Reflections on "Listening for the Spirit" Pentecost jazz service

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!

Reflections on "Where Are You Looking?" Acts 1: 1-11; Luke 24: 44-53

I do not believe I have ever preached on the ascension of Jesus, although perhaps I did years ago and do not remember.  The sermon preparation started with lots of promise, but I got bogged down along the way.  The sermon did not develop the way I would have liked, and I ended up with a "ho-hum" sermon that did not do much for me. If I preached this text again, I would open with the Mary Poppins illustration and really focus on the looking to heaven vs. looking around where we are called to be the body of Christ.  That's where I started the week before I went astray, and I would return to that theme the next time.

“Where Are You Looking” SAPC, Denton; June 2, 2019; Acts 1: 1-11; Luke 24: 44-53; Ascension Sunday

Acts 1: 1-11:  

 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying[a] with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

introduction:  Thursday was the Day of the Ascension, forty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ;  Ascension, the day when the resurrected Christ, who has been making appearances in places like Emmaus, the beach, behind closed doors, ascends to heaven.

I am not sure I have ever preached on the Ascension - so this year I took the lectionary texts from Thursday to use today, and voila, a Sunday worship service that focuses on the ascension.

A few thoughts on ascension.

Move 1:  The ascension of Jesus confirms that the coming of Jesus was part of God’s ongoing work

a.  the story that opens Acts, which is the sequel to the Gospel of Luke, sounds vaguely familiar, doesn’t it?

1.  Of course, we read Luke’s version of the ascension.

2.  It takes us back to the prophet Elijah being swept up to heaven in a whirlwind with a chariot of fire and horses of fire separating Elisha from Elijah.

3.  Or brings to mind the day when Jesus was transfigured on the mountaintop and Moses and Elijah were there.  As the Gospel of Luke tells the story, Elijah and Moses were chatting with Jesus about his departure from Jerusalem that will soon take place (https://www.patheos.com/Progressive-Christian/Speculators-or-Witnesses-John-Holbert-05-14-2012)

b. We have arrived at that moment as Luke tells the story of Jesus’ ascension, linking Jesus with what has taken place in the generations before.

1.  Jesus, God coming in flesh, Jesus crucified, Jesus resurrected, and now Jesus ascended is part of the ongoing story of God’s relationship with and work among God’s people.

2.  God is doing a new thing, but it is the same God who blew the breath of life into the mud; the same God who sent the prophets like Elijah to speak to God’s people; the same God who has known and been known for generations.

Move 2:  But the ascension confirms that God has acted decisively in the resurrection.

a. Karl Barth believed the ascension of Christ was important because it tells us that the resurrection was not temporary (According to Dr. Cynthia Rigby in a sermon preached at Grace Presbytery on Ascension  Day, 2017)

1.  think about it - if you were one of the early followers of Christ, or if you were someone who had heard about the resurrection, you might be thinking what’s next.

2.  How is the Risen Christ going to top the empty tomb?  

3.   As if the resurrection of Jesus was some magical act that opened the show that would soon follow with even more amazing, magical moments that will one-up the resurrection.

b.   The ascension of Christ announces that God has acted in the resurrection to change the world forever.

1.  death and violence have been overcome by resurrection.

2. God’s love and power as revealed in the resurrection is God’s permanent answer.  

Move 3: the story fo the ascension also points out the  Importance of the Holy Spirit.

a. In this short, opening story (only 11 verses) of the ascension, the Holy Spirit is mentioned three times.

1. First, the narrator tells us that Jesus mentions that Holy Spirit.

2. then, the story has Jesus telling the disciples that in a couple of days they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

3.  then, when they ask if he is going to restore the kingdom, Jesus redirects them to the coming fo the Holy Spirit.

b.  Not sure what to do with the Holy Spirit.

1.  But as we live out our calling as followers of the resurrected one without him physically in our midst, we are called by God to turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance.

2.  Our response to God’s love and God’s act of resurrection will be lived out on earth can best be done when we are going where the Holy Spirit sends us.

Move 3:  A final reflection on ascension comes from the disciples looking up to heaven after Christ has ascended.

a.  Can’t you see the disciples standing there, going up to heaven?

1. It feels a little bit like the final scene in “Mary Poppins.”

2.  you remember the scene:  Mary prepares to leave her charges, Jane and Michael Banks, having brought healing joy into their dysfunctional family.  As the family prepares to "go fly a kite", Mary rises into the air as the wind buoys up her immense black umbrella.  On the ground, the chimney sweep Bert, watches her sail up and away.  He winks at her and says, "Good-bye Mary Poppins! Don't stay gone too long .  .  ." (Karen Sapio, Portland Oregon, http://www.textweek.com/movies/ascension.htm)

 I love this part of the story.

b.  There are the disciples, staring into the heavens. I bet they were thinking the same thing - “don’t stay gone too long, Jesus.”. 

1.  Two men robed in white, two men whose purpose might tie back to the Torah instruction that there needed to be two witnesses for something to be verified, two men whose purpose this day is to interrupt the disciples gazing into the sky.

2.  “men of Jerusalem, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?’

c.  We instinctively know they keep looking up to heaven.

1.  As long as they look to the heavens, they do not have to look down to earth where they now must go.

2.  they now must go to live into their calling as the body of Christ.

3. Christ has ascended, but his followers are sent into the world.

4.  we are sent into the world.

5.  We who know the power of God to resurrect; we who know the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives and the world; we are sent into the world to be the body of Christ.

Conclusion:  The ascension leaves a question hanging in the air - can the ministries begun by Jesus in the flesh continue after he has ascended?

We are called to answer that question.