The Day of Pentecost/Year C Sermon/June 8, 2025

Acts of the Apostles 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; Romans 8:14-17; John 14:8-17

(Rev Julie Platson, with BISHOP MARK LATTIME’S E-NEWS REFLECTION ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST)

Today, I’m changing things up a bit…I usually end my sermon, with a closing prayer using hymn lyrics, and inviting you into a time of reflection as I play the hymn.

But today, I begin with a prayer/hymn inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives once again on this Day of Pentecost, on this Day of Celebration when we are reminded of the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, that has been given to us to empower us and unite us to one another, through loving God and one another, as revealed to us in Jesus Christ. This gift of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, is the Spirit of truth, that abides in us, and will be with us, forever. This, we believe.

Let us pray: Opening Prayer: (H) 513

Like the murmur of the dove's song, like the challenge of her flight,

like the vigor of the wind's rush, like the new flame's eager might:

come, Holy Spirit, come.

To the members of Christ's Body, to the branches of the Vine,

to the Church in faith assembled, to her midst as gift and sign:

come, Holy Spirit, come.

With the healing of division, with the ceaseless voice of prayer,

with the power to love and witness, with the peace beyond compare:

come, Holy Spirit, come. Amen.

This morning, I decided that I wanted to share Bishop Mark’s message that was sent out this past week about the Day of Pentecost...because it felt like it picked up where we left off last Sunday with my sermon…when I highlighted the theme of prayer infused with the Holy Spirit’s presence, and when I closed with the words to pray: Pray for the day, when God’s kingdom will come, here on earth, as in heaven…pray for the time when we will all be One…One in love with God and another…one body, one spirit, one hope, one family, one creation…now and forever…

FROM BISHOP MARK – JUNE 6, 2025 E-NEWS

(Today) is the Day of Pentecost. It is our annual celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit, “like the rush of a violent wind filling the entire house where the disciples were sitting.” The story from the Acts of the Apostles goes on to describe divided tongues, as of fire, appearing and resting on everyone in the room. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

And what happened next? They spoke. They communicated. They talked in many languages so that everyone could hear and understand. There was purpose to this extraordinary gift of the Holy Spirit--purpose to their words. It wasn’t to prove they were special. It wasn’t to prove a special personal gift of power given by God. The purpose was unity—community.

On the Day of Pentecost, the Church was born--the Body of Christ on earth drew its first breath. The many became one, unified in and by the Holy Spirit. And the Church’s first birthday gift was the ability to communicate, to speak so that others could hear. To speak so that all might know the welcome, the universal hope we have and we share in Christ Jesus, even in our diversity.

We are one in the Spirit regardless of our language, our ethnicity, our identity, our background, our history, or our culture. We are one in the Spirit even if we prefer Rite I over Rite II, or Hymns versus Gospel Songs.

The Holy Spirit unifies; it does not divide. The gift of the Holy Spirit draws us into deeper communion and community with God and each other.

And that is the Lord’s Prayer. Last Sunday, The Seventh Sunday of Easter (known by some as The Sunday after the Ascension) we learned the Lord’s Prayer. No, not that one. Not the one that Jesus taught his disciples—the “Our Father.” Last Sunday in the Gospel of John 17:20-23, we heard Jesus’ prayer—our Lord’s Prayer, the night before his crucifixion. And our Lord’s prayer was that we may all be one. Jesus prayed: “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

The Day of Pentecost—the gift of the Holy Spirit is the answer to our Lord’s prayer. May the Spirit’s power fill us with love, grace, and strength that we remain devoted to the unity and the ministry of the Body of Christ, so that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair.* (*BCP 429)

And now, I invite you to stand as you are able, as we renew and reaffirm our baptismal vows, that give us an outline, that give us some words, that give us the reminder of what we say we believe about God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And how with God’s help, and empowered by the Holy spirit, and in community with one another, we can transform the world around us through our loving actions that reflect what we say we believe.

BCP 292 The Renewal of Baptismal Vows

Celebrant

Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and
renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?

People I do.

Celebrant

Do you believe in God the Father?

People

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Celebrant

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

People

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
     He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
          and born of the Virgin Mary.
     He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
          was crucified, died, and was buried.
     He descended to the dead.
     On the third day he rose again.
     He ascended into heaven,
          and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
     He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Celebrant

Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

People

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Celebrant

Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the
prayers?