Pentecost, June 9, 2019
Acts 2:1-21 and Genesis 11:1-9
An Acrostic by Carol Wehrheim
People, followers of Jesus the Christ,
Excited by his resurrection,
Nurtured by his ministry on earth,
Together they waited in Jerusalem.
Every day wondering and praying,
“Come, Advocate, Companion, Spirit of Truth.”
On the fiftieth day, the rush of a mighty wind
Stirred in the room and filled their hearts.
They—each and every one—began to witness
to all the people about God’s mighty deeds.
Dear Friends, The lectionary marks two familiar stories for the Day of Pentecost: the coming of the Spirit to the disciples and the Tower of Babel story.
In the first story everyone can understand what is being said and, in the latter, there is utter confusion and no communication.
In her new children’s book, God’s Big Plan, Elizabeth Caldwell suggests that God scattered the people of Babel not so they couldn’t threaten the heavens but so that there would be no uniformity among the people. God made everyone unique on that day.
I wonder if our spiritual ancestors chose to tell stories rather than leave a theology textbook so that stories could be interpreted as we need them for our lives. For centuries the institutional church sought to decide what each passage meant. They tried to get the right theological doctrine!
Barbara Brown Taylor, in her new book Holy Envy, argues that if you meet a Christian, you have only met one. She believes that we really aren’t ONE…in anything. We are each a separate story of our faith in Jesus and in God. I think that makes sense and maybe the story of Pentecost has been suggesting that all along- at least that is how I read it.
Peace to you, Keith
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