I’m not going to speak long today, because the real sermon doesn’t involve my words, but is seen and heard in these confirmation students, soon to be new and baptized members of the church of Jesus Christ, for whom today is their Pentecost.
So imagine that, in addition to Mark, Keith, Jason, Jaszmier, Taylor, Rony and Jordan, an eighth confirmation student is in our group, and his name is Philip. Philip one day does something that at one point or another we’ve all done – he asks a question that as soon as it is out of his mouth, he wishes he could hit rewind and erase. Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us God the Father and we will be satisfied.” Jesus quickly replied, “Philip, are you kidding me? Have I been with you all this time and you still do not know me? I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” My guess is that Philip didn’t open his mouth again for the rest of that day.
We can’t be too hard on Philip. Jesus had just been speaking about leaving the disciples and that thought made Philip quite anxious. The early church that eventually composed this gospel could relate to what Philip was feeling. They were living in an “in-between” time, having known Jesus in the flesh and yet they were waiting for him to come again. We too live in an “in-between” time, believing that the kingdom of God has already come in Jesus Christ, but it has not yet been revealed in all its fullness and power and glory. Philip was anxious; often we are anxious. No one likes to be left alone.
Jesus heard that prayer. That is why to Philip, the early church, and to us, Jesus replies: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Another one will be with you, whom I call the Spirit of Truth.” In Greek: paraclete. In English, its synonyms are Advocate (one who gives advice and supports you) or better yet, Counselor (one who guides and comforts you). Paraclete – the Spirit of Truth. That answer from Jesus may sound too vague and nebulous for our modern, rational minds. That answer may prompt us to ask a question, like Philip, that we will regret as soon as we speak it. “Lord Jesus, the Spirit of Truth is not enough. Show us God the Father or at least stay with us.” To which Jesus patiently replies, “As I have been with you, in an earthly presence, so now the Spirit of Truth is with you always, as an abiding, spiritual presence. Can you believe that?” In this in-between time, as Jesus was present with us, now God-Jesus-Spirit of Truth is fully with us, both now and forevermore.
So, believing that this is true, what does this Spirit of Truth ask of us? Well, it is the Spirit of Pentecost. It blows over us and stirs things up. It amazes us with streamers and tongues of fire and inspirations and heartfelt passion for justice. In short: in this “in-between” time, the Spirit of Truth calls us to be “go-betweens.” We are to go to the people around us and learn their deepest needs and take those needs to God in prayer, doing what we can to comfort, guide and heal. In addition, we are to go to God and learn what God desires for this hurting world, and then take that message to the world, trusting that “greater works than what has been done before” can be done within individual lives, families, communities, nations, and even globally. We are intercessors – we are “go-betweens”, bringing the suffering of the world to God and bringing God’s healing grace to the world.1
As Jesus was physically present in the world, so now the Spirit of Truth is spiritually present in the world, with us, beside us, within us. This is not simply one truth out of a broad range of truths available in the culture around us, something we can pick off the shelf like a self-help book for sale at Barnes & Noble. No, this is the Pentecost Spirit of Truth, a disruptive wind, a tongue of fire, a challenging word offered to a largely unreceptive and deeply hurting world. Do you believe that?
Bishop Gene Robinson, the now-retired gay bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire whom we will have the honor to host in November, titled his most recent book “In the Eye of the Storm.” The inspiration for that title came from a bit of calligraphy that was given to him just prior to his ordination as bishop, amidst the death threats, amid the reality of having to wear a bullet-proof vest under his robes. The calligraphy contained this simple quote: “Sometimes God calms the storm. And sometimes God lets the storm rage and calms his child.”2 That’s a Pentecost message from the Paraclete, the Counselor, the Spirit of Truth for us intercessors.
Sister Helen Prejean, the long time opponent of the death penalty, was just here in Pittsburgh. She did a radio interview on station WESA, at the end of which she made this point. She said, “Do you know what they write on death certificates after someone has been killed by capital punishment? Do you know what they put in the blank next to the question: Cause of death? They write “homicide” – because one human being killed another human being. In Texas, they may write “legal homicide by court order” but that key word remains. Homicide. Brother killing brother. How morally bankrupt it is to stoop to the level of doing to someone the very thing we condemned them to death for doing to someone else.” That’s a Pentecost message of justice from the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, a disruptive wind, a tongue of fire in a world that neither sees nor knows it.
It’s true. We are often anxious like Philip, saying: “Lord, show us the Father, show us the Way, show us what to do.” As we live in these in-between times we hear the answer from Christ – that we are his “go-betweens” – taking the needs of the world to heart and to God in prayer; taking the desires and vision of God’s justice and love and truth into a broken and hurting world – ever following the example of Christ who is the perfect “go between,” fully human, fully divine.
All such go-between movements are Pentecost events, when things are stirred up and blown forward by the Spirit of Truth. Because honestly, Pentecost was not designed to make things easier; it was designed to make things better.
So look well at Mark, Keith, Jason, Jaszmier, Taylor, Rony, Jordan. Listen to their words; hear their baptism promises and professions of faith. And I pray that Jesus’ answer to Philip comforts and convicts each of our hearts this day. Remember, Christ said, “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. The Spirit of Truth abides with you and will be with you always.” That a Pentecost message!
AMEN