Scriptures: Acts 2:1-21; Psalm 104:25-35, 37; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; John 20:19-23
Reflection by Kit Allgood-Mellema, Worship Leader
May 24, 202, Day of Pentecost Yr A
When the sun set last night, we said farewell to the season of Easter. Those seven weeks are one long liminal moment when we are balanced between the astonishment and joy of the Resurrection and the reality of what it means to live life centered in the love of Jesus. Perhaps, like the disciples, we have been staying close to one another, venturing out when necessary but mostly waiting for what we hope is to come, for what has been promised – a new life, an advocate to guard, guide and inspire us, for the love of Jesus, the love of the Kingdom of God.
Welcome to Day of Pentecost! I love that we are given such a rousing, exciting launch into this new season that, on the surface, seems to be a bit long and tedious. Even the online lectionary page calls it ‘the long green season.’ I think the disciples would take issue with that. I’d agree with them. We may be here for twenty-six weeks, through November 28th, but this is hardly a mundane time.
Let’s check in with the disciples. We heard from the Book of Acts last week that they were in Jerusalem following Jesus’s ascension into heaven, the men and women together in the upper room, constantly praying, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus. They had no idea how or when that would happen. That is, we heard today, until early in the morning on the 50th day after the Resurrection, sitting together, they were enveloped by the sound of rushing wind, crowned by tongues of flame and filled with the promised Holy Spirit, encouraged to speak out and be witnesses to the love of Jesus and the promise of God’s Kingdom.
This is where the story gets really interesting. The disciples, moved as they were by the power of the Holy Spirit, were faced with some questions and decisions. Was this really happening as Jesus had promised? Should they take a few steps back and assess the situation? Should they ask questions? Or should they start moving? Thanks be to God, they chose to move, to act, to be led by the Spirit into a new life. They chose to be witnesses to God’s Kingdom and focus on the love of Jesus. They chose to put that love into action in everything they did.
Love in action. The way of love. What does love look like? I could tell you what love looks like for me, but I think you’ve heard it from me once or twice before. For someone else’s thoughts on love - in her book Church Tomorrow? Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers asks, ‘how could we . . . . welcome the vital presence of the Holy Spirit?’ She answers that Jesus did that by ‘forming communities where people were deeply loved and deeply known. . .’ Again, she asks, ‘What if churches were known . . . as communities where people can reliably experience and practice radical love?’ And then she asks us to ‘imagine if we welcomed the mysterious and powerful Holy Spirit to fill and shape our lives, our churches and our world.’
I’m inviting you to pause for a moment and imagine love. Close your eyes if you’d like, or look around you in this beautiful space. Take a moment and let an image of love come to you. Feel it in your heart – that’s the Spirit finding room in you. Print the image of love in your heart, in your mind, in your soul. Get up and move around the room if you want to – that’s the Spirit moving you. Speak of your image of love if the Spirit moves you to give voice to the love you hold. Bring love to this room. Take love out to the world. What you’re seeing, feeling, hearing – make it move. Make it visible. Make it loud or soft or joyous or tender but make that love live and live wildly! Like the disciples, bear witness to love. Give it life and let it bring life! Become the vital presence of the Holy Spirit in the world.
Most importantly, know that you yourself are love, and are always held in love and are never alone.
Thanks be to God!