Sermon preached
at St. Alban's, Spirit Lake, on May 26 & 27, 2007
(The Day of Pentecost, Year C, BCP Lectionary)
by the Rev. Donald G. Twentyman, Jr.
First, the Letter from Bishop Scarfe for the Day of Pentecost was read.
Texts: Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 104:25-37
1 Corinthians 12:4-13
John 20:19-23In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Fifty days ago, at the Easter Vigil, the new fire was struck, the Paschal Candle was lit, and I then processed with the Paschal Candle, three times chanting “The Light of Christ”, and three times hearing the response “Thanks Be to God.” Now that the Great Fifty Days of Easter are ending, the Paschal Candle will be extinguished to be lit again only for Baptisms and Funerals until next Easter. Baptisms, when someone is welcomed into a new life in Christ, and Funerals, when someone is welcomed into a new life with Christ.
Today we’re celebrating the Day of Pentecost, or Whitsunday. Pentecost is sometimes called “the birthday of the Church,” as it celebrates the events recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, when the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus, and they then began the work of spreading the Light of Christ to those who had not known Jesus during his earthly ministry.
Pentecost is also associated with the gift of speaking in other tongues, as we heard in the lesson from Acts. But remember, it was not babbling but proclamation. Those who heard it, whatever their native language, were astounded by the variety of languages being spoken, and this was the first step in, and symbolizes, the eventual spread of the Gospel to all the nations of the world.
This, of course, brings us to that dreaded topic: Evangelism!
At the beginning of this month the clergy of the Diocese of Iowa had the pleasure of attending our diocesan Spring Clergy Conference, led by our presiding bishop, the Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori. Among the various talks which she gave, I well remember when she spoke of Evangelism, and I shall shamelessly use a number of her ideas as I speak to you today. Note: If I should happen to say anything that appears shocking, please don’t ascribe it to Bishop Katharine, as it is probably my own thought, and not hers. :-)
The first of the “Five Marks of Mission of the Worldwide Anglican Communion[1]” is “To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.” This is central, and encapsulates the other four.
We Episcopalians are not generally known being particularly Evangelical. The “Decade of Evangelism,” which many of you may recall, is often considered to have been a dismal failure. Why? Well, one possible reason is that Episcopalians are often introverts. I’m not quite sure why this is, but it rings true. Maybe it’s because introverts feel comfortable with a liturgical church, where they pretty much know what to expect each Sunday and don’t have too many surprises. Whatever the reason, Bishop Katharine provided some ideas on how we introverts might spread the Good News.
One example which she gave was …
· Relate the story about the “Tell me your stories about God” tent on the table at Starbucks
Next, we must try to be aware of, and be ready to seize, “teachable moments.” According to science teacher … Michael Bentley, seizing teachable moments "means producing a lesson on the spot in response to a question, [or] an expressed … interest..."[2] This fits in with Bishop Katharine’s suggestion that we “give people room to tell their story; and then respond.” Now, we are talking to people on their own ground, and responding to them on their own terms.
When we spot a “teachable moment,” what do we have to teach? Are we going to just “wing it,” or should we think about possibilities ahead of time? Well, being well educated in our own faith is certainly necessary in some cases, but it is just as important that we are aware of, and are willing to admit, our own limitations.
· Offer the God of your own experience
· Fear of rejection is common
· Don’t dump the whole load at once - that may not be taken as “Good News”
· Tell a brief version of the “Christ is Counting on You” story
Remember that evangelism is not just about boosting the membership of a congregation, although that may be a pleasant side-effect. It is about spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, and that is a responsibility which we all share as baptised Christians. Just as we differ from one another in many other ways, our styles of evangelism will also differ. Each of us must each find the style that fits him or her best, and then try it out. Who knows? It might not be so bad, after all!
Let us pray:
O God, who on this day taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
[1]
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/mission/fivemarks.cfm
[2]
http://ccaerasig.com/papers/03/SustainingTeachable.htm