Pentecost Worship – Sunday, May 15

10 a.m. Traditional Service                  4 p.m. Jazz Vespers

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 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. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. –  Acts 2:1-4

Here it is, the special day just right for all those people who claim to be “spiritual but not religious – Pentecost. This feast day celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit. But, Pentecost is also known as the birthday of The Church, which the “spiritual but not religious” avoid like the plague because of what business organizations call personnel problems.”

The problem with any organization has always been that human beings are flawed – we all sin. And, it is so much easier to be “spiritual” with just yourself and your “spirit” than commit to working with and for others. The first Jewish-Christians knew that from their faith of origin – Judaism. The first Gentile Christians learned this from the first evangelists who shared “the Good News” of Jesus Christ.  About 500 years later, the religion of Islam became “organized”. Muslims believe Jesus was the last great prophet before Mohammad and Jesus’ name appears more often than Mohammad’s in the Koran.

The Church has struggled with organization, just like any large group of people, for 2000 years,  just like any large group of people. Too much organization creates an exclusive “us” against “them”, “right” versus “wrong” theology and practices. Too little organization causes loss of focus on what is important and inability to put faith into action. The new Jewish Christians were not exactly organized, but the group was totally discombobulated when Jesus’ promised gift of the Holy Spirit descended on Gentiles from far and wide. They had wanted to add more people to their group, but they hadn’t expected they would be Gentiles! The Tower of Babel curse of mixed languages described in Genesis had been reversed. All who gathered to hear Peter’s power sermon in Jerusalem during the Jewish celebration of Pentecost (originally “Feast of Harvest” and later “Feast of Weeks”) could hear the evangelist’s words in their own native tongue.

The Jews then, as now, were defined by both their religion and their family culture. You were a Jew if your mother was a Jew. The Jewish followers of the Jewish Jesus had believed that it was necessary to follow all the religious laws and worship practices of Judaism – as Jesus had done. The Holy Spirit descending on the Gentiles (meaning non-Jews) was a major game- changer. A new religion was born that anyone who believed in Christ, as the promised savior God had sent to the world, and wanted to be Christ’s disciple could join.

And join they did! The book of Acts tells us that 3,000 people joined on that Pentecost day. I doubt there were ushers there doing a head count, but it appears that a whole lot of people joined the movement, known as “The Way,” that day. Christianity spread like wildfire after that.

The Church, as new and as disorganized as it was, opened its doors to people from ‘all nations, tribes, and languages’ and it grew, not just in numbers, but in mission and mutual love. As a church in Peoria, reputed to be one of the most segregated cities in America, Peter’s vision should inspire us and all churches trying to be the body of Christ in this community. Peter was, initially disturbed by the challenge of the vision, but God showed him that the vision was an opportunity for a new creation. Peter then looked upon the city, not as Jerusalem, but as the New Jerusalem, the shining city on the hill of the kingdom of God.

© Rev. Denise Clark-Jones, 2016, All Rights Reserved

“Why am I a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church?  Two words keep  floating up in a rather persistent way  –  “home” and  “family” – and I realized that it is an inescapable fact that is what this church means to me. During my 40 years here, so many life events have happened and Westminster has been there for me through all those times – good and bad.    It has been my home and family.  They say “home is where the heart is” and I’ve found the heart of Westminster to be as open and warm as a family’s!”