervasive conflict.
Sadly, people have become accustomed to this kind of behavior and leave it unchallenged even while knowing, deep down, that it isn’t right. They know that a “winner take all” mindset and the subversive tactics that make it possible are wrong. Yet they tolerate it by their silence. It’s time for the church to stand up and challenge this prevailing culture of disagreement.
Trust in society, and in the church, is in short supply. So is discernment. The polarized atmosphere of many church meetings has led to a breakdown of trust and to people disengaging from the life and mission of the church. Younger generations shy away from leadership. Older members bear emotional scars.
Let's be clear: the prevailing meeting rules that are used in many churches and community groups actually foster disharmony and encourage negative outcomes. What is this adversarial style that is causing so much pain and harm? It is known as “Parliamentary Procedures” or simply: “Robert’s Rules of Order.” It was actually intended to help people complete an agenda in an orderly fashion. How's it working for you?
In a parliamentary process of decision-making, primacy is given to succinct reason and logical argument, which validates a conclusion. Many times we hear it said with disdain in church meetings “Oh, I wish he would just get to the point!” It is as though emotion, story, reason, and experience have nothing to offer in the search for wisdom and meaning. How far this is from the truth! In fact, emotion, story, experience, and reason have moved to the very center of how people find and understand true insight..
Not only does Robert's Rules create “winners” and “losers,” it also ignores spiritual ways of developing insight and making decisions as disciples of Jesus Christ. This process cares little about supporting the values for which the church says that it stands — such as being humble, gentle, and patient or bearing with each other in love. Fortunately, there is an alternative way of reaching a decision that is theologically, socially, culturally, and relationally more appropriate in the present-day congregation. It has its roots in Scripture, and it is not as confusing.
Clues to this alternative come from multicultural communities that make decisions through processes that are very different to a parliamentary process. Careful conversations take place before action is decided. Options are wisely considered. The increased participation of women and young adults in the leadership of the church has led to a significant number of people wanting a more collaborative rather than combative or adversarial way of making decisions. They recognize that a divided community eventually falls.
The case for using a fresh approach for making decisions is getting urgent because:
1. 95 percent of Americans agree with the statement: “People on opposite sides of an issue demonize each other so severely that finding common ground seems impossible.”
2. 75 percent of Americans agree with the proposition that we should give moderate voices more emphasis and “stop letting the people on the extreme ends of the issues dominate the discussion on important issues.” (Research released at the Q Conference)
Thankfully, there is a better way to deal with these realities! A consensus-building approach can assist a congregation or organization to discern the will of God for its life in ways that are inclusive and consistent with Christian values by:
1. creating a respectful environment where people are able to name what is important for them;
2. assisting everyone to have a full understanding of the issues and the implications of their decisions;
3. collaborating to generate better options and helping participants come to a place; where they can accept the views of the majority even if they are not their first choice
4. allowing people to know that they have been heard and taken seriously.
In short, this new process provides a credible Christian witness in the world even when considering complex issues.
Further, we believe that church leaders want a new way of making decisions—a way that honors diversity, respects all participants, is collaborative, builds a sense of real community, and uses time wisely. What is lacking is a step-by-step guide and training that assists leaders to articulate their experience and vision; how to prepare for an alternative way of decision making; and the meeting procedures and tools that organizers can use to build consensus and make decisions they can implement. We step into that void with a process that has three distinct phases:
1. Information phase
2. Deliberation/consideration phase
3. Decision phase.
Through various methods, including small groups, these phases create spaces where listening, creativity, respect, vulnerability, and collaboration are fostered and expressed. Robert's Rules tend to be more condensed and focused on the decision phase. It gets confusing when used to generate fresh ideas.
Christians deserve a new way of making decisions in their congregation and throughout the system that connects the congregations into judicatory decision-making. They yearn for a way that honors diversity, respects all participants, is collaborative and strengthens community. Many churches around the world have changed their business procedures away from the parliamentary style because of the damage that it was doing to their life. They have developed processes that create a healthy culture that is consistent with Christian values.
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"Pentecost: Claiming all ages as holy"
by Greg Moore 
Cameron Merrill by BrankaVV - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
As we sat down to plan worship for Pentecost this year and we instinctively reached for our multi-lingual prayers of the people (we need one person to read a petition in French, another to read one in Creole, another to read one in Chinese...do we have anyone here who speaks Mandarin?...) and we (both white Anglo men) began to brush up on our Spanish Sanctus, we couldn’t help but feel ... well ... a-pentecostal.
To be honest, this once-a-year foray into a multi-lingual experience feels more like Epcot than epiclesis. It can feel like we are sitting in an ecclesial version of "It’s a Small World," singing the same Eurocentric song in a caricature of different languages.
It’s not that multi-cultural, multi-lingual gatherings aren't of the Spirit. And it’s not that through the grace of the Holy Spirit the church isn’t spanning all places and crossing all borders. And it’s not that our relatively homogenous churches don’t need reminding of the universal scope of the Gospel. All that is very holy and profoundly pneumatological work.
It’s just that glossolalia is not the primary work of Pentecost. It may be a profound gift of the Spirit, it may be a powerful experience lodged in both the memory and witness of the church, and it may be a reality that we celebrate even on this side of the Parousia.
But it is not the primary Pentecostal work of ecclesia.
The first work of Pentecost is all being gathered in one place.
Lest we make a poor distinction between the working of the Spirit and the movements of the church, we would do well to note that gathering is always the work of God the Spirit. Just as she hovered over the waters at creation and began to gather light and dark, dry land and sky, just as she gathered in the waters of Mary’s womb and the Word began to take flesh, and just as she gathers the church each week into one place, anytime there is a gathering together in the Spirit of God, we are witnessing Pentecost.
This is the first sign of God’s new creation taking shape. All of us...together...in one place.
Which makes Joel’s prophecy burn in a new direction for us this year. As much as we wanted to jump to the good part where Peter and the Apostles run outside like their heads are on fire and convert the masses, we got stuck on Joel’s promise:
In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young will see visions.
Your elders will dream dreams.
Joel’s prophecy proclaims that God’s mighty acts of salvation are for all of us, young and old alike. The full span of human life is being bathed in the Spirit. Just as in the incarnation Jesus weds the divine and the human in every stage of his life (as fully in the manger as on Calvary), so the body of Christ together celebrates God the Spirit sanctifying all of life. Children with visions, elders with dreams, God’s Spirit poured out on young and old together; every age becomes a means of grace and a perfecting presence for the others.
And yet we look around our own churches and realize how unrealized Joel’s vision continues to be. The clear truth is, we are not all in the same place, young and old alike. More often than not, we come to worship and quickly scatter into age-specialized ministries. Child care over here, children’s worship over there, the adults in the sanctuary down that way, as if to say the font is for the adults and the kiddie pool is down the hall.
This cuts the other way just as often, where an infatuation with youth suggests that having an aged congregation is somehow a sign of unfaithfulness.
No wonder many of our churches have a diminished understanding and experience of the Holy Spirit. We have made an art of resisting her first work, which is gathering us together in one place.
Not to overstate the issue, but it may be a matter of life and death to the modern church in the west. In our day of specialized and separated ministries for every age group, and our insatiable desire to turn church into a spiritual spa, we would do well to remember that salvation for us is being together with Jesus.
We say all of this knowing that it isn’t easy. Prophecies rarely are.
Some of our congregations are overwhelmed with too many children, making leading worship feel like herding cats, while others of us are in aging congregations who are dying to hear the cry of a child during the liturgy.
And we also say this knowing that this isn’t novel. Many have written and spoken about the virtues of intergenerational ecclesial life.
The point is not to hang more burdens around our necks (“Oh, great,” we hear ourselves collectively saying, “Now we need to be multi-cultural and multi-generational.”)
The point is to bring this conversation into the fires of Pentecost. The point is to allow Joel’s vision to shape ours, to begin to see all ages as means of grace, as agents of sanctification for the other.
Which will take nothing less than an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
With Spirit’s grace and illumination, perhaps we can see how our children have a sense of wonder that challenges our disenchantment. Our youth teach us to question when we have forgotten how. Our elders bear witness with a hope and patience that sustains the church through generation after generation. Being gathered together in one place might just be Spirit’s way of making all these people holy in and through one another.
Joel’s prophecy imagines a people who are learning that the only way to be with God is to learn how to be with the ideals of youth and the dreams of the elderly. Wiggly kids and stage whispers, spilled wine and bored adolescents, angsty mothers and sleepy grandfathers. For many of our churches, it may be that learning to all be in one place and sharing in God’s grace across generations is more important this Pentecost than saying a prayer in a different language.
Maybe this Pentecost, we can start like we did on that first Pentecost: gathering together with saints of every age in one place and praying together, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
"The genius of slow change" by Rebekah Simon-Peter
Bigstock/Cebas
I had a vision to beautify the barren property that surrounded the church I served. It was an engaging vision that garnered lots of buy-in. Trees and fencing were donated. A spring Saturday was set for planting the trees. Folks were excited! Lots of trees got planted that day. Sadly, almost none of them survived.
For years, their brown boughs served as a living, or rather dead, reminder of that failed vision. In fact, the property looked even more barren with dead trees dotting it than it had before.
What was the culprit here? Blight, bad weather and critters are all good guesses. But the truth is simpler and harsher than that.
When it came to planting trees, we had several things going for us: vision, alignment and even people willing to execute the vision. But there was also an unnamed saboteur in our midst: lack of planning. We sabotaged the vision by failing to think through what should happen next. Like watering and follow up care. Even more so, we sabotaged the vision by failing to engage people who would have noticed the lack of a plan.
Personally, I was quite comfortable shooting from the hip, making stuff up as I went along. I didn’t need a thought-out plan. But those poor trees did! I wish I could say the great tree planting caper was the only example of aborted vision, wasted energy and squandered good will in my tenure there. But it wasn’t. As an idea-generator with lots of energy, I had all kinds of great ideas. And the persuasiveness to get others on board. What I lacked was awareness that each of my ideas needed a thorough plan to succeed. Bottom line: I had failed to plan and planned to fail.
If you’re a regular reader you know that I have a bias toward risk-taking, adventure and boldness for church leaders. I’m all about visionary change. So this next thought may come as a surprise. Here it is: There’s genius in putting on the brakes and slowing down the pace of change. Yup, you heard it here.
Slowing down the pace of change allows a plan to emerge. It also allows structures to be created which ensure the change is sustainable. Developing a structure requires putting the brakes on and thinking things through. All the way through. Including who is going to buy the water hose.
I now know the best way to plan is to begin with the end in mind. Then provide a framework that allows you to get there step by step. With all the i’s dotted and all the t’s crossed. It’s detail time, folks.
You want gorgeous, healthy trees that thrive in the high desert plains for years to come? You want flowers and bushes and color that vivify brown prairie grasses and silver-green sage brush? That all takes planning! Likewise, you want an outreach ministry that makes a real difference in the lives of street people or the underemployed? Or a prayer ministry that will impact each and every person in your zip code? How about a community garden that will nourish the elderly? All that takes planning. Start with the end in mind and work your way backwards.
Our churches are full of people who excel at thinking things through. They’re the ones that usually like to put the brakes on anyway and consider all the angles. They value harmony, stability and well-thought through change. If that’s you, please stand and take a bow! This is where your genius shines. By tapping into your ability to think systematically, supply details, include the right people, ask the right questions and challenge flawed thinking, you can enable changes to take hold and take root. You can ensure that change is sustainable.
Of course, there’s still a place for your faster-paced, more adventurous fellows too. In fact, you need them to keep the momentum going, so you don’t get bogged down or stopped. The truth is that you need each other.
Here are eight tips for making sustainable change while keeping forward momentum going:
1. Get input from the visionaries as well as the analyzers. Make sure to include the very people who will be implementing the vision. Engage them with both voice and a vote to create strong buy-in. And a greater likelihood of seamless implementation.
2. Have regular meetings. But don’t space them too far apart! Otherwise, you’ll lose momentum. The more often you meet, in fact, the shorter each meeting can be. And the more focused. Monthly or quarterly meetings are the graveyard of too many worthy visions. At the same time, give yourselves enough time to make a good plan, and to think through what needs to be done.
3. Together, anticipate cause and effect, plan for contingencies, think through what could go wrong, and wherever possible eliminate risk.
4. Plan for things going better than expected. With God in the mix, lots of things go well and right! Consider new opportunities that could arise from your vision being implemented. Includes plans to jump on those opportunities so you can keep the momentum going.
5. Let your plans be vigorous, focused, and move things forward. Then take the foot off the brakes. You can’t know everything before you finally say “go.” But your plans will help you deal with what you encounter along the way precisely because you will have thought through what could go right and what could go wrong. Develop your faith by trusting God and trusting your fellows, even if you don’t feel 100% ready yet.
6. Once you have a plan, remember to stay in communication!Consistent and timely communications keep planning on track and allows for real-time analysis. It also helps people feel part of things.
7. Embrace your adversaries. Both the ability to craft a vision and to carefully implement it are gifts from God. But most people have one or the other, not both. Learning how to work well together is key.
8. Have fun! Feel the joy of doing things well, and creating a sustainable culture shift. Surprise people by excelling at making good, enduring change. Revel in the fact that the Kingdom is at hand.
I’d love to hear about your failed visions. And your successful changes. Both are inspiring. Because we learn from failure and success.
Not sure how to bring all this together? Check out Creating a Culture of Renewal. It’s a step by step process that shows you how to bring out the best in the people who frustrate you the most. All while empowering you and your church to dream and lead like Jesus.[Rebekah Simon-Peter blogs at rebekahsimonpeter.com. She is the author of The Jew Named Jesus and Green Church.]
"The tension between being available and being accessible as a leader"
by Ron Edmondson
Photo: Pexels
The larger the church gets, or the more leadership responsibility God calls me to, the greater the tension I feel between being available and being accessible.
Leader, have you ever felt this tension?
I’ve learned that to be effective, to protect my family and to avoid burnout I can’t always do both.
Truth is, there are too many demands on my time to always be available. Sometimes there are more requests for my time than hours in the day. Sunday is always coming. I receive dozens — some days hundreds — of emails, texts and phone calls, every single day.
If time were limitless, I’d rather always be available. As with most leaders, it’s easier for me to say yes than it is to say no. I’m always more popular when I do.
But popular isn’t a good goal. It’s seldom an effective goal.
I share this because there are so many pastors facing real burnout. They are struggling with effectiveness. Their family life is suffering. All because they tried to always be available, when all they needed to be was accessible.
(By the way, the church leaders in Acts 6 understood this tension. Read it again to see how they responded.)
Acts 6:1 Around this time, when the number of talmidim was growing, the Greek-speaking Jews began complaining against those who spoke Hebrew that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 So the Twelve called a general meeting of the talmidim and said, “It isn’t appropriate that we should neglect the Word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among yourselves who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint them to be in charge of this important matter, 4 but we ourselves will give our full attention to praying and to serving the Word.”
Pastors, do you ever feel the tension between being accessible and being available?[Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.]
"Transformed for the work of transforming"
by Neil M. Alexander
Delegates and visitors fill the plenary hall at the 2012 United Methodist General Conference in Tampa, Fla. Photo courtesy of UMNS / Kathleen Barry.
I was sharing with coworkers about the UMC’s General Conference and trying to remember how many of the every-four-year events I’d attended. To my surprise, counting on my fingers revealed that the gathering next month will be my 10th. I’m pretty sure after thirty-six years of observation that while the 864 elected delegates diligently wade through thousands of pages of reports and proposals, the vast majority of United Methodists are hardly aware of the big event planned for May 10–20 in Portland, Oregon. Nevertheless, what happens in Portland won’t all stay in Portland.
Dr. Gushee is a columnist for Religion News Service and the author of Changing Our Mind. After the interview with Dr. Gushee, our News and Religion panel (David Dorn, Christy Thomas and Joseph Yoo) discusses Donald Trump and the 15 United Methodist clergy and clergy candidates from the New York Conference who came out as lesbian, gay or bisexual this week.
Subscribe to podcast: Google Play Music / Stitcher / RSS [iTunes coming soon.]
"What’s wrong with the way we make church decisions?"
by Julia Kuhn Wallace Terence CorkinThink back to your last big church decision. It may have been about building a new sanctuary, firing a youth worker or starting a second worship service. As you think back on the debates and discussions about that issue, which image below best describes your experience?
(a) A ‘shootout at the OK Corral because some members want to win at all costs; or
(b) A positive experience of Christians conferencing together to discern the will of God?
(a) A place where the lid is kept tightly tied down on creative options that have not been thought of first by a vocal leader; or
(b) A space where all feelings, hopes and ideas are encouraged to come forward?
(a) A discussion dominated by a few articulate, domineering people; or
(b) A place where all voices are empowered, listened to and respected?
Perhaps out of frustration you scheduled a meeting to address a crucial issue and soon discovered that the final decision was made in the parking lot after the official meeting ended. Perhaps a reasonable solution was offered to resolve a matter and someone blocked its consideration with a passionate battle cry of "not in my church!" Then things ground to a halt. Situations like these, which undermine true community, highlight unhealthy patterns in religious organizations not because of what we decide but how!
Churches are experiencing growing incivility in the way their members engage with each other around matters about which they have very strong feelings. People shout at each other, keep information secret, overgeneralize, and argue for their 'side' with little or no concern for the perspectives or feelings of others. Churches lose valuable time and resources because of pervasive conflict.
Sadly, people have become accustomed to this kind of behavior and leave it unchallenged even while knowing, deep down, that it isn’t right. They know that a “winner take all” mindset and the subversive tactics that make it possible are wrong. Yet they tolerate it by their silence. It’s time for the church to stand up and challenge this prevailing culture of disagreement.
Trust in society, and in the church, is in short supply. So is discernment. The polarized atmosphere of many church meetings has led to a breakdown of trust and to people disengaging from the life and mission of the church. Younger generations shy away from leadership. Older members bear emotional scars.
Let's be clear: the prevailing meeting rules that are used in many churches and community groups actually foster disharmony and encourage negative outcomes. What is this adversarial style that is causing so much pain and harm? It is known as “Parliamentary Procedures” or simply: “Robert’s Rules of Order.” It was actually intended to help people complete an agenda in an orderly fashion. How's it working for you?
In a parliamentary process of decision-making, primacy is given to succinct reason and logical argument, which validates a conclusion. Many times we hear it said with disdain in church meetings “Oh, I wish he would just get to the point!” It is as though emotion, story, reason, and experience have nothing to offer in the search for wisdom and meaning. How far this is from the truth! In fact, emotion, story, experience, and reason have moved to the very center of how people find and understand true insight..
Not only does Robert's Rules create “winners” and “losers,” it also ignores spiritual ways of developing insight and making decisions as disciples of Jesus Christ. This process cares little about supporting the values for which the church says that it stands — such as being humble, gentle, and patient or bearing with each other in love. Fortunately, there is an alternative way of reaching a decision that is theologically, socially, culturally, and relationally more appropriate in the present-day congregation. It has its roots in Scripture, and it is not as confusing.
Clues to this alternative come from multicultural communities that make decisions through processes that are very different to a parliamentary process. Careful conversations take place before action is decided. Options are wisely considered. The increased participation of women and young adults in the leadership of the church has led to a significant number of people wanting a more collaborative rather than combative or adversarial way of making decisions. They recognize that a divided community eventually falls.
The case for using a fresh approach for making decisions is getting urgent because:
1. 95 percent of Americans agree with the statement: “People on opposite sides of an issue demonize each other so severely that finding common ground seems impossible.”
2. 75 percent of Americans agree with the proposition that we should give moderate voices more emphasis and “stop letting the people on the extreme ends of the issues dominate the discussion on important issues.” (Research released at the Q Conference)
Thankfully, there is a better way to deal with these realities! A consensus-building approach can assist a congregation or organization to discern the will of God for its life in ways that are inclusive and consistent with Christian values by:
1. creating a respectful environment where people are able to name what is important for them;
2. assisting everyone to have a full understanding of the issues and the implications of their decisions;
3. collaborating to generate better options and helping participants come to a place; where they can accept the views of the majority even if they are not their first choice
4. allowing people to know that they have been heard and taken seriously.
In short, this new process provides a credible Christian witness in the world even when considering complex issues.
Further, we believe that church leaders want a new way of making decisions—a way that honors diversity, respects all participants, is collaborative, builds a sense of real community, and uses time wisely. What is lacking is a step-by-step guide and training that assists leaders to articulate their experience and vision; how to prepare for an alternative way of decision making; and the meeting procedures and tools that organizers can use to build consensus and make decisions they can implement. We step into that void with a process that has three distinct phases:
1. Information phase
2. Deliberation/consideration phase
3. Decision phase.
Through various methods, including small groups, these phases create spaces where listening, creativity, respect, vulnerability, and collaboration are fostered and expressed. Robert's Rules tend to be more condensed and focused on the decision phase. It gets confusing when used to generate fresh ideas.
Christians deserve a new way of making decisions in their congregation and throughout the system that connects the congregations into judicatory decision-making. They yearn for a way that honors diversity, respects all participants, is collaborative and strengthens community. Many churches around the world have changed their business procedures away from the parliamentary style because of the damage that it was doing to their life. They have developed processes that create a healthy culture that is consistent with Christian values.
- Can we do anything less? Please comment below with stories, good and bad, from your church experience about how important decisions get made. Do you follow parliamentary rules or have you switched to a different process when considering significant strategy, changes or opportunities?
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"Pentecost: Claiming all ages as holy"
by Greg Moore Cameron Merrill by BrankaVV - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0As we sat down to plan worship for Pentecost this year and we instinctively reached for our multi-lingual prayers of the people (we need one person to read a petition in French, another to read one in Creole, another to read one in Chinese...do we have anyone here who speaks Mandarin?...) and we (both white Anglo men) began to brush up on our Spanish Sanctus, we couldn’t help but feel ... well ... a-pentecostal.
To be honest, this once-a-year foray into a multi-lingual experience feels more like Epcot than epiclesis. It can feel like we are sitting in an ecclesial version of "It’s a Small World," singing the same Eurocentric song in a caricature of different languages.
It’s not that multi-cultural, multi-lingual gatherings aren't of the Spirit. And it’s not that through the grace of the Holy Spirit the church isn’t spanning all places and crossing all borders. And it’s not that our relatively homogenous churches don’t need reminding of the universal scope of the Gospel. All that is very holy and profoundly pneumatological work.
It’s just that glossolalia is not the primary work of Pentecost. It may be a profound gift of the Spirit, it may be a powerful experience lodged in both the memory and witness of the church, and it may be a reality that we celebrate even on this side of the Parousia.
But it is not the primary Pentecostal work of ecclesia.
The first work of Pentecost is all being gathered in one place.
Lest we make a poor distinction between the working of the Spirit and the movements of the church, we would do well to note that gathering is always the work of God the Spirit. Just as she hovered over the waters at creation and began to gather light and dark, dry land and sky, just as she gathered in the waters of Mary’s womb and the Word began to take flesh, and just as she gathers the church each week into one place, anytime there is a gathering together in the Spirit of God, we are witnessing Pentecost.
This is the first sign of God’s new creation taking shape. All of us...together...in one place.
Which makes Joel’s prophecy burn in a new direction for us this year. As much as we wanted to jump to the good part where Peter and the Apostles run outside like their heads are on fire and convert the masses, we got stuck on Joel’s promise:
In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young will see visions.
Your elders will dream dreams.
Joel’s prophecy proclaims that God’s mighty acts of salvation are for all of us, young and old alike. The full span of human life is being bathed in the Spirit. Just as in the incarnation Jesus weds the divine and the human in every stage of his life (as fully in the manger as on Calvary), so the body of Christ together celebrates God the Spirit sanctifying all of life. Children with visions, elders with dreams, God’s Spirit poured out on young and old together; every age becomes a means of grace and a perfecting presence for the others.
And yet we look around our own churches and realize how unrealized Joel’s vision continues to be. The clear truth is, we are not all in the same place, young and old alike. More often than not, we come to worship and quickly scatter into age-specialized ministries. Child care over here, children’s worship over there, the adults in the sanctuary down that way, as if to say the font is for the adults and the kiddie pool is down the hall.
This cuts the other way just as often, where an infatuation with youth suggests that having an aged congregation is somehow a sign of unfaithfulness.
No wonder many of our churches have a diminished understanding and experience of the Holy Spirit. We have made an art of resisting her first work, which is gathering us together in one place.
Not to overstate the issue, but it may be a matter of life and death to the modern church in the west. In our day of specialized and separated ministries for every age group, and our insatiable desire to turn church into a spiritual spa, we would do well to remember that salvation for us is being together with Jesus.
- Jesus, the infant who trusted Mary and Joseph with his very life.
- Jesus, the youth, who sought out time with the elders in the Temple.
- Jesus, the adult, who said, “let the children come to me.”
We say all of this knowing that it isn’t easy. Prophecies rarely are.
Some of our congregations are overwhelmed with too many children, making leading worship feel like herding cats, while others of us are in aging congregations who are dying to hear the cry of a child during the liturgy.
And we also say this knowing that this isn’t novel. Many have written and spoken about the virtues of intergenerational ecclesial life.
The point is not to hang more burdens around our necks (“Oh, great,” we hear ourselves collectively saying, “Now we need to be multi-cultural and multi-generational.”)
The point is to bring this conversation into the fires of Pentecost. The point is to allow Joel’s vision to shape ours, to begin to see all ages as means of grace, as agents of sanctification for the other.
Which will take nothing less than an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
With Spirit’s grace and illumination, perhaps we can see how our children have a sense of wonder that challenges our disenchantment. Our youth teach us to question when we have forgotten how. Our elders bear witness with a hope and patience that sustains the church through generation after generation. Being gathered together in one place might just be Spirit’s way of making all these people holy in and through one another.
Joel’s prophecy imagines a people who are learning that the only way to be with God is to learn how to be with the ideals of youth and the dreams of the elderly. Wiggly kids and stage whispers, spilled wine and bored adolescents, angsty mothers and sleepy grandfathers. For many of our churches, it may be that learning to all be in one place and sharing in God’s grace across generations is more important this Pentecost than saying a prayer in a different language.
Maybe this Pentecost, we can start like we did on that first Pentecost: gathering together with saints of every age in one place and praying together, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
"The genius of slow change"
by Rebekah Simon-PeterBigstock/Cebas
I had a vision to beautify the barren property that surrounded the church I served. It was an engaging vision that garnered lots of buy-in. Trees and fencing were donated. A spring Saturday was set for planting the trees. Folks were excited! Lots of trees got planted that day. Sadly, almost none of them survived.
For years, their brown boughs served as a living, or rather dead, reminder of that failed vision. In fact, the property looked even more barren with dead trees dotting it than it had before.
What was the culprit here? Blight, bad weather and critters are all good guesses. But the truth is simpler and harsher than that.
When it came to planting trees, we had several things going for us: vision, alignment and even people willing to execute the vision. But there was also an unnamed saboteur in our midst: lack of planning. We sabotaged the vision by failing to think through what should happen next. Like watering and follow up care. Even more so, we sabotaged the vision by failing to engage people who would have noticed the lack of a plan.
Personally, I was quite comfortable shooting from the hip, making stuff up as I went along. I didn’t need a thought-out plan. But those poor trees did! I wish I could say the great tree planting caper was the only example of aborted vision, wasted energy and squandered good will in my tenure there. But it wasn’t. As an idea-generator with lots of energy, I had all kinds of great ideas. And the persuasiveness to get others on board. What I lacked was awareness that each of my ideas needed a thorough plan to succeed. Bottom line: I had failed to plan and planned to fail.
If you’re a regular reader you know that I have a bias toward risk-taking, adventure and boldness for church leaders. I’m all about visionary change. So this next thought may come as a surprise. Here it is: There’s genius in putting on the brakes and slowing down the pace of change. Yup, you heard it here.
Slowing down the pace of change allows a plan to emerge. It also allows structures to be created which ensure the change is sustainable. Developing a structure requires putting the brakes on and thinking things through. All the way through. Including who is going to buy the water hose.
I now know the best way to plan is to begin with the end in mind. Then provide a framework that allows you to get there step by step. With all the i’s dotted and all the t’s crossed. It’s detail time, folks.
You want gorgeous, healthy trees that thrive in the high desert plains for years to come? You want flowers and bushes and color that vivify brown prairie grasses and silver-green sage brush? That all takes planning! Likewise, you want an outreach ministry that makes a real difference in the lives of street people or the underemployed? Or a prayer ministry that will impact each and every person in your zip code? How about a community garden that will nourish the elderly? All that takes planning. Start with the end in mind and work your way backwards.
Our churches are full of people who excel at thinking things through. They’re the ones that usually like to put the brakes on anyway and consider all the angles. They value harmony, stability and well-thought through change. If that’s you, please stand and take a bow! This is where your genius shines. By tapping into your ability to think systematically, supply details, include the right people, ask the right questions and challenge flawed thinking, you can enable changes to take hold and take root. You can ensure that change is sustainable.
Of course, there’s still a place for your faster-paced, more adventurous fellows too. In fact, you need them to keep the momentum going, so you don’t get bogged down or stopped. The truth is that you need each other.
Here are eight tips for making sustainable change while keeping forward momentum going:
1. Get input from the visionaries as well as the analyzers. Make sure to include the very people who will be implementing the vision. Engage them with both voice and a vote to create strong buy-in. And a greater likelihood of seamless implementation.
2. Have regular meetings. But don’t space them too far apart! Otherwise, you’ll lose momentum. The more often you meet, in fact, the shorter each meeting can be. And the more focused. Monthly or quarterly meetings are the graveyard of too many worthy visions. At the same time, give yourselves enough time to make a good plan, and to think through what needs to be done.
3. Together, anticipate cause and effect, plan for contingencies, think through what could go wrong, and wherever possible eliminate risk.
4. Plan for things going better than expected. With God in the mix, lots of things go well and right! Consider new opportunities that could arise from your vision being implemented. Includes plans to jump on those opportunities so you can keep the momentum going.
5. Let your plans be vigorous, focused, and move things forward. Then take the foot off the brakes. You can’t know everything before you finally say “go.” But your plans will help you deal with what you encounter along the way precisely because you will have thought through what could go right and what could go wrong. Develop your faith by trusting God and trusting your fellows, even if you don’t feel 100% ready yet.
6. Once you have a plan, remember to stay in communication!Consistent and timely communications keep planning on track and allows for real-time analysis. It also helps people feel part of things.
7. Embrace your adversaries. Both the ability to craft a vision and to carefully implement it are gifts from God. But most people have one or the other, not both. Learning how to work well together is key.
8. Have fun! Feel the joy of doing things well, and creating a sustainable culture shift. Surprise people by excelling at making good, enduring change. Revel in the fact that the Kingdom is at hand.
I’d love to hear about your failed visions. And your successful changes. Both are inspiring. Because we learn from failure and success.
Not sure how to bring all this together? Check out Creating a Culture of Renewal. It’s a step by step process that shows you how to bring out the best in the people who frustrate you the most. All while empowering you and your church to dream and lead like Jesus.[Rebekah Simon-Peter blogs at rebekahsimonpeter.com. She is the author of The Jew Named Jesus and Green Church.]
"The tension between being available and being accessible as a leader"
by Ron EdmondsonPhoto: Pexels
The larger the church gets, or the more leadership responsibility God calls me to, the greater the tension I feel between being available and being accessible.
Leader, have you ever felt this tension?
I’ve learned that to be effective, to protect my family and to avoid burnout I can’t always do both.
Truth is, there are too many demands on my time to always be available. Sometimes there are more requests for my time than hours in the day. Sunday is always coming. I receive dozens — some days hundreds — of emails, texts and phone calls, every single day.
- I can’t always be available.
- I must make the most effective use of my limited time.
- I may not be the best person to meet with everyone.
- I must spend time investing in the staff with whom I work.
- I need to reserve ample time for Bible study, prayer and sermon preparation.
- I may sometimes need to refer people to someone who is more available at the time.
If time were limitless, I’d rather always be available. As with most leaders, it’s easier for me to say yes than it is to say no. I’m always more popular when I do.
But popular isn’t a good goal. It’s seldom an effective goal.
- I can’t always be available, but this shouldn’t mean I’m unreachable.
- I try to always be accessible.
- I genuinely want people to be served and to serve people.
- I can easily be found online. (I don’t hide my contact information.)
- I respond to all emails and return phone calls in a reasonable time — hopefully by the end of each day.
- I hold responsiveness as a huge personal value and lead our team to do likewise.
- I always try to help people get the help or answer they need.
I share this because there are so many pastors facing real burnout. They are struggling with effectiveness. Their family life is suffering. All because they tried to always be available, when all they needed to be was accessible.
(By the way, the church leaders in Acts 6 understood this tension. Read it again to see how they responded.)
Acts 6:1 Around this time, when the number of talmidim was growing, the Greek-speaking Jews began complaining against those who spoke Hebrew that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 So the Twelve called a general meeting of the talmidim and said, “It isn’t appropriate that we should neglect the Word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among yourselves who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will appoint them to be in charge of this important matter, 4 but we ourselves will give our full attention to praying and to serving the Word.”
5 What they said was agreeable to the whole gathering. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Ruach HaKodesh, Philip, Prochoros, Nikanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicholas, who was a proselyte from Antioch. 6 They presented these men to the emissaries, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 So the word of God continued to spread. The number of talmidim in Yerushalayim increased rapidly, and a large crowd of cohanim were becoming obedient to the faith.
8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, performed great miracles and signs among the people. 9 But opposition arose from members of the Synagogue of the Freed Slaves (as it was called), composed of Cyrenians, Alexandrians and people from Cilicia and the province of Asia. They argued with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by which he spoke.
11 So they secretly persuaded some men to allege, “We heard him speak blasphemously against Moshe and against God.” 12 They stirred up the people, as well as the elders and the Torah-teachers; so they came and arrested him and led him before the Sanhedrin. 13 There they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the Torah; 14 for we have heard him say that Yeshua from Natzeret will destroy this place and will change the customs Moshe handed down to us.”
15 Everyone sitting in the Sanhedrin stared at Stephen and saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.
Pastor — leader — the tension is real. But realize you can be accessible even if you’re not always available.Pastors, do you ever feel the tension between being accessible and being available?[Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.]
"Transformed for the work of transforming"
by Neil M. AlexanderDelegates and visitors fill the plenary hall at the 2012 United Methodist General Conference in Tampa, Fla. Photo courtesy of UMNS / Kathleen Barry.
I was sharing with coworkers about the UMC’s General Conference and trying to remember how many of the every-four-year events I’d attended. To my surprise, counting on my fingers revealed that the gathering next month will be my 10th. I’m pretty sure after thirty-six years of observation that while the 864 elected delegates diligently wade through thousands of pages of reports and proposals, the vast majority of United Methodists are hardly aware of the big event planned for May 10–20 in Portland, Oregon. Nevertheless, what happens in Portland won’t all stay in Portland.
Neil M. Alexander
Passionate advocates for causes great and small (there are a total of 1,044 pieces of proposed legislation) are praying, blogging, and lobbying. Agencies like the General Board of Global Ministries or The United Methodist Publishing House that are accountable to the General Conference have prepared updates and seek support for emphases and projects. Women and men from four continents who are lay and clergy, old and young, traditionalist and those pushing for dramatic changes all desire to be faithful Christian disciples, loyal UMs, and to do their jobs with integrity and fidelity.
Decisions taken or deferred can affect how we teach and interpret what it means to live faithfully; who may serve as ordained clergy; how much money we’ll plan to raise and spend for a host of missional efforts; and more. There will be rousing sermons, soaring music, debates over arcane points of church law, political maneuvers and sometimes, fiercely argued differences about policies and practices.
The biggest issues seem likely to center around how we view same-gender relationships and marriage, how UMs interpret and affirm the Christian faith, and how to handle governance and deploy resources as a global, rather than U.S.- centric, denomination. And as it is written, where two or three are gathered there will often be sharply divergent points-of-view.
Will this General Conference be marked by intense conflict, sharp-edged disagreements, and ultimate decisions that leave some discouraged and angry? Will the Portland gathering be known for serendipitous instances where there was unity, alignment, and renewed commitments to transcending purposes and plans?
Probably all of the above. But there is no question that the ways some issues have been defined, disagreements about analyses, the complexity of finding solutions that all find adequate, and the intensity of contrasting convictions will likely make this year’s event amply conflicted and stressful.
History shows frequent tensions and disputes in the church over what to teach and what to do. In 1792, one of our denomination’s founders, Bishop Francis Asbury published a collection of writings titled The Causes, Evils and Cures of Heart and Church Divisions explaining, “I saw so clearly the evil consequences of a division, and how good and pleasant a thing it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity.” The book was updated and republished in 1849 as the church struggled over the practice of slavery in America.
Passionate advocates for causes great and small (there are a total of 1,044 pieces of proposed legislation) are praying, blogging, and lobbying. Agencies like the General Board of Global Ministries or The United Methodist Publishing House that are accountable to the General Conference have prepared updates and seek support for emphases and projects. Women and men from four continents who are lay and clergy, old and young, traditionalist and those pushing for dramatic changes all desire to be faithful Christian disciples, loyal UMs, and to do their jobs with integrity and fidelity.
Decisions taken or deferred can affect how we teach and interpret what it means to live faithfully; who may serve as ordained clergy; how much money we’ll plan to raise and spend for a host of missional efforts; and more. There will be rousing sermons, soaring music, debates over arcane points of church law, political maneuvers and sometimes, fiercely argued differences about policies and practices.
The biggest issues seem likely to center around how we view same-gender relationships and marriage, how UMs interpret and affirm the Christian faith, and how to handle governance and deploy resources as a global, rather than U.S.- centric, denomination. And as it is written, where two or three are gathered there will often be sharply divergent points-of-view.
Will this General Conference be marked by intense conflict, sharp-edged disagreements, and ultimate decisions that leave some discouraged and angry? Will the Portland gathering be known for serendipitous instances where there was unity, alignment, and renewed commitments to transcending purposes and plans?
Probably all of the above. But there is no question that the ways some issues have been defined, disagreements about analyses, the complexity of finding solutions that all find adequate, and the intensity of contrasting convictions will likely make this year’s event amply conflicted and stressful.
History shows frequent tensions and disputes in the church over what to teach and what to do. In 1792, one of our denomination’s founders, Bishop Francis Asbury published a collection of writings titled The Causes, Evils and Cures of Heart and Church Divisions explaining, “I saw so clearly the evil consequences of a division, and how good and pleasant a thing it is for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity.” The book was updated and republished in 1849 as the church struggled over the practice of slavery in America.
For 2016, we decided to offer a new abridged version echoing Bishop Asbury’s entreaty that “it might be a great service to the church of Christ,” “. . . pleading with them to read it carefully and with much prayer that they may cultivate a spirit of unity.”The world that needs transforming already knows quite well how to accentuate division, alienation, and conflict. The witness we can offer ought to show a better way. Why would we choose to mimic political and other disputes that misrepresent and disrespect those with different views and conclusions? Might United Methodists instead show the world alternative ways to engage in spirited discourse that is less about winning and more about joining our hearts with God’s as we search together for common ground?
“Our divisions hinder our strength,” says Bishop Asbury. “If you untwist a cable, how weak is it in the several parts of it! A threefold cord is not easily broken, but a single one is. Divide a strong current into several rivulets and how shallow and weak will the course of the water be! They hinder our doing good in public: that which concerns many must be done by many. But how can two, much less many, walk together, if they are not agreed? That which one does the other seeks to undo.”
Praying earnestly and humbly that we might first be transformed by God’s grace isn’t pining for an easy peace that substitutes sentimentality for fidelity. If we adopt practices of curiosity, appreciation, tolerance, and speaking truth in love in how we live together, the outcomes might be extraordinary. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if at this General Conference, what is most apparent about the people called United Methodists is their hunger, filled by the Holy Spirit, to be transformed and transforming?[Neil M. Alexander serves as Publisher of The United Methodist Church. This article first appeared at Cokesbury Commons.]
"Thoughtful Pastor: How many people do I have to evangelize to satisfy God?"
by Christy ThomasBigstock / Sergei Gnatuk
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: If someone belongs to an “evangelical” church that believes members need to be evangelizing (presumably to save other people from hell) how do they decide how much of each day they devote to this endeavor?
I’m asking this question because many of my friends are conservative evangelicals and I am genuinely trying to understand their worldview. My mind wants to map it out by percentages — first of all, how much of each day should they do this and how much do they think their efforts are needed as opposed to God reaching out to this unsaved person?
Even when I was very young, I always thought that if God needed to “save” people God could do it without our help. Sharing the Jesus stories made sense to me because of the ideas of forgiveness, grace and love. I never really understood the idea of evangelism to “save” people. Here is an example. If I believe that my “unsaved” next door neighbor will “burn in hell” because he is not “saved,” how much of his “salvation” is based on God reaching out to him and how much is based on my reaching out to him?
Having been a part of an aggressive evangelistic group in my immediate post-university days, I can easily retrieve the guilt I would feel if I were not spending every single minute earnestly trying to save people from hell.
I used to spend my sleepless nights agonizing over the missed opportunities. Did I tell the grocery checker about Jesus? What about the person who pumped my gas (yep, that one dates me!)? Did I stop every random stranger in the cafeteria on the off chance that if I did not speak this very minute, their one opportunity to get to heaven would be irretrievably lost?
Each week, I made a list of every single person I had spoken to and had taken all the way through a gospel presentation, including the “sinner’s prayer.” Oh how I dreaded those reports! My scarce numbers made me ask, “How many people will go to hell and it will be all my fault?”
Really? Is it? Is our neighbor’s salvation barely held in our trembling hands and quivering voices as we falteringly try to bring them to salvation?
Does this seem like a nice God? I wonder, “What kind of God have you (and I) been taught about?” Punitive? List-keeping? Maybe a Santa-type who knows when we’ve been good or bad, busily preparing eternal lumps of burning coal for the bad ones? Or, perhaps God is capable of redeeming all of humanity. That understanding offers freedom of time and energy to love our neighbors, offer creation care, stop the selling of child sex slaves, address issues of intractable poverty that are creating a permanent underclass, plant a flower or tutor a student or help someone carry in groceries or sit with an elderly person afflicted with dementia so the family caregivers can take a break.
That is offering a touch of heaven to those who need it.
Dear Thoughtful Pastor: The Bible tells us that as Christians Jesus forgives us for our sins (our sins are erased), but then it also says we will answer for them when we get to heaven. There is comfort in knowing that if we repent we are forgiven of our sins and they are forgotten, but are they really forgotten if we have to answer for them? I’m having trouble reconciling with this.
Let’s face it: If someone pronounces a deed forgotten along with forgiven and then the injured party brings it up later for another rehashing, it is neither forgiven nor forgotten. So, either God forgives or God does not. Let’s assume “forgiveness.”
Now, you’ve nailed the issue with the word repent. It means to rethink something, to make necessary adjustments for healthier and more holy future actions and thoughts. It’s an invitation from a gracious God to a better way of living.
Far more than the obligatory “I’m sorry” or “I apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions,” repentance reaches deep inside to sort out the factors involved in the act or thought or action.
I’m guessing we won’t need an “I’m sorry” for each of our trillions of transgressions when we get to heaven. Instead, we will acknowledge the gift: the free offer of forgiveness for all the yucky stuff we’ve managed as we wandered through the muck of human experience. Possibly the biggest challenge will be making the final acknowledgement that we ourselves are not God. It’s a call to genuine humility, not groveling over our transgressions. Somewhere along the line, you’ve been taught a punitive, judgmental God, out to get you. Put it down. Those who preach it seek to control with fear. Leave behind fear-based theology. Yes, it’s hard. But it will set you free.[Email questions to thoughtfulpastor@gmail.com. A version of this column appeared in the Friday April 29, 2016 print and online editions of The Denton Record Chronicle. Christy blogs at ChristyThomas.com.]
"This Sunday, May 15, 2016"
Day of Pentecost: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17 (25-27)
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Lectionary Readings
Sunday, 15 May 2016
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Acts 2:1-21
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Romans 8:14-17
John 14:8-17, 25-27
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Scripture Texts:
Acts 2:1 The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. 2 Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
5 Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language. 7 Totally amazed, they asked, “How is this possible? Aren’t all these people who are speaking from the Galil? 8 How is it that we hear them speaking in our native languages? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Y’hudah, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome; 11 Jews by birth and proselytes; Jews from Crete and from Arabia. . . ! How is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things God has done?” 12 Amazed and confused, they all went on asking each other, “What can this mean?” 13 But others made fun of them and said, “They’ve just had too much wine!”
14 Then Kefa stood up with the Eleven and raised his voice to address them: “You Judeans, and all of you staying here in Yerushalayim! Let me tell you what this means! Listen carefully to me!
15 “These people ar en’t drunk, as you suppose — it’s only nine in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken about through the prophet Yo’el:
17 ‘Adonai says:
“In the Last Days,
I will pour out from my Spirit upon everyone.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my slaves, both men and women,
will I pour out from my Spirit in those days;
and they will prophesy.
19 I will perform miracles in the sky above
and signs on the earth below —
blood, fire and thick smoke.
20 The sun will become dark
and the moon blood
before the great and fearful Day of Adonai comes.
21 And then, whoever calls on the name of Adonai will be saved.”’[Acts 2:21 Joel 3:1–5(2:28–32)]
Psalm 104:24 What variety there is in your works, Adonai!
How many [of them there are]!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creations.
25 Look at the sea, so great, so wide!
It teems with countless creatures,
living beings, both large and small.
26 The ships are there, sailing to and fro;
Livyatan, which you formed to play there.
27 All of them look to you
to give them their food when they need it.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are well satisfied.
29 If you hide your face, they vanish;
if you hold back their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
30 If you send out your breath, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of Adonai last forever!
May Adonai rejoice in his works!
32 When he looks at the earth, it trembles;
when he touches the mountains, they pour out smoke.
33 I will sing to Adonai as long as I live,
sing praise to my God all my life.
34 May my musings be pleasing to him;
I will rejoice in Adonai.
35 May sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more!
Bless Adonai, my soul!
Halleluyah!
Romans 8:14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit, who makes us sons and by whose power we cry out, “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”). 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God; 17 and if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah — provided we are suffering with him in order also to be glorified with him.
John 14:8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.” 9 Yeshua replied to him, “Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me? What I am telling you, I am not saying on my own initiative; the Father living in me is doing his own works. 11 Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. 12 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father. 13 In fact, whatever you ask for in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me for something in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands; 16 and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever. 17 The world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, because he is staying with you and will be united with you.
25 “I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you.
27 “What I am leaving with you is shalom — I am giving you my shalom. I don’t give the way the world gives. Don’t let yourselves be upset or frightened.
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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for: Acts 2:1-21
Verse 2
[2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven — So will the Son of man come to judgment.
And it filled all the house — That is, all that part of the temple where they were sitting.
Verse 3
[3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And there appeared distinct tongues, as of fire — That is, small flames of fire. This is all which the phrase, tongues of fire, means in the language of the seventy. Yet it might intimate God's touching their tongues as it were (together with their hearts) with Divine fire: his giving them such words as were active and penetrating, even as flaming fire.
Verse 4
[4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And they began to speak with other tongues — The miracle was not in the ears of the hearers, (as some have unaccountably supposed,) but in the mouth of the speakers. And this family praising God together, with the tongues of all the world, was an earnest that the whole world should in due time praise God in their various tongues.
As the Spirit gave them utterance — Moses, the type of the law, was of a slow tongue; but the Gospel speaks with a fiery and flaming one.
Verse 5
[5] And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews — Gathered from all parts by the peculiar providence of God.
Verse 6
[6] Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
The multitude came together, and were confounded — The motions of their minds were swift and various.
Verse 9
[9] Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Judea — The dialect of which greatly differed from that of Galilee.
Asia — The country strictly so called.
Verse 10
[10] Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Roman sojourners — Born at Rome, but now living at Jerusalem. These seem to have come to Jerusalem after those who are above mentioned. All of them were partly Jews by birth, and partly proselytes.
Verse 11
[11] Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Cretans — One island seems to be mentioned for all.
The wonderful works of God — Probably those which related to the miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, together with the effusion of his Spirit, as a fulfilment of his promises, and the glorious dispensations of Gospel grace.
Verse 12
[12] And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
They were all amazed — All the devout men.
Verse 13
[13] Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
But others mocking — The world begins with mocking, thence proceeds to cavilling, Acts 4:7; to threats, 4:17; to imprisoning, Acts 5:18; blows, 5:40; to slaughter, Acts 7:58. These mockers appear to have been some of the natives of Judea, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, (who understood only the dialect of the country,) by the apostle's immediately directing his discourse to them in the next verse.
They are full of sweet wine — So the Greek word properly signifies. There was no new wine so early in the year as pentecost. Thus natural men are wont to ascribe supernatural things to mere natural causes; and many times as impudently and unskilfully as in the present case.
Verse 14
[14] But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Then Peter standing up — All the gestures, all the words of Peter, show the utmost sobriety; lifted up his voice - With cheerfulness and boldness; and said to them - This discourse has three parts; each of which, Acts 2:14,22,29, begins with the same appellation, men: only to the last part he prefixes with more familiarity the additional word brethren.
Men of Judea — That is, ye that are born in Judea. St. Peter spoke in Hebrew, which they all understood.
Verse 15
[15] For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
It is but the third hour of the day — That is, nine in the morning. And on the solemn festivals the Jews rarely ate or drank any thing till noon.
Verse 16
[16] But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet — But there is another and better way of accounting for this. Joel 2:28
Verse 17
[17] And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
The times of the Messiah are frequently called the last days, the Gospel being the last dispensation of Divine grace.
I will pour out of my Spirit — Not on the day of pentecost only, upon all flesh - On persons of every age, sex, and rank.
And your young men shall see visions — In young men the outward sense, are most vigorous, and the bodily strength is entire, whereby they are best qualified to sustain the shock which usually attends the visions of God. In old men the internal senses are most vigorous, suited to divine dreams. Not that the old are wholly excluded from the former, nor the young from the latter.
Verse 18
[18] And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
And upon my servants — On those who are literally in a state of servitude.
Verse 19
[19] And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
And I will show prodigies in heaven above, and signs on earth beneath — Great revelations of grace are usually attended with great judgments on those who reject it.
In heaven — Treated of, Acts 2:20.
On earth — Described in this verse. Such signs were those mentioned, Acts 2:22, before the passion of Christ; which are so mentioned as to include also those at the very time of the passion and resurrection, at the destruction of Jerusalem, and at the end of the world. Terrible indeed were those prodigies in particular which preceded the destruction of Jerusalem: such as the flaming sword hanging over the city, and the fiery comet pointing down upon it for a year; the light that shone upon the temple and the altar in the night, as if it had been noon-day; the opening of the great and heavy gate of the temple without hands; the voice heard from the most holy place, Let us depart hence; the admonition of Jesus the son of Ananus, crying for seven years together, Wo, wo, wo; the vision of contending armies in the air, and of entrenchments thrown up against a city there represented; the terrible thunders and lightnings, and dreadful earthquakes, which every one considered as portending some great evil: all which, through the singular providence of God, are particularly recorded by Josephus.
Blood — War and slaughter.
Fire — Burnings of houses and towns, involving all in clouds of smoke.
Verse 20
[20] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
The moon shall be turned into blood — A bloody colour: before the day of the Lord - Eminently the last day; though not excluding any other day or season, wherein the Lord shall manifest his glory, in taking vengeance of his adversaries.
Verse 21
[21] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
But — whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord - This expression implies the whole of religion, and particularly prayer uttered in faith; shall be saved - From all those plagues; from sin and hell.
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Verse 25
[25] So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
Creeping — This word is common to all creatures that move without feet.
Verse 26
[26] There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
Leviathan — The whale.
Therein — Who being of such a vast strength and absolute dominion in the sea, tumbles in it with great security, and sports himself with other creatures.
Verse 20
[20] Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
Darkness — Which succeeds the light by virtue of thy decree.
Verse 29
[29] Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Hidest — Withdrawest the care of thy providence.
Verse 30
[30] Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Spirit — That quickening power of God, by which he produces life in the creatures from time to time. For he speaks not here of the first creation, but of the continued production of living creatures.
Created — Other living creatures are produced; the word created being taken in its largest sense for the production of things by second causes.
Renewest — And thus by thy wise and wonderful providence thou preservest the succession of living creatures.
Verse 31
[31] The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
Rejoice — Thus God advances the glory of his wisdom and power and goodness, in upholding the works of his hands from generation to generation, and he takes pleasure in the preservation of his works, as also in his reflection upon these works of his providence.
Verse 32
[32] He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
He looketh — This is a farther illustration of God's powerful providence: as when he affords his favour to creatures, they live and thrive, so on the contrary, one angry look or touch of his upon the hills or earth, makes them tremble and smoke, as Sinai did when God appeared in it.
Verse 35
[35] Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
Praise ye the Lord — Heb. Hallelujah. This is the first time that this word occurs. And it comes in here on occasion of the destruction of the wicked. And the last time it occurs, Revelation 19:1; 3,4,6, it is on a like occasion, the destruction of Babylon.
Lectionary Readings
Sunday, 15 May 2016
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Acts 2:1-21
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Romans 8:14-17
John 14:8-17, 25-27
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Scripture Texts:
Acts 2:1 The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. 2 Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
5 Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language. 7 Totally amazed, they asked, “How is this possible? Aren’t all these people who are speaking from the Galil? 8 How is it that we hear them speaking in our native languages? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Y’hudah, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome; 11 Jews by birth and proselytes; Jews from Crete and from Arabia. . . ! How is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things God has done?” 12 Amazed and confused, they all went on asking each other, “What can this mean?” 13 But others made fun of them and said, “They’ve just had too much wine!”
14 Then Kefa stood up with the Eleven and raised his voice to address them: “You Judeans, and all of you staying here in Yerushalayim! Let me tell you what this means! Listen carefully to me!
15 “These people ar en’t drunk, as you suppose — it’s only nine in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken about through the prophet Yo’el:
17 ‘Adonai says:
“In the Last Days,
I will pour out from my Spirit upon everyone.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my slaves, both men and women,
will I pour out from my Spirit in those days;
and they will prophesy.
19 I will perform miracles in the sky above
and signs on the earth below —
blood, fire and thick smoke.
20 The sun will become dark
and the moon blood
before the great and fearful Day of Adonai comes.
21 And then, whoever calls on the name of Adonai will be saved.”’[Acts 2:21 Joel 3:1–5(2:28–32)]
Psalm 104:24 What variety there is in your works, Adonai!
How many [of them there are]!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creations.
25 Look at the sea, so great, so wide!
It teems with countless creatures,
living beings, both large and small.
26 The ships are there, sailing to and fro;
Livyatan, which you formed to play there.
27 All of them look to you
to give them their food when they need it.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are well satisfied.
29 If you hide your face, they vanish;
if you hold back their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
30 If you send out your breath, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of Adonai last forever!
May Adonai rejoice in his works!
32 When he looks at the earth, it trembles;
when he touches the mountains, they pour out smoke.
33 I will sing to Adonai as long as I live,
sing praise to my God all my life.
34 May my musings be pleasing to him;
I will rejoice in Adonai.
35 May sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more!
Bless Adonai, my soul!
Halleluyah!
Romans 8:14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit, who makes us sons and by whose power we cry out, “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”). 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God; 17 and if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah — provided we are suffering with him in order also to be glorified with him.
John 14:8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.” 9 Yeshua replied to him, “Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me? What I am telling you, I am not saying on my own initiative; the Father living in me is doing his own works. 11 Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. 12 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father. 13 In fact, whatever you ask for in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me for something in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands; 16 and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever. 17 The world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, because he is staying with you and will be united with you.
25 “I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you.
27 “What I am leaving with you is shalom — I am giving you my shalom. I don’t give the way the world gives. Don’t let yourselves be upset or frightened.
-------
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for: Acts 2:1-21
Verse 2
[2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven — So will the Son of man come to judgment.
And it filled all the house — That is, all that part of the temple where they were sitting.
Verse 3
[3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And there appeared distinct tongues, as of fire — That is, small flames of fire. This is all which the phrase, tongues of fire, means in the language of the seventy. Yet it might intimate God's touching their tongues as it were (together with their hearts) with Divine fire: his giving them such words as were active and penetrating, even as flaming fire.
Verse 4
[4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And they began to speak with other tongues — The miracle was not in the ears of the hearers, (as some have unaccountably supposed,) but in the mouth of the speakers. And this family praising God together, with the tongues of all the world, was an earnest that the whole world should in due time praise God in their various tongues.
As the Spirit gave them utterance — Moses, the type of the law, was of a slow tongue; but the Gospel speaks with a fiery and flaming one.
Verse 5
[5] And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews — Gathered from all parts by the peculiar providence of God.
Verse 6
[6] Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
The multitude came together, and were confounded — The motions of their minds were swift and various.
Verse 9
[9] Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Judea — The dialect of which greatly differed from that of Galilee.
Asia — The country strictly so called.
Verse 10
[10] Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Roman sojourners — Born at Rome, but now living at Jerusalem. These seem to have come to Jerusalem after those who are above mentioned. All of them were partly Jews by birth, and partly proselytes.
Verse 11
[11] Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Cretans — One island seems to be mentioned for all.
The wonderful works of God — Probably those which related to the miracles, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, together with the effusion of his Spirit, as a fulfilment of his promises, and the glorious dispensations of Gospel grace.
Verse 12
[12] And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
They were all amazed — All the devout men.
Verse 13
[13] Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
But others mocking — The world begins with mocking, thence proceeds to cavilling, Acts 4:7; to threats, 4:17; to imprisoning, Acts 5:18; blows, 5:40; to slaughter, Acts 7:58. These mockers appear to have been some of the natives of Judea, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, (who understood only the dialect of the country,) by the apostle's immediately directing his discourse to them in the next verse.
They are full of sweet wine — So the Greek word properly signifies. There was no new wine so early in the year as pentecost. Thus natural men are wont to ascribe supernatural things to mere natural causes; and many times as impudently and unskilfully as in the present case.
Verse 14
[14] But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Then Peter standing up — All the gestures, all the words of Peter, show the utmost sobriety; lifted up his voice - With cheerfulness and boldness; and said to them - This discourse has three parts; each of which, Acts 2:14,22,29, begins with the same appellation, men: only to the last part he prefixes with more familiarity the additional word brethren.
Men of Judea — That is, ye that are born in Judea. St. Peter spoke in Hebrew, which they all understood.
Verse 15
[15] For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
It is but the third hour of the day — That is, nine in the morning. And on the solemn festivals the Jews rarely ate or drank any thing till noon.
Verse 16
[16] But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet — But there is another and better way of accounting for this. Joel 2:28
Verse 17
[17] And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
The times of the Messiah are frequently called the last days, the Gospel being the last dispensation of Divine grace.
I will pour out of my Spirit — Not on the day of pentecost only, upon all flesh - On persons of every age, sex, and rank.
And your young men shall see visions — In young men the outward sense, are most vigorous, and the bodily strength is entire, whereby they are best qualified to sustain the shock which usually attends the visions of God. In old men the internal senses are most vigorous, suited to divine dreams. Not that the old are wholly excluded from the former, nor the young from the latter.
Verse 18
[18] And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
And upon my servants — On those who are literally in a state of servitude.
Verse 19
[19] And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
And I will show prodigies in heaven above, and signs on earth beneath — Great revelations of grace are usually attended with great judgments on those who reject it.
In heaven — Treated of, Acts 2:20.
On earth — Described in this verse. Such signs were those mentioned, Acts 2:22, before the passion of Christ; which are so mentioned as to include also those at the very time of the passion and resurrection, at the destruction of Jerusalem, and at the end of the world. Terrible indeed were those prodigies in particular which preceded the destruction of Jerusalem: such as the flaming sword hanging over the city, and the fiery comet pointing down upon it for a year; the light that shone upon the temple and the altar in the night, as if it had been noon-day; the opening of the great and heavy gate of the temple without hands; the voice heard from the most holy place, Let us depart hence; the admonition of Jesus the son of Ananus, crying for seven years together, Wo, wo, wo; the vision of contending armies in the air, and of entrenchments thrown up against a city there represented; the terrible thunders and lightnings, and dreadful earthquakes, which every one considered as portending some great evil: all which, through the singular providence of God, are particularly recorded by Josephus.
Blood — War and slaughter.
Fire — Burnings of houses and towns, involving all in clouds of smoke.
Verse 20
[20] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
The moon shall be turned into blood — A bloody colour: before the day of the Lord - Eminently the last day; though not excluding any other day or season, wherein the Lord shall manifest his glory, in taking vengeance of his adversaries.
Verse 21
[21] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
But — whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord - This expression implies the whole of religion, and particularly prayer uttered in faith; shall be saved - From all those plagues; from sin and hell.
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Verse 25
[25] So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
Creeping — This word is common to all creatures that move without feet.
Verse 26
[26] There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
Leviathan — The whale.
Therein — Who being of such a vast strength and absolute dominion in the sea, tumbles in it with great security, and sports himself with other creatures.
Verse 20
[20] Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
Darkness — Which succeeds the light by virtue of thy decree.
Verse 29
[29] Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
Hidest — Withdrawest the care of thy providence.
Verse 30
[30] Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Spirit — That quickening power of God, by which he produces life in the creatures from time to time. For he speaks not here of the first creation, but of the continued production of living creatures.
Created — Other living creatures are produced; the word created being taken in its largest sense for the production of things by second causes.
Renewest — And thus by thy wise and wonderful providence thou preservest the succession of living creatures.
Verse 31
[31] The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
Rejoice — Thus God advances the glory of his wisdom and power and goodness, in upholding the works of his hands from generation to generation, and he takes pleasure in the preservation of his works, as also in his reflection upon these works of his providence.
Verse 32
[32] He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
He looketh — This is a farther illustration of God's powerful providence: as when he affords his favour to creatures, they live and thrive, so on the contrary, one angry look or touch of his upon the hills or earth, makes them tremble and smoke, as Sinai did when God appeared in it.
Verse 35
[35] Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
Praise ye the Lord — Heb. Hallelujah. This is the first time that this word occurs. And it comes in here on occasion of the destruction of the wicked. And the last time it occurs, Revelation 19:1; 3,4,6, it is on a like occasion, the destruction of Babylon.
Romans 8:14-17
Verse 14
[14] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God — In all the ways of righteousness.
They are the sons of God — Here St. Paul enters upon the description of those blessings which he comprises, Romans 8:30, in the word glorified; though, indeed, he does not describe mere glory, but that which is still mingled with the cross. The sum is, through sufferings to glory.
Verse 15
[15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
For ye — Who are real Christians.
Have not received the spirit of bondage — The Holy Ghost was not properly a spirit of bondage, even in the time of the Old Testament. Yet there was something of bondage remaining even in those who then had received the Spirit.
Again — As the Jews did before.
We — All and every believer.
Cry — The word denotes a vehement speaking, with desire, confidence, constancy.
Abba, Father — The latter word explains the former. By using both the Syriac and the Greek word, St. Paul seems to point out the joint cry both of the Jewish and gentile believers. The spirit of bondage here seems directly to mean, those operations of the Holy Spirit by which the soul, on its first conviction, feels itself in bondage to sin, to the world, to Satan, and obnoxious to the wrath of God. This, therefore, and the Spirit of adoption, are one and the same Spirit, only manifesting itself in various operations, according to the various circumstances of the persons.
Verse 16
[16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirit — With the spirit of every true believer, by a testimony distinct from that of his own spirit, or the testimony of a good conscience. Happy they who enjoy this clear and constant.
Verse 17
[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Joint heirs — That we may know it is a great inheritance which God will give us for he hath given a great one to his Son.
If we suffer with him — Willingly and cheerfully, for righteousness' sake. This is a new proposition, referring to what follows.
Verse 14
[14] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God — In all the ways of righteousness.
They are the sons of God — Here St. Paul enters upon the description of those blessings which he comprises, Romans 8:30, in the word glorified; though, indeed, he does not describe mere glory, but that which is still mingled with the cross. The sum is, through sufferings to glory.
Verse 15
[15] For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
For ye — Who are real Christians.
Have not received the spirit of bondage — The Holy Ghost was not properly a spirit of bondage, even in the time of the Old Testament. Yet there was something of bondage remaining even in those who then had received the Spirit.
Again — As the Jews did before.
We — All and every believer.
Cry — The word denotes a vehement speaking, with desire, confidence, constancy.
Abba, Father — The latter word explains the former. By using both the Syriac and the Greek word, St. Paul seems to point out the joint cry both of the Jewish and gentile believers. The spirit of bondage here seems directly to mean, those operations of the Holy Spirit by which the soul, on its first conviction, feels itself in bondage to sin, to the world, to Satan, and obnoxious to the wrath of God. This, therefore, and the Spirit of adoption, are one and the same Spirit, only manifesting itself in various operations, according to the various circumstances of the persons.
Verse 16
[16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirit — With the spirit of every true believer, by a testimony distinct from that of his own spirit, or the testimony of a good conscience. Happy they who enjoy this clear and constant.
Verse 17
[17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Joint heirs — That we may know it is a great inheritance which God will give us for he hath given a great one to his Son.
If we suffer with him — Willingly and cheerfully, for righteousness' sake. This is a new proposition, referring to what follows.
John 14:8-17, 25-27
Verse 10
[10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
I am in the Father — The words that I speak, etc.-That is, I am one with the Father, in essence, in speaking, and in acting.
Verse 11
[11] Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Believe me — On my own word, because I am God.
The works — This respects not merely the miracles themselves, but his sovereign, Godlike way of performing them.
Verse 12
[12] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Greater works than these shall he do — So one apostle wrought miracles merely by his shadow, Acts 5:15; another by handkerchiefs carried from his body, Acts 19:12; and all spake with various tongues. But the converting one sinner is a greater work than all these.
Because I go to my Father — To send you the Holy Ghost.
Verse 15
[15] If ye love me, keep my commandments.
If ye love me, keep my commandments — Immediately after faith he exhorts to love and good works.
Verse 16
[16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
And I will ask the Father — The 21st verse, John 14:21, shows the connection between this and the preceding verses.
And he will give you another Comforter — The Greek word signifies also an advocate, instructer, or encourager.
Another — For Christ himself was one.
To remain with you for ever — With you, and your followers in faith, to the end of the world.
Verse 17
[17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The Spirit of truth — Who has, reveals, testifies, and defends the truth as it is in Jesus.
Whom the world — All who do not love or fear God, cannot receive, because it seeth him not - Having no spiritual senses, no internal eye to discern him; nor consequently knoweth him.
He shall be in you — As a constant guest. Your bodies and souls shall be temples of the Holy Ghost dwelling in you.
Verse 10
[10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
I am in the Father — The words that I speak, etc.-That is, I am one with the Father, in essence, in speaking, and in acting.
Verse 11
[11] Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Believe me — On my own word, because I am God.
The works — This respects not merely the miracles themselves, but his sovereign, Godlike way of performing them.
Verse 12
[12] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Greater works than these shall he do — So one apostle wrought miracles merely by his shadow, Acts 5:15; another by handkerchiefs carried from his body, Acts 19:12; and all spake with various tongues. But the converting one sinner is a greater work than all these.
Because I go to my Father — To send you the Holy Ghost.
Verse 15
[15] If ye love me, keep my commandments.
If ye love me, keep my commandments — Immediately after faith he exhorts to love and good works.
Verse 16
[16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
And I will ask the Father — The 21st verse, John 14:21, shows the connection between this and the preceding verses.
And he will give you another Comforter — The Greek word signifies also an advocate, instructer, or encourager.
Another — For Christ himself was one.
To remain with you for ever — With you, and your followers in faith, to the end of the world.
Verse 17
[17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The Spirit of truth — Who has, reveals, testifies, and defends the truth as it is in Jesus.
Whom the world — All who do not love or fear God, cannot receive, because it seeth him not - Having no spiritual senses, no internal eye to discern him; nor consequently knoweth him.
He shall be in you — As a constant guest. Your bodies and souls shall be temples of the Holy Ghost dwelling in you.
Verse 26
[26] But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
In my name — For my sake, in my room, and as my agent.
He will teach you all things — Necessary for you to know. Here is a clear promise to the apostles, and their successors in the faith, that the Holy Ghost will teach them all that truth which is needful for their salvation.
Verse 27
[27] Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Peace I leave with you — Peace in general; peace with God and with your own consciences.
My peace — In particular; that peace which I enjoy, and which I create, I give - At this instant.
Not as the world giveth — Unsatisfying unsettled, transient; but filling the soul with constant, even tranquillity. Lord, evermore give us this peace! How serenely may we pass through the most turbulent scenes of life, when all is quiet and harmonious within! Thou hast made peace through the blood of thy cross. May we give all diligence to preserve the inestimable gift inviolate, till it issue in everlasting peace!
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[26] But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
In my name — For my sake, in my room, and as my agent.
He will teach you all things — Necessary for you to know. Here is a clear promise to the apostles, and their successors in the faith, that the Holy Ghost will teach them all that truth which is needful for their salvation.
Verse 27
[27] Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Peace I leave with you — Peace in general; peace with God and with your own consciences.
My peace — In particular; that peace which I enjoy, and which I create, I give - At this instant.
Not as the world giveth — Unsatisfying unsettled, transient; but filling the soul with constant, even tranquillity. Lord, evermore give us this peace! How serenely may we pass through the most turbulent scenes of life, when all is quiet and harmonious within! Thou hast made peace through the blood of thy cross. May we give all diligence to preserve the inestimable gift inviolate, till it issue in everlasting peace!
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The Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004, United States
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"FROM THE PARTICULAR TO THE UNIVERSAL" by Roberto L. GómezActs 2:1-21
The concept of the Holy Spirit is always fascinating. There are many attempts to define it and describe it, but alas, all fall short. To use an ancient Latin phrase, the Holy Spirit is a mysterium tremendum. My interest here is to focus on the work of the Holy Spirit on that Day of Pentecost.
First, the presence of the Holy Spirit became evident in an overwhelming way. The report of the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts says that “suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting” (2:2).
A number of times strong gusts of wind have hit me while I was walking, hit my home during a storm, or hit my car while I was driving on the highway. Air turbulence easily knocks around a big airplane. One can only marvel at the power of wind in those instances. Thus, in its initial appearance, the Holy Spirit manifested its tremendous power in the movement of the wind.
Second, the presence of the Holy Spirit touched everyone present in the upper room during that Pentecost Day. People of faith from all backgrounds, various languages, and different nationalities experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in a personal, powerful, life-transforming moment.
During my lifetime, I have experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during a worship service or a spiritual rally. Although there is much emotion, the best parts of those experiences are the love, peace, joy, and unity felt among the participants. The group of people can be big or small, but the presence and power of the Holy Spirit are evident. In those precious moments people are greatly blessed with a profound sense of forgiveness, of new hope, new life, healing, and reconciliation, resulting in blessing after blessing.
For me, the most exciting and interesting work of the Holy Spirit is its third action on Pentecost Day. By enabling the people present to speak different languages so that non-Aramaic-speaking people can understand the message, the Holy Spirit breaks all kinds of barriers, indeed frees the gospel from a particular first-century Galilean rabbi to a universal message of hope and salvation for all people.
In various psalms (67; 72; 117) we find a vision of God as the God of all nations, of all peoples, of all the earth and its inhabitants. We find the same theme repeated in the Prophets, especially Isaiah (2:2-4) and Jeremiah (3:17; 4:2-4). We see that the Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly reached out to the marginalized, the poor, the sick, the social rejects, women, foreigners, military, nonmilitary, known sinners, the religious, and the wealthy. Jesus’ closing words before his ascension are that his followers are to go to all the nations of the world to baptize and preach in his name. The Holy Spirit gives Jesus’ followers the power to carry out the commandment Jesus gave them to baptize and preach in his name to all people.
At a church conference, I noticed a young man who listened attentively to the lectures. I wondered who he was. I took the opportunity to speak to him. He told me he was from Nepal, the tiny country on whose border with Tibet sits Mount Everest. He once was a Hindu and believed in many gods. While he was attending college, a student gave him a tract about Jesus. He was so intrigued reading about Jesus that he got a Bible to read more about Jesus. Soon, he encountered the living Christ and became a Christian. He joined a Christian fellowship.
For the first time in his life, he felt forgiven and redeemed. He left a life of confusion and uncertainty for a life of assurance, hope, faith, and love. He began living a new life, a life based on the living Christ. It was a dangerous time for him. At that time, Nepal did not allow Christians to worship openly. His family, all Hindus, ostracized him. Yet his faith in Jesus Christ grew stronger. Several years later, the government changed and Christians could worship openly. Then his family became Christian. Now, as headmaster of a small Christian college, he joyfully serves the Lord Jesus Christ.
How could it be that a young man from Nepal read a tract about Jesus, became a convert to the Christian faith, and now directs a Christian training school? It happened because of the movement and power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit inspired someone to write that tract, someone else to give away the tract, and that Nepalese man to read it and be touched by its message about the Lord Jesus Christ.
We all can have our Pentecost. We can experience the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in worship, in the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, during prayer time, during Bible study, during missionary outreach, during service work, in whatever activity helps us have an open heart and mind to the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also present in times of personal suffering and even death. God sends us the Holy Spirit in such moments to comfort us but also to give us the courage, faith, and power to deal with our suffering and grief and then move on. The Holy Spirit helps us experience God’s presence and gives us the power to be faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is God’s way of staying in touch daily with his people as they share the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed.
Thus the whole world can rejoice in the hope that God’s love in the Lord Jesus Christ is also for them. The Holy Spirit labors mightily toward that end. Let us pray that as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have open hearts and open minds to the presence and movement of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
"WORSHIP ELEMENTS: PENTECOST 2016" by Laura Jaquith BartlettPentecost
COLOR: Red
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17 (25-27)
THEME IDEAS
Despite the good news of the resurrection, the post-Easter disciples were a rather tentative bunch. They had lost their leader. There was dissension all around them. They were understandably afraid, for their friend and teacher had just been executed by the government. Into their already turbulent lives blew the life-changing wind of the Holy Spirit. Yikes! But as promised in John, the Advocate empowers, comforts, encourages, and strengthens the disciples. To claim the same gifts today, we need only give our fears to the Wind, and open our lives to be transformed.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Gathering Words (John 14)
Even after the resurrection, when the disciples
were weighed down with worry,
Jesus assured them that they were not alone:
“The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you everything,
and remind you of all that I have said to you.”
Even after the resurrection, when the disciples
were burdened by their fears,
Jesus calmed their troubled hearts:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled,
and do not let them be afraid.”
Even after the resurrection, when we struggle
with our faith,
Jesus blesses us with comfort and hope:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace
I give to you.”
Especially after the resurrection, when our souls
are dry and barren,
the Holy Spirit blows through our lives,
bringing us new life. Alleluia!
Opening Prayer (Acts 2, John 14)
Amazing God,
you call us today,
just as you called the disciples
on the Day of Pentecost.
You challenge and support us,
revealing the brokenness of our communities;
giving us the peace that our world needs.
You point us to the pain of the cross,
and then remind us of the joy of the resurrection.
Transform us, O God,
through the power of your Holy Spirit.
Help us breathe deeply
of the Breath of Life.
Blow through our worship
and change our lives forever. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Acts 2)
Holy Spirit,
we’re not sure we’re ready
for your awesome power
to blow through our lives;
we’re grown comfortable
with our familiar habits
and our bland routines;
we’re afraid to give up our waking slumber
and face the truth
that we do not truly live.
When we cling to our ways
and the safety of familiar paths,
wake us up,
shake us up,
heat us up,
and breathe your life into us.
Walk with us, O God,
and give us the courage
to follow the way that is lit
by the fire of your Spirit.
On this Day of Pentecost,
we pray for the audacity
to ride the winds of change. Amen.
Words of Assurance (John 14)
Hear these words of Jesus:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace
I give to you. . . . Do not let your hearts
be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
In the midst of our fears and doubts,
the peace of the Holy Spirit will prevail.
Passing the Peace of Christ (John 14)
When Jesus left his disciples, he did not leave them alone. He promised that the Holy Spirit would be present in their lives, and he gave them an amazing gift: his peace, the peace of Christ. Through the Spirit, this gift lives still, and it is ours to share with others. Turn to those around you and offer Christ’s gift with these words: “The peace of Christ is yours today!”
Response to the Word (Acts 2, Psalm 104, John 14)
Holy Spirit,
we are not ready for you,
but we know that you are ready for us—
ready to change our lives if we will let you.
Help us prepare
by setting our hearts on fire with love;
by blowing away our fears and doubts;
by tuning our ears to the rich diversity
of language and culture around the world;
by opening our eyes to the amazing beauty
and power of your creation;
by breathing into us
the joy and hope of the resurrected Christ,
in whose name we pray. Amen.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Offering Prayer (Acts 2, John 14)
Pentecost God,
take our hearts and set them on fire.
Take our lives and transform them.
Take our church and resurrect it
with your life-giving Spirit.
Take our gifts and use them
for the fulfillment of your vision
of peace and unity. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Acts 2, Psalm 104, John 14)
The God who made this amazing universe
is creating you anew every day.
Jesus Christ, the resurrected One,
offers you peace that never dies.
The Holy Spirit is setting your hearts on fire—
right here, right now.
Go in peace, and be transformed,
that you may change the world. Amen.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Acts 2)
Leader 1: Jesus Christ is alive and with us today!
Leader 2: (Disbelieving) What?
Leader 1: Get ready for some excitement: Jesus is
right here, right now!
Leader 2: Come on, this is the twenty-first century.
We don’t believe that kind of thing anymore.
Leader 1: Can’t you feel the Spirit? God is ready to
change us today!
Leader 2: What are you babbling about? We don’t feel
anything.
Leader 1: It’s true! God’s Spirit is going to set us on
fire today, so get ready.
Leader 2: (Turning away in disgust) This is ridiculous.
You must be drunk!
All: It is true! The Holy Spirit has set us on fire
with the crazy joy of the resurrection.
We’re ready for God to change us today!
Praise Sentences (Psalm 104)
O Lord, how manifold are your works!
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2017 is now available.
"WORSHIP CONNECTION: PENTECOST 2016" by Nancy C. TownleyPentecost
COLOR: Red
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17 (25-27)
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1:
L: Come, Holy Spirit! Ignite our hearts with joy and confidence!
P: For God has done wondrous things for us.
L: Come, Holy Spirit! Fill us with the power of the rushing wind that we may faithfully serve you in all that we do.
P: For Christ has called each of us and blessed us!
L: Come, Holy Spirit! Be with us today.
P: Help us to boldly proclaim Christ Risen. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2:
L: We are the Easter people!
P: We have witnessed the Resurrection of our Lord.
L: We are now called to be people of the Pentecost.
P: We are called to boldly share the good news of God’s love.
L: Open your hearts, O people, to God’s great power and love.
P: We open our hearts to hear God’s word for us and to joyfully proclaim Jesus Christ as our Savior. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3:
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2117, “Spirit of God” (verses 1 and 4), offer the following call to worship. Have the instrumentalists play through the song one time. The second time through, have the choir sing verses 1 and 4 while liturgists enter, decorating the worship space]
L: Come, Holy Spirit of God! Bring your mighty power into our lives.
P: Rush through our spirits, inspiring us to witness to the great love of God.
[Liturgists enter, carrying unlit candles to be placed in the worship center, while the first verse of the song is being sung.]
L: Come, Holy Spirit of God! Burn light bright flames in our hearts.
P: Emblazon us with the confident spirit of faith that our lives will show your love.
[Two groups of liturgists enter. The first group, comprised of two people, enter with a lighted candle-lighter, or a tall lighted candle. They proceed to the worship center and light all the candles on the worship center. The second group of liturgists, comprised of four to six liturgists enter with red crepe paper streamers waving in the air, over the heads of the congregation. These streamers they hang from the pulpit, lectern, and worship table, then they leave.]
L: Come, Holy Spirit of God! Be with us today in our thoughts and our prayers.
P: Come, Holy Spirit of God! Be with us in our words and our deeds. AMEN.
Call to Worship #4:
L: God invites us to wake from our slumbers.
P: There is much to be done for God today.
L: God encourages us to proclaim God’s goodness and love.
P: There are so many people who are lost and hurt, who need the good news of God.
L: God inspires us to be bold in our proclamation, unafraid, confident.
P: Lord God, be with us as we step boldly out to share your Good News. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY/READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer:
God of wind and fire, embolden us this day to receive your power. Help us to proclaim the wondrous things that you have done and continue to do in our lives. Give us strength and courage to share the Good News of your love and your presence. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession:
Lord God, you know us too well. You know that we would be like the disciples following the crucifixion and even the resurrection. We would rather hide and mutter and weep, than proclaim the power of your love. The world is a difficult place. We fear so much. We want people to like us, and so we hold back on our proclamation of our faith. We don’t want to offend anyone. But your love and presence are not offensive. They are empowering and healing. Bring your holy fire upon us this day to ignite a spark of joy in our hearts and our voices. Bring the power of your rushing wind through our spirits that we may be turned in new directions for service and witness. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Words of Assurance:
God’s awesome love is offered to you, even when you fear or are unsure of your faith. Know that God is with you. Be not afraid. Hallelujah!
Pastoral Prayer:
We would like to settle into a nice, comfortable routine, Lord, in which we don’t have to do much of anything, just sit back and relax. We are tired and wonder if we have anything left to give of our talents, our spirits, our lives. So the story of the disciples hiding in the upper room is not uncomfortable for us. We want to hide, too. But you have come to us in your resurrection love - we have seen the prints of the nails in your hands and feet, we have felt the wound in your side. We have been with you on the seashore, but we still quiver with fear and uncertainty. Send your Holy Spirit upon us today! Let the rushing wind of your spirit, stir us up to action for good and healing. Let the flame of your power ignite our hearts with passion for justice and peace. As we have brought names of people to prayer this day asking for healing mercies, may we also add our names, asking for empowerment and renewal of our spirits. Take us and use our gifts and our talents for healing in your world. Help us to be bold in our proclamation of your great Good News of love and hope. AMEN.
Litany/Reading:
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2120 “ Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness”, have the choir or a small ensemble sing the refrain through first, and then sing it quietly through 3 more times while a reader is offering the following words - you will need to time this so that the reading ends before the final singing of the refrain]
Choir/Ensemble: singing refrain of TFWS, p. 2120 “Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness”
Reader 1: From the very instant of creation, your Holy Spirit moved on the waters of creation, bringing to life the creative love that is God.
Reader 2: Even when the people were forgetful and stubborn, your Holy Spirit called to them to be unafraid, to follow. It led them through the desert to a land of sweet dwelling.
Reader 1: During all the times of fear and tumult, you sang the song of hope through the prophets, who called people back to you with tender forgiveness.
Reader 2: On a dark winter night you sang your sweetest song and birthed a Savior who came to being us life and witness to your love and power.
Reader 1: At the lakeshore you called to the simple people, the fishermen, to come and follow you. They witnessed your miracles of healing and forgiving love.
Reader 2: When the night seemed to be the darkest, even though it was mid-day - you gave your Son to be a witness to your love. From his cross He forgave those who crucified Him and reminded a thief that paradise would be his home.
Reader 1: On the early morning, the women were startled with the news of His resurrection. Could it be that all he had said was true?
Reader 2: The disciples hid in fear of what others might say, think or do. They were astonished at his presence to them.
Reader 1: Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness, help us to dream dreams and see visions of all that is possible for the healing and hope for this world.
Reader 2: Help us cross lines which divide and unite to proclaim boldly that you are the Spirit of Absolute Love and Peace. Emblazon our spirits. Make bold our voices. Give joy to our hearts, for we have been called to be witnesses, even to the ends of the world. AMEN.
Benediction:
Awesome Spirit! You have inspired us this day to be witnesses to God’s love and power. Help us to be joyful in our service and strong in our faith for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we go in peace, with God’s peace in our hearts.AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional color for this Sunday is RED.
Surface: Create several levels on the worship table on which candles will be placed. The risers may vary from about two inches high to about 10” high.
Fabric: Cover the entire worship center in Red fabric, so that all the risers are covered and the fabric comes down to the floor.
Candles: You may use votive candles or small pillar candles. At least one of the candles on one of the taller risers should be about 8” high - this candle should be white. Each of the other candles may be white or various colors. Candles should be grouped on the risers and on the main level of the table. I would recommend using about 20-30 candles.
Flowers/Foliage: I recommend using ferns or ivy in this setting, but as a backdrop to the worship center to soften the edges, and give a good background for the candle risers.
Rocks/Wood: Not necessary for this setting.Other: If you are using call to worship #3, above, in which liturgists bring in red crepe paper streamers, you will want to prepare the streamers in advance. Take red crepe paper streamers, about 3-4 feet in length, and put them together in bundles of five streamers. Each liturgist should be carrying a bundle of streamers in each hand, which they will wave over the congregation. These streamers may be placed on the pulpit, lectern, and worship table. If you are not using the call to worship #3, place the streamers on the pulpit, lectern, and draping down from the worship center. You might also think about hanging some streamers with doves from the walls on the sides of the sanctuary. Be creative, but don’t overdo it!
JOHN 14:8-17 (25-27)
Jesus is God's greatest gift to the world (John 3:16) . But God wasn't through giving! In our text, Jesus, on his last night with his disciples, revealed to them that God was planning to give them another gift—a very special, very personal, and a very unique gift—the Holy Spirit.
I. This Second Gift (the Holy Spirit) Is Also from the Father
It is important to note that this gift is from "the Father" (vv. 16a, 26). Often, the giver of the gift is an indication of the value or worth of the gift itself. The old adage, "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts" was probably first spoken by the recipients of a wonderful gift presented to the city of Troy by their enemy, the Greeks, under the guise of peace. The story of the Trojan horse still lives today! Yes, the value of the gift is often related to the gift giver.
Or maybe you've been to a party where gag gifts were given. Something silly or naughty or worthless. But the Holy Spirit is no gag gift from God. And the Father is not our enemy that he would give us a gift that would hurt or harm us. Instead, the Father gives good gifts to his children (Matt. 7:9-11). The Holy Spirit is a "good gift" from the Father.
The reason for emphasizing this is because not all Christians are convinced of the full value of the Spirit. While they believe in the Holy Spirit they are also frightened of something they can't control. Their mistake is in forgetting that the Holy Spirit is from the Father and is, therefore, a "good gift," not to be feared but to be embraced. While we may not always agree on how the Spirit works in our lives—let us not ignore or discount the gift itself. For the Holy Spirit is at the core of the Church today and without the Holy Spirit the Church is dead!
II. The Holy Spirit Was Given for a Purpose: As Our Counselor
The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit is to serve as our counselor (or "paraclete"). Jesus tells the disciples that the Holy Spirit will be "another" counselor (vv. 16b, 26). That is because Jesus also served as a counselor or Paraclete (1 John 2:1) .
The basic idea of a counselor is someone who stands beside another to help or aide them. It also indicates someone who stands beside another in court and represents or defends them. In this text, Jesus is promising that when he leaves this earth he will ask the Father to send another counselor to carry on with the disciples. To stand beside them and help them, and if need be, defend them.
III. The Gift of the Holy Spirit Is Forever
This second gift from the Father is forever (v. 16c). Some gifts break after a day (like the toys we give our children on Christmas morning) or become obsolete in a few months (like computers) or wear out in five years or after 100,000 miles. But not this gift from the Father. The Holy Spirit lives in us forever. He is with us for all time. We are never alone. We always have God's presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit.
IV. The Holy Spirit Is an Exclusive Gift—For Believers Only
Jesus promised this gift to his disciples and only to them. In John 14:17 he said, the world cannot accept the Holy Spirit because it neither sees him or knows him. But the disciples know the Holy Spirit because he lives with you and in you. When, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in Acts 2, Peter tells the people to repent and be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is for all whom the Lord will call (Acts 2:38-39).
Please notice the process necessary to receive the Holy Spirit. First one must believe that Jesus is the Messiah, then repent of their sins, be baptized, and then receive the Holy Spirit as the Father's gift to his children.
Paul explains that the Holy Spirit was given to believers as a deposit or down payment on our future inheritance and as God's seal on believers, to show that they are his own people ( Eph. 1:13-14). And Paul makes it very clear—if the Holy Spirit lives in you, you have life, if not, you do not belong to Christ ( Rom. 8:9-11).
Today is Pentecost Sunday. Let us celebrate the coming of God's second gift! Let us give thanks to God for his Holy Spirit! And let us renew our commitment to the Father and the Son and be sensitive to the leadings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. (Michael M. Jones)
THE TOWER OF BABEL
GENESIS 11:1-9
Voltaire quotes a lady of the court of Versailles in a letter to Catherine the Great: "What a pity that bother at the tower of Babel got language all mixed up; but for that, everyone would always have spoken French!" I don't think it's as simple as that!
Consider the tower of Babel more closely. The passage itself is very straightforward: (1) Once upon a time all the earth spoke one language; (2) the descendants of Noah moved eastward to the Babylonian plain, settled there, and decided to build a city and a gigantic tower to "make themselves a name" and keep them from being scattered; (3) they built the city and the tower, and God came down to "take a look" at this achievement; (4) God decided this tower was a foretaste of man's ability to create whatever he could imagine, and so God confounded their one language and scattered the people.
Amazingly, there is no further mention whatsoever in the entire Bible of this episode of building the tower of Babel! It is popular in Jewish legends, however, with one account saying the tower was seventy miles high. Truly it was, as the name Babel means, the "gate of God." According to Genesis 10:10 Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah, made the city of Babel the center of his kingdom. A legend says that God, when he heard of the tower being built, told the seventy angels closest to the throne to go down with him and make the one tongue into seventy. One legend says that the result of this confusion of tongues was that a bricklayer would ask for a brick, and his helper would hand him a bucket of mortar, and get a brick thrown at his head for his troubles.
I. The Lessons of Babel
The overwhelming lesson of this story of the tower is that it reveals in a graphic fashion our sinful nature and why we act the way we do.
They rejected God's will. It is obvious from the garden onward that God's intention for humankind was to scatter and have dominion over the earth (2:28; 8:17; 9:1, 7). But Noah's descendants rejected that plan, and determined they would stay together. That decision was unanimous, but it was an empty unanimity (vv. 1-4). Here at the start of the story we see in humankind a solidarity we can only imagine! It is a very prosaic lesson in the fact that a group can be unified in the wrong direction and around the wrong goals. Simple unity is not enough.
They were filled with a humanistic pride. Humanism is defined in all sorts of ways these days, but in the sense that humanism makes human beings the measure of all things and self-sufficient, then the folks who built the tower were filled with a proud humanism. This tower was a monument to their illusion that they could do without God. Notice the reasons given for the building of this ziggurat, or tower: to make a name for themselves and to prevent being scattered across the earth (v. 4). Doré's famous biblical etchings show a man standing on a block of stone in a stance of arrogance, raising clenched fists to heaven. Josephus says Nimrod built the tower to defy God and escape any further flood. The whole project was human-centered from the start; verse 3 makes a point of the fact that they did not use natural building materials but manmade bricks instead.
Helmut Thielicke puts his finger on the heart of the story when he says they had displaced God from the center of their lives, and thus unbalanced, the spiritual centrifugal forces flung them into the darkness of the world. When they put God out of their lives, life, like some old unbalanced clothes dryer, began whirling faster and faster, thumping and shaking and flinging itself to pieces into the darkness.
II. The Reversal of Babel
Now if we stopped here, there would not be much that is good news or positive about this story. The sin of Babel left us with the barrier of language, and what happened on the Day of Pentecost shows us how the barrier is removed. Sometimes we fail to examine the account of Pentecost in enough detail. At Pentecost we see a group unified and with a dedication to a purpose. But as they preached, a miracle took place; either a miracle of the tongue or a miracle of the ear, for people of over a dozen native tongues all heard the gospel in their own language as these Galilean fishermen preached! It was intelligible! It is at Corinth, and in the modern phenomenon of "speaking in tongues" that the speech is unintelligible, but not at Pentecost. Pentecost is the reversal of Babel.
At Pentecost the crowd asked, "What does this mean?" (Acts 2:12) . Here is what Pentecost means in the light of the tower of Babel in each life. First, in Jesus Christ there is a true basis of unity beyond nationality or language. Second, when we put God's will for our lives through Jesus Christ in its proper and central place in our lives, we have peace, unity, and purpose. Just as the confusion of language at Babel is the symbol of our putting self in the place of God, so the reality of God in our own lives through Jesus overcomes the barrier of language. The cross of Jesus, in any language, is taller than the tower; the cross of Jesus, in any language, draws men and women to it under the blessing of God. The cross of Jesus, in any language, gives a security beyond this world.
In the heart of the prophet in the Old Testament and the vision of the seer in the New Testament the curse of Babel is lifted in the coming of Christ: "Then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent" ( Zeph. 3:9 KJV). So spoke Zephaniah. Then we hear John from the island of Patmos telling us how he saw heaven opened, and the throne room of God Almighty stretched before him. And the four and twenty elders sang a new song because God had redeemed his people out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
In Jesus there is but one language: the language of love, grace, and forgiveness, spoken by the Holy Spirit in a way all of us can understand. (Earl C. Davis)
EXPERIENCING PENTECOST
ACTS 2:1-21
There appears to be a renewed interest in the subject of the Holy Spirit. It is good because there is a great need for him in our day. Arthur Moore stated, "If the church is to rise to its fullest stature in God, if it is to enjoy the abundant life, if it is to meet all foes in the spirit of triumph, it must rely, not upon its numbers or skills, but upon the power of the Holy Spirit."
One could personalize that statement by simply inserting a personal pronoun in place of the word church. That insertion makes an impressive impact on an individual's need.
I. To Experience Pentecost Is to Experience the Person of the Holy Spirit
Our Trinitarian doctrine states that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. He is ever present, convicting humankind of sin, witnessing to our conversion, and empowering believers to live victorious Christian lives.
The power we possess does not come by what we have done, or who we are, or the denominational label we wear. Any power we have occurs because we have invited the Spirit to dwell in us. When we give our hearts to him, he empowers our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits. We become holy people, living abundant lives because of his presence.
II. The Experience of Pentecost Has a Wonderful Message of Jesus' Presence
The disciples watched in horror as the Romans and Jews collaborated together to kill Jesus by crucifixion. These men lost their hope that Friday when Jesus died on the cross. The resurrection of Jesus also brought the resurrection of their hope. After several days Jesus took them up to Bethany and blessed them. As he was blessing them, he was carried into heaven (Luke 24:50-53). However, before he left he promised to send the Holy Spirit so they would receive power (Acts 1:8) . That power is the power of Jesus!
Gordon Brownville tells about Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer who first discovered the magnetic meridian of the North Pole. He also discovered the South Pole. On one of those long trips, Amundsen took along with him a homing pigeon. As he finally made it to the top of the North Pole, he reached inside the cage and set the bird free.
Can you imagine the joy of Amundsen's wife, back in Norway, when she saw that homing pigeon circling the sky above? No doubt she exclaimed, "He's alive, my husband is still alive!"
After the Ascension, when Jesus had gone back to heaven, the disciples clung to his promise to send the Spirit. On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit circled the sky, came through the doorway, and looked on the hundred and twenty in the upper room. The disciples had the continual reminder that Jesus was alive and at the right hand of the Holy Father. He gives us Jesus' presence all the time. That's the same message of the Spirit today.
III. The Experience of Pentecost Had a Power
When the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples at Pentecost it was with limitless power. As a Christian commits to God, his Spirit increases the power voltage. What is that power?
A. The power to love—even our enemies. In a "Peanuts" cartoon strip, Lucy looks longingly at Schroeder and screams out, "Guess what . . . if you don't tell me that you love me, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to hold my breath until I pass out!" Schroeder casually looks up from his piano and quietly tells her, "Breath-holding in children is an interesting phenomenon. . . . It could indicate a metabolic disorder. . . . A forty milligram dose of vitamin B6 twice a day might be helpful. . . . I think that's probably it. You need vitamin B6. You might consider eating more bananas, avocados, and beef liver." As Schroeder finishes his thought he returns to his piano playing without missing a beat. The last frame shows dear Lucy sighing and saying: "I ask for love, and all I get is beef liver!"
Power-packed, Spirit-filled Christians will give the world God's love, not a meaningless substitute!
B. The power to resist temptation. When temptation approaches it offers the possibility of sin. The Holy Spirit is like an alarm bell in the heart reverberating throughout a person's entire being. He rouses the Christian to instantaneous action to stop sin from taking hold by giving one the power to say "no" to sin.
Pentecost is the center of holiness. Experience the glory of the Spirit's presence among us! (Derl G. Keefer)
"WORSHIP FOR KIDS: PENTECOST 2016 by Carolyn C. BrownFrom a Child's Point of View
Acts 2:1-21. This passage tells of the giving of the Holy Spirit and is the key story for Pentecost Sunday. Because children will have trouble following the text, they will depend on you to retell and interpret the story. Two points are of particular interest to them. First, the coming of the spirit with wind and fire invites their imaginations to work on "What it was really like." (See Sermon Resources for suggestions for exploring the feel of the wind, fire, and Holy Spirit.)
Second, the miraculous ability of the disciples to speak foreign languages on that day, in order to tell the good news to travelers from around the world, points out that God intends that we be united. Peter cites Joel's list of all the people (sons and daughters, old men, and even slaves) who will receive God's Holy Spirit as further proof that we are to be united.
Genesis 11:1-9. This is the story of the Tower of Babel, understood by the church as God's response to sinful human pride when we try to make ourselves equal to God. It is read today as a contrast to the Pentecost story, in which people of all languages are drawn together by the Holy Spirit. But children will catch none of this as they hear the passage. The story line, with all its details about brick and bituminous mortar, is hard for them to follow. And God's words sound almost as if God were intimidated by human capabilities and that God therefore erected an obstacle (differing languages) to keep us under control. So read the story from the Bible and then retell it in order to present its intended points clearly.
OR Romans 8:14-17. (The Revised Common Lectionary suggests that either Romans or Genesis be read this Sunday.) This is another passage that is hard for children to "hear" as it is read, but one which offers ideas that are meaningful to them. Its first truth is that the Holy Spirit is not scary, nor does it make us afraid of God. Wind, flames, and a Holy Ghost can sound spooky to children. If your tradition uses the term Holy Ghost, this is a good time to "define out" the Halloween connotations and explore God's presence as a positive, desirable experience. The second truth is that because God's Spirit lives within us all, we are all brothers and sisters, sharing Christ's glory and suffering in God's family.
Gospel: John 14:8-17 (25-27). This is a sophisticated Greek discourse, put into Jesus' mouth by John. The repetitive statements in verses 8-11 will lose many children they are likely to hear only occasional phrases thereafter. But this description of the work of the Holy Spirit is helpful for children because it shows that:
1. The Holy Spirit lives deep inside each of us.
2. The Holy Spirit helps us to know God's love and will, and reminds us about Jesus. The Holy Spirit is speaking when we know that God does not want us to do something (maybe to call someone mean names) or when we feel God calling us to action (perhaps to defend someone who is being teased, or to make friends with someone who is lonely). The Holy Spirit reminds us that God made us special and loves us—even on days when everyone else is treating us like junk.
3. Because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can experience peace inside—even when it is not peaceful around us.
Psalm: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b. This passage celebrates God's creation of the sea animals. The poet credits God's Spirit with both creating and caring for these animals. Before reading this lighthearted praise poem, alert children to the presence of a sea monster named Leviathan.
Watch Words
Use the word Pentecost often to build familiarity with the name of this less-well-known holy day.
Choose your Holy Spirit language carefully. Holy Spirit or God's Spirit are probably the best terms for children. Holy Ghostsounds like a possibly friendly Halloween spook. Comforter,counselor, and helper are more helpful as descriptions than as names. Breath of God, if examined in relationship to the wind symbol, can become a meaningful way to explain and understand how God lives within us. Either stick with one term or use as many terms as possible, challenging the children to collect them, and explaining them as you go.
Let the Children Sing
Sing "I'm Gonna Sing When the Spirit Says Sing" and offer original verses related to the worship theme. Or sing "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love."
Try "Breathe on Me, Breath of God," with its repeated phrase at the beginning of each verse (if you have explored the "breath of God").
To continue the praise of Psalm 104, sing "All Things Bright and Beautiful," "This Is My Father's Things Bright and Beautiful," "This Is My Father's World," or "I Sing the Almighty Power of God."
The Liturgical Child
1. Decorate the sanctuary with flame-red paraments. Invite worshipers in advance to wear something red in honor of Pentecost. Use red flowers in the worship center. Print the bulletin on red paper or in red ink. To emphasize the gift of the Holy Spirit to all, drape around the shoulders of each worshiper a red crepe-paper stole decorated with Pentecost symbols to wear during worship. (An older children's class may make the stoles by gluing cut-out symbols on either end of 36-inch red streamers, the class can help distribute them after the reading of Acts 2.) In the worship center, place a birthday cake for the church, decorated with red icing and twenty red candles. Serve it with red punch after worship.
2. Point out Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost in weekly responses such as the Gloria Patri and Doxology as you come to them. Note its significance in each song.
3. Invite the congregation to sing the one verse of "Spirit of Living God" as a response to spoken prayers for the church and the world. It may be sung once at the end, or several times as a response to specific prayers within the whole prayer.
4. After the benediction, ask children or ushers to give each worshiper a red flower as a reminder of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life.
Sermon Resources
1. To explore the significance of the fact that people of all nationalities heard the good news in their own language, paraphrase Acts 2:5-12, replacing New Testament countries with more familiar current ones. For example, "Are not all these who are speaking Mexicans? How can they speak to each of us in our own language? Germans and French and Japanese, people from Zaire and Argentina."
2. Explore the Pentecost wind and fire symbols so that children "get the feel" of God's presence. Recall experiences with "strong rushing winds." A stiff breeze in our face usually feels fresh and good. We feel strong as we walk into it. An autumn wind blows away the dead leaves of summer to make way for new growth next spring. Children often play in the wind with pinwheels, kites, and streamers (and often with the scarves we wish were on their heads). Thus the wind of the Spirit can easily be perceived as a cleansing, invigorating, welcome presence.
Children who camp have the edge on appreciating fire as a symbol of God's presence. Just as a flame ignites a bright lantern (the lantern is a brighter light than a softly glowing candle), God's Spirit ignites wishy-washy, easily frightened people into brave folks who will stand up to tell the world the good news. Just as a campfire or fireplace is a source of warmth and comfort on cold nights, God's Spirit comforts us when people are treating us coldly. Just as a flame may be used to sterilize a needle when we remove a splinter, God's Spirit works within us to clean out bad attitudes, ideas, and ways.
This email was sent to: garyleeparker60@gmail.com
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