Sermon Acts 2:1-21

We are at Pentacost. When another promise of Jesus is fulfilled. A key point in the restoration of humanity and creation has occurred, God's Holy Spirit has been poured out upon all people.

The mission of Israel, to be a light unto the nations has expanded to include all. Did you hear the list of nations Lorrain read? Remember somd of them ...Parthians, Romans, even the Cretans and Arabs ... certainly there are even more whom God has poured out the Holy Spirit upon ... more than we ever think.

And it was indeed The Holy Spirit, like a mighty unexpected wind. Something beyond their doing or their control. And it caused such a rucas that people thought they were drunk. Some rejected that God could do something new and wonderful that broke the patterns of what they thought God should be about. They could not see things ever being different. But others could ... and Peter was not going to remain silent.

Peter, the one who has in fear failed Jesus, now was given the power to speak the truth in the face of this opposition. He knows what has happened. That through Jesus, God's Spirit is being pouring out onto all people ... of all nations ... this is a pivitol moment in history. God's Spirit is seen in women and men, young and old, rich and poor ... all sorts of foriegners ... all sorts of unimaginable people ... Isn't it often the case that God's way of love is beyond our limited view of love?

And empowered by this love the early church exploded with hospitality and the Holy Spirit poured out among them. The Church came to share hospitality in such a way that others were amazed and wanted to be part of what they were about. Yet, others feared and condemned the church because it lived in a way that ran counter to the ways of the world. Where in other communities the old women and old men were cast out because they were weak, the church welcomed them in.

The rich shared with the poor. And the poor, if someone wished to join their fellowship and had nothing, they would even do without in order to share the little they had. The outcast, the unclean, the ex-con, prostitutes, and all other sorts of people shared the way of Jesus together and they listened to the Holy Spirit guide them to see where the kingdom of God was unfolding, and how they could share in it.

And that still is our mission as the church. To listen for the Holy Spirit, through others, through prayer, through the Bible ... to listen to see how we can be a beacon of hope amid our culture. And to seek to be, as best we can a sign of God's hospitality to humanity and creation. To be a people, shaped by the love of Jesus Christ. An alternative Spirit led community of Jesus love. The very body of Jesus in the world, guided not by what seems the smart and best ways of our culture. But by the unexpected and even foolish ways of the Holy Spirit. Where is the Holy Spirit guiding us, to love foolishly? To be drunk, not of alcohol, but of God's Holy Spirit?

Where might we be in danger of being led by unholy spirits? Let's be honest, often we are rather shaped by the world's ways more than God's ways. Often the church has followed the spirit of the age, rather than the Holy Spirit of God. I know I have.

Often even when we think we are being faithful, sometimes we are not. Oh it is obvious when we see other Christians capitulate and warp Christianity into something it is not. Like in the caribeen where some churches have blended voodoo with Christianity ... and we see people making blood sacrifices to blocks of wood images. Oh, that is obvious.

And yet, some Christians of other cultures look at North American Christianity and see something just as warped. Just look at how many Christians are enamored by the show SURVIVORS. What is that about? Survivors; the strong survive, all must manipulate each other to survive. Women must feign love for powerful men lest they be "voted out". Look, the old were the first to go.

And, notice, the children weren't even invited to paradise ... in that story, they are not even welcome in paradise ... they are a liability. Why would Christians be part of that? It's all about my survival, my needs, my salvation. And, do not think that we have not drunk deeply at the well of ensuring that we are assured of getting our "spiritual needs met" at the expense of God's hospitality. Individualism ... me-ism ... self-focus ... greed ... it certainly is not of God.

And look how many are attracted to this, survivor... this anti-salvation story. Some may think it is just a TV show, but it is more than that. It is a window into the North American soul. It reveals something about what our culture believes is true about human life. That, in the end, it is survival of the fittest ... and that is OK. It is a story of how paradise becomes a hell to be survived and endured by the strongest. And we know that story, of humanities desire to make itself God's but finding themselves estranged from each other, and from God. Survivors is about a fall from grace ... humanities estrangement from the ways of God ... where most become losers, and in the end, especially those who will be claimed as "winners"... it is a Hollywood equivalent of the fall ... it is a picture of hell.

And, through the cross and resurrection, Jesus broke the gates of hell ... and poured out the Holy Spirit from heaven, so that we could share in the unfolding of the Kingdom of heaven. So that this creation could be made new, so that this paradise could be a place of peace, where the weak and welcomed even honoured. Where women do not need to pander to men, or fear them. Where men are not valued by their strength or usefulness. Where the outcast, the failure, the reject, all those whom hell would "vote off the Island.", have a place. For Jesus Christ, invites all sorts of losers the heavenly feast and calls them friends ... and even, beloved.

And if we believe, we too can share in the reconciling work Jesus Christ. People like us ... called to unlikely friendships, and amazing hospitality, as a community of faith. Not that we don't make mistakes, because we do. God knows Christians have done a lot of harm in Jesus name. But God never gives up on the church and continues to reform it. Calling Weak people, Strong people, useful people, seemingly useless people, Disabled people, Abled People, old people, young people, mentally ill people, sane people, and a host of other people ... even those who seem beyond hope, especially those who think they are beyond hope. Like the criminal on the cross next to Jesus ... who in seeing Jesus love, believed in Jesus ... and in reaching out to God he found Jesus Christ with a hand already stretched out towards him. Welcoming him into paradise. Jesus would not vote anyone off the Island.

So, until Christ comes again, and he will, be certain of that, and the kingdom of God is complete, and be certain of that it will be ... until then, whether it is today or in a thousand years, we have a mission to struggle, as best we can, to be a community that reflects God's amazing love through Jesus Christ... and, we certainly can do that if we trust and seek the help of the Holy Spirit. We can face any barrier, be it from within or without. Know this to be true, we are not alone ...

The Spirit of the Lord is upon us .... as Christ's body, we have a holy mission. It is a simple mission, for simple people ... something given unto all who wish it. Jesus proclaimed it at the start of his ministry and our ministry;

... [Jesus] went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written. 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed got free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. - Luke 4:16b-20a NRSV