Breath of Life

May 20, 2018, Pentecost

Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:22-27

 

Nature has both peaceful and destructive tendencies. It can be peaceful after a fresh snow or spring rain shower. The spring brings new flowers and babies of all kinds. However, the power of nature can destroy and changes lives forever. We witness this in the destructive power of hurricane force winds and floods that wipe out neighborhoods and communities.

These same winds blow through our times of uncertainty and desperation. Uncertainty about that job that we may be waiting to hear about. Uncertainty about the diagnoses from the doctor that we are awaiting. Uncertainty about what the future may bring for our children and grandchildren. A wind that swirls around our desperation and longing for a sign of hope that may bring peace and understanding.

These winds blow through our lives where there is darkness and death. In the darkness we tend to blame and point fingers instead of being present to the wind that brings fresh air. In the darkness it is difficult to see the light when we are sulking and throwing our own personal pity party. However, the wind is ever present, blowing this way and that.

The wind blows through our nation and world where it seems at times we have come to an impasse. It appears at times that we are more split than ever. Many languages are being spoken and it appears that no one can understand the other. The Republicans and Democrats are speaking a different language. People of color and the white majority are speaking a different language. Men and women are speaking a different language. The rich and the poor are speaking a different language.  Yet, the wind continues to blow.

 Paul in his letter to the Romans says,

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Sprit, groan inwardly while we await adoption, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:22-23

The whole creation has been groaning in labor pains! There is a bit of reassurance that comes in this statement from Paul.

We tend to do a lot of groaning of our own when things do not go as expected. God’s creation is an amazing thing that never stops growing. Physically and inwardly. The Hebrew Bible is nothing but stories of creation and humanity groaning as they find their way. Every turn that is taken brings something new and exciting.  There are signs of God working in and among the people of Israel and the wind never stops blowing.

The apostles are experiencing their first Pentecost after Jesus’ death and resurrection. There are already numerous crowds gathered in the city because Pentecost was a festival day. A day in which the Jewish people celebrated the Feast of Weeks, or it could also be found to be called the Feast of the First Fruits, or the Feast of Harvest.

It does not take long for confusion to break out as the wind rushes through the apostles gathering and in response they are found to be speaking the languages of their ancestors. There is a stir of suspicion among those that have ran to examine the noise. There confusion is wrapped up in what is happening among Jesus’ apostles, for surely, they are drunk. Peter reassures them that they are not.

 The rush of the wind brings great power to them and is a reminder of the promises that Jesus had made to them before he ascended into the heavens. In the first chapter of Acts, before Jesus ascends, he tells the apostles,

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

This is the same wind that blew through creation at the very beginning. We find this wind in Genesis in the creation story and we find it throughout the lives of the Israelites and their ancestral stories. The wind that comes through the gathering of the apostles is the wind that breathed life into creation. It is the wind that blew through the Garden of Eden as Adam and Eve walked among the flora and fauna. It is the breath of life that was in every animal that entered the ark. It is the same wind that separated the waters of the Red Sea so that the Israelites could get safely to the other side and escape the Egyptians. It is the same Spirit that came upon David and made him king of the Israelites.

This breath of life, this Ruach in the Hebrew language, is a powerful word. It connects the Spirit of God to the breath and life of all creation. That breath of life is in the wind that blows through the apostles on this first Pentecost after Jesus has died, was raised, and ascended into the heavens. This is the Spirit that Jesus promised to them. A Spirit that will guide them from this day forward. The Holy Spirit that is one with him and his Father.

 This breath of life, this Ruach, has never stopped moving and working its way into all the nooks and crannies of creation. It brings life to the dead and fills us with hope. This breath of life is the Holy Spirit that is among us from the very beginning of our existence to direct and guide us.

Paul reminds us in Romans that the Holy Spirit is also present with us to

Help us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that every Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

We are the saints of God. In our baptisms we are marked with the sign of the cross of Christ forever and in this we are reminded that we receive the same promise as the apostles. The Spirit will be with us to guide, lead, and intercede on our behalf. While the Spirit is ever present with us, it is does not mean that everything is going to go just the way that we want it to. The Spirit can be sneaky, and it does not bend to our will. In his reflection on the Holy Spirit, David Lose writes,

The Spirit doesn’t solve our problems but invites us to see possibilities we would not have seen otherwise. Rather than remove our fear, the Spirit grants us courage to move forward. Rather than promise safety, the Spirit promises God’s presence. Rather than remove us from a turbulent world, or even settle the turbulence, the Spirit enables us to keep our footing amid the tremors. Keep in mind that after the Spirit is given to Jesus at his Baptism, it immediately drives him into the wilderness. The same Spirit![i]

Where is the Spirit guiding you in your life? Today in this present moment. Tomorrow as you go back to work. In the life of your friends and family.

Where is the Spirit guiding Trinity Lutheran Church as a congregation? Being reminded of the life of the past as we move into a new future where church is not seen as essential as it once was. Are we willing to let the Spirit guide us into some new and exciting ministries? Are we willing to fall flat on our faces, only to get back up with the help of the Holy Spirit to try something new? The Spirit has called us all together to worship and praise God. The Holy Spirit also calls us to go out into the world to proclaim the good news.

The Spirit, the mighty wind that blows through our lives, sometimes like the force of a hurricane, shapes us and prepares us to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. How can we best share that good news with our friends and neighbors in Richmond and the surrounding area?

Let us pray. Spirit that blows through our gathering and rests upon each and everyone of us, may we be guided in the truth and love of Jesus Christ. May we be called forth in our lives of faith to serve our friends and neighbors, and as a gathered congregation may we be open to the Spirit calling to new and exciting ministries. Amen

 

[i] David Lose, In the Meantime, http://www.davidlose.net/2018/05/pentecost-b-2018-pentecost-possiblities/