For Pentecost Sunday, we had our jazz service, which included having a jazz ensemble (double bass; drums; sax; piano; trumpet; and vocalist) lead the music. They played the Prelude, Postlude, Anthem, and Offertory, in addition to accompanying on all the music. Alan Baylock, a member and director of the 1:00 Lab Band at UNT put the music together, directed, and played the trumpet. the music was terrific. The first hymn, "Spirit of Gentleness" nearly brought me to tears.
The sermon below depended heavily on the jazz music. they played underneath all the spoken words and then had 1.5 - 2 minutes interludes in between the sections. The goal was for the music to give space and inspiration for the congregation to discover the Holy Spirit in their lives.
We also had the Scripture readings integrated into the sermon and had two voices come from the balcony and one from the lectern in an attempt to give the feel that the Holy Spirit surrounds us and comes at us from different places.
I focused on the Genesis story (Tower of Babel) during the Time with Young Disciples so that story was heard as a prelude to the sermon.
Not sure how well the sermon worked in allowing people to explore the Holy Spirit in their lives, but the music was a great addition to the service.
“Listening for the Spirit” SAPC, Denton; June 9, 2019; Acts 2: 1-21; Genesis 11:1-9
Richard: Jill Duffield, the editor of the Presbyterian Outlook writes that “The war of words and
battle of rhetoric rages daily in our culture” (Looking into the Lectionary, Jill Duffield, 6/3/19, Presbyterian Outlook email). We see it daily in the media with the point/counterpoint being offered
on every issue. No sooner does one
person offer their opinion, then another person offer a different, often
opposite opinion.
In
our own lives, how often do we find ourselves in conversations where we can
barely wait for the other person to finish her conversation before we offer our
correction, our spin, our different opinion.
Pentecost
brings the gift of languages so God’s people can communicate with all sorts of other
people, but it begins with the Holy Spirit sweeping in to redirect the followers
of Christ, to send them to new places and new people as they follow God’s
call. But first, God’s people had to
listen for the Holy Spirit.
This
morning, we are invited to listen.
Listen to the Pentecost story;
Listen
to the music.
Let your toes tap.
Let your imagination wander;
Listen
for the Holy Spirit.
Lisa: When the day of
Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
Wade: And
suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it
filled the entire house where they were sitting.
Lisa: Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a
tongue rested on each of them.
Amy: All of them were
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the
Spirit gave them ability.
Richard: Just before ascending in a cloud to heaven,
Jesus had told the disciples the Holy Spirit was coming. Not in that moment, but in just a few days.
That
is how we find the followers of Christ as this story begins.
They
know the resurrection. They know Christ
has gone before them to the heavens.
Now
they are looking for the Holy Spirit. Pondering
what the Holy Spirit might do in their lives?
Did
they expect the Holy Spirit to arrive with violent wind? with flames of fire? Did they anticipate suddenly
being able to speak in different languages?
I suspect
not, but they were looking and listening for the Spirit, willing to give
themselves over to it.
Where
do you see the Holy Spirit blowing into your life? Are you looking?
Musical
interlude with the violent wind, flames of fire as the mood
Lisa: Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was
bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of
each.
Wade: Amazed
and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And
how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?
Amy: Parthians, Medes, Elamites,
Lisa: and residents of
Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Amy: Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging
to Cyrene,
Wade: and visitors from Rome,
both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them
speaking about God’s deeds of power.”
Lisa: All were
amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Amy: But
others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Richard: The Holy Spirit arrives, and the crowds are
bewildered? Could that be a sign of the
presence of the Holy Spirit? People
astounded by what happens to those led by the Spirit?
Why
are they bewildered? Because they are
hearing the Galileans speaking in different languages. In fact, the languages being spoken are the
languages of those in the crowds.
Is
that what the Holy Spirit does - find ways to make the good news accessible to
others?
We
know the crowds were amazed at what they heard, but what about those who found
themselves speaking the languages?
Imagine
that you suddenly have a gift, an unexpected gift, a gift you need to do that
next thing God is calling you to do.
Are
you ready to be filled with the Spirit?
Invited, or pushed, to expand your horizons and do new things?
Ann
Lamott reminds us in her book, Traveling Mercies, “the holy spirit
very rarely respects one’s comfort zone” (Lamott, Traveling Mercies, 224).
Listen for the Holy Spirit; open yourself up to what God is
doing.
MUSICAL
Interlude with bewilderment, multiple languages, surprise as the mood
Lisa: But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and
addressed them,
Wade: “Men of Judea and all
who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed,
these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the
morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
Amy: ‘In the last days it
will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
Lisa: and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy,
Wade: and your young men
shall see visions,
Lisa: and your old men
shall dream dreams.
Amy: Even upon my slaves,
both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my
Spirit;
and they
shall prophesy.
Lisa: And I will show
portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and
fire, and smoky mist.
Wade: The sun shall be
turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the
coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Lisa: Then everyone who
calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Musical
interlude with the glories day of the coming of the Lord as the mood
Richard:
the Holy Spirit unsettles
The Holy Spirit stirs
things up
The Holy
Spirit calls us to see new visions
The
Holy Spirit gives us new dreams
The
Holy Spirit calls us to new understandings and new relationships.
The world
may look at us and dismiss those visions and dreams; they may say we are drunk, or don’t
understand; or do not know the reality in which we live.
But when
we know power of God to resurrect that is moves among us now by the power of
the Holy Spirit, we know that all things are possible.
We can
dare to live into the visions and dreams God gives us.
By the way, let us not forget what the goal of
the Holy spirit is as it moves among us?
That everyone who calls on the name of the Lord be saved.
Everyone. Saved.
The Holy
spirit empowers us in in diverse ways to do new things. Why? So
that the varied and multiple needs of all the people, everyone can be met with
the saving grace our Lord.
final
musical interlude with whatever mood you think
Conclusion:
Richard: Listen for the Spirit.
Come
Holy Spirit, come. Amen!
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