Today's Sermon

 

"Finding Ourselves in Understanding Each Other: Acts 2:1-21"

 

Acts 2:1-21
            1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

            5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes 11Cretans and Arabs — in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

“Finding Ourselves in Understanding Each Other”

            Last week, we started a search for our true selves, acknowledging that we often look in the wrong places, among them ourselves alone. Today, we say that one of the places we do find our true selves is in understanding the other when we connect on the level of Spirit.  The Pentecost story provides us the quintessential image – early disciples of Jesus are gathered from across the known world.  That’s what all those names signifies.  In their dizzy listing, we are caught up in a whirlwind of diverse peoples all in the Spirit which is what allows them to hear other languages and understand them as if the speech was in the native tongue of each.

            At our ageless café lunch this week one of you remarked, so we went from speaking all different languages and understanding to all speaking the same language and not understanding one another.  How painfully and well put. 

            It’s common on Pentecost to hear different languages in worship as a reminder of the global flavor and nature of the church.  For some weeks, I have been taking volunteers who speak other languages.  I got 6 languages and so I went through and found 6 well-known scripture passages to give us a whirlwind tour of the Biblical story on this whirlwind day.  Listen now for these sacred readings, each in a different language and then in English.

Souseiki 1:1-3

1. Shōsho ni, kami wa ten to chi o sōzō sareta.
   Chijō wa katachi naku, munashiku, yami ga fukami no omote ni ari, kami no rei ga mizu no omote o ōtte ita.
2. Kami wa, “Hikari are,” to iwareta. Soko de hikari ga atta.

Genesis 1:1-3 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
1 When God began to create the heavens and the earth,2 the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Miquéias 6:8 (ARA)
"Ele te declarou, ó homem, o que é bom; e que é o que o Senhor pede de ti, senão que pratiques a justiça, e ames a misericórdia, e andes humildemente com o teu Deus?"

 
Micah 6:8 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
    and to walk humbly with your God?

Psaume 23 (Louis Segond)

1. L'Éternel est mon berger: je ne manquerai de rien.
2. Il me fait reposer dans de verts pâturages, Il me dirige près des eaux paisibles.
3. Il restaure mon âme, Il me conduit dans les sentiers de la justice, à cause de son nom.
4. Quand je marche dans la vallée de l’ombre de la mort, je ne crains aucun mal, car tu es avec moi: ta houlette et ton bâton me rassurent.
5. Tu dresses devant moi une table, en face de mes adversaires; tu oins d’huile ma tête, et ma coupe déborde.
6. Oui, le bonheur et la grâce m’accompagneront tous les jours de ma vie, et j’habiterai dans la maison de l’Éternel jusqu’à la fin de mes jours.

Psalm 23
23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Mateo 5:3-10 (RVR1960)

3. Bienaventurados los pobres en espíritu, porque de ellos es el reino de los cielos.
4. Bienaventurados los que lloran, porque ellos recibirán consolación.
5. Bienaventurados los mansos, porque ellos recibirán la tierra por heredad.
6. Bienaventurados los que tienen hambre y sed de justicia, porque ellos serán saciados.
7. Bienaventurados los misericordiosos, porque ellos alcanzarán misericordia.
8. Bienaventurados los de limpio corazón, porque ellos verán a Dios.
9. Bienaventurados los pacificadores, porque ellos serán llamados hijos de Dios.
10. Bienaventurados los que padecen persecución por causa de la justicia, porque de ellos es el reino de los cielos.

Matthew 5:3-10 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 
Johannes 1:1–5 (SFB15)
I begynnelsen var Ordet, och Ordet var hos Gud, och Ordet var Gud.Han var i begynnelsen hos Gud.
Allt blev till genom honom, och utan honom blev ingenting till av det som är till.
I honom var liv, och livet var människornas ljus.
Ljuset lyser i mörkret, och mörkret har inte övervunnit det.

John 1:1-5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

Römer 8,38–39 (NGÜ)
Denn ich bin überzeugt: Weder Tod noch Leben, weder Engel noch unsichtbare Mächte, weder Gegenwärtiges noch Zukünftiges noch gottfeindliche Kräfte, weder Hohes noch Tiefes noch sonst irgendetwas in der ganzen Schöpfung kann uns von der Liebe Gottes trennen, die uns verbürgt ist in Jesus Christus, unserem Herrn.

Romans 8:38-39 - New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

            The Pentecost moment is a reminder of the power and promise of the Holy Spirit.  It’s a reminder that this is bigger than any of us.  It’s bigger than any language or culture or country.  It’s held by all of us in trust.  We are reminded on Pentecost that right listening as much a part of the faith as right speaking. 

            In the Pentecost story it’s said tongues of fire appear on the heads of those gathered.  They are here as the flames of the burning bush are in the Older Testament, when God’s name is revealed, meaning they burn but they do not consume.  That’s holy fire.  May we seek, then to listen with holy fire, to be consumed only by love, and to fill our ears, minds, and hearts with understanding.

            Amen.