"Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter"

Grace Episcopal Church, Madison NJ
May 31, 2009

Year B: The Day of Pentecost
Acts 2:1-21
Psalm 104:25-35, 37
John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

“Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter”

One of my favorite features in The Messenger is the “Did You Know?” column. Each month Mary Lea reports on some of the interesting activities that our fellow parishioners have been up to – the awards that have been won, the children and grandchildren who have been born, and so on. Each month I always learn something new about at least one person in the parish.

Well, today is Pentecost and I thought I might try out a “Did you know?” on all of us here today. Here goes: Did you know that Pentecost is second most important feast on the church calendar – second only to Easter?

It’s true – Pentecost is a principal feast - second only to Easter in importance. So, the Church considers Pentecost a pretty big deal. On Pentecost we celebrate the “birthday of the Church” and remember the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the apostles in Jerusalem so long ago.

The account in the Acts of the Apostles paints quite a vivid picture doesn’t it? In this dramatic depiction we encounter the small group of Jesus’ timid and directionless disciples – “all together in one place.” Apparently the small group of disciples was still keeping a low profile, still fearful despite having encountered the Risen Christ.

And then something remarkable happens – Pentecost happens – God pours out the Holy Spirit on the disciples. The disciples are knocked off their feet. The timid and directionless disciples are transformed into courageous and bold witnesses for Christ. As amazing as Pentecost must have been, it must have been a little scary for the disciples too. First their lives had been upended when they encountered Jesus, now God pours out the Holy Spirit, knocks them off their feet and once again changes the direction of their lives forever.

The account of Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles paints a vivid picture of a prediction and promise fulfilled. Way back, John the Baptist had predicted that Jesus would bring a baptism of fire and the Holy Spirit. And as we heard in the Gospel of John, Jesus himself promised that he would send the Holy Spirit “to guide us into all truth.” And now John the Baptist’s prediction and Jesus’ promise have both been fulfilled in Pentecost.

So, having said all that, it seems appropriate, doesn’t it, that Pentecost is the second most important feast of the church year. And today we do kick it up a notch. Lauren and I are wearing our red vestments. And the service is full of festive hymns celebrating the Holy Spirit.

But that’s about it.

Let’s face it, our celebration today – as fine as it is – pales in comparison to Easter and pales in comparison to Christmas. (Maybe we should give everyone a bookmark today?!) The attendance is nowhere near as high, and even though Pentecost is a big deal, even though the birthday of the church is a big deal, even though the pouring out of the Holy Spirit is a big deal, there just doesn’t seem to be that same sense of joy and excitement that we experience at Easter and Christmas.

Part of the problem is that here in the Northern Hemisphere we’re at the start of the summer season and in the United States we’ve passed Memorial Day so for many of us our minds are drifting from church to vacation or just outdoor activities.

But, I think the problem is deeper than just the summer weather. I think that we are a little uncomfortable with the Holy Spirit. We tend to downplay the Holy Spirit. We often treat the Holy Spirit as an afterthought.

There’s a canticle we sometimes say at Morning Prayer that is a perfect example of treating the Holy Spirit as an afterthought. And, I have to admit, it’s a canticle that always makes me smile a little.

It’s Canticle 7, called “We Praise Thee.” In beautiful Rite 1 language it lavishes much praise on God the Father and God the Son. Here’s the part that always makes me smile and illustrates how we downplay the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s right in the middle of the canticle and the only time the Holy Spirit is mentioned:

“The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee, the Father, of an infinite majesty, thine adorable, true and only Son, also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.”

I always smile at describing Jesus as “adorable” since nowadays we use “adorable” as a synonym for cute. And I smile at the one throwaway line about the Third Person of the Trinity, “Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.”

The Holy Spirit is described as the “Comforter” but we have some discomfort with the Holy Spirit.

If we are open to it, the Holy Spirit can knock us off our feet and transform our lives just as those first disciples were knocked off their feet and their lives were transformed. And that can be scary.

But there is no reason to be afraid because if we are open to it Pentecost is not a one time event. Pentecost continues to happen to us. The Holy Spirit really is the “Comforter” The Holy Spirit knocks us off of our feet but then the Holy Sprit continues to sustain and to comfort us as we more fully live out our Christian lives.

If Pentecost were a one time event then after that amazing day described in the Acts of the Apostles, the disciples would have gone back to being their timid and directionless selves. If Pentecost were a one time event I can imagine them sitting around years later, shaking their heads sadly, saying to one another, “Remember that day when we were walking around preaching the Good News in different languages? Remember when we were so filled with the Holy Spirit that people thought we were drunk? Wow, that was a really crazy day, huh?”
And then in my imagination they all look at each other sad, disappointed and a little embarrassed that they had gotten so carried away on that amazing day in Jerusalem.

But, that’s not what happened. Pentecost is not a one-time event. Pentecost is an ongoing experience. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, the beginning of the Church, and the ongoing experience of the Church. God continued to pour out the Holy Spirit to sustain and comfort those first disciples as they lived out their lives as followers of Jesus. The Holy Spirit continued to sustain and comfort those first disciples even as most of them gave up their lives for Jesus.

If we are open to it, the Holy Spirit knocks us off our feet, transforms our lives and continues to sustain and comfort us.

Maybe you’ve experienced the Holy Spirit knocking you off your feet and then also sustaining and comforting you.

In my own life if I had to name a Pentecost moment I’d say it was when I decided I really was called to be a priest. I really felt the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. It was the most carefully and prayerfully made decision of my life.
And then after three years of seminary it was time to get a job. And nothing much seemed to be happening. There might be a part-time position, but that was about it.

I began to have doubts about the whole thing. That decision a few years back had been amazing and seemed to be Spirit-filled. I was convinced that the Holy Spirit had knocked me off my feet and changed the direction of my life. But now there was no job and Sue and I had depleted our savings. I began to wonder if it had all been a mistake. I imagined a time in the future when Sue and I would be sitting around and I’d say something like, “Remember when I went to seminary and thought I should be a priest. That was a really crazy time, wasn’t it?”

The day of my seminary graduation was kind of bittersweet. It was great to be done but most of my classmates had already lined up jobs and were eager to get started.

And then in the midst of my anxiety and despair Lauren Ackland walked up to me, congratulated me on my graduation and asked if I had a job yet. And here I am. Back when I left teaching the Holy Spirit had knocked me off my feet and changed the direction of my life. But maybe more importantly, when I pay attention I know that the Holy Spirit has continued to sustain and comfort me and to offer blessings here at Grace Church far richer than I could have imagined.

So on Pentecost, the second most important feast of the Christian year, we give thanks that Pentecost was not a one-time event. If we are open to it, Pentecost continues to happen to us. The Holy Spirit is poured out on us, knocks us off our feet, transforms our lives and continues to comfort and sustain us to more fully live out our Christian lives.

Now, confident of the Holy Spirit’s power to sustain and comfort us, let us stand and renew our baptismal vows…