Sermon preached at St. Alban's, Spirit Lake, on May 11, 2008
(Day of Pentecost - Whitsunday, Year A, BCP Lectionary)
by the Rev. Carl D. Mann

Texts:   Acts 2:1-11
Psalm 104:25-32
1 Corinthians 12:4-13
John 20:19-23

Words mean things. When we tell a story or share an event with another person, we are attempting to paint a mental picture in their brain so that they can possibly comprehend a fraction of what it was that we experienced. For some stories, it’s easy because there are plenty of descriptive words available such as “There were white, fluffy clouds floating across the rich blue sky like so many wooly sheep grazing along the luscious green pasture.” We have accurately described the nature of the clouds against the color of the sky, and we have further enhanced the picture by comparing it to a common experience, providing that the audience is familiar with rural areas that raise sheep. Together, we are able to make the connection between the clouds and the sheep, and we envision the brightness of the colors, whether it be sky or grass.

But when we toss intangible things into the story like sounds, thoughts or emotions, it becomes more difficult to describe. We have to make an accurate connection between the abstract and concrete. A good example of this is found in the first reading today. The Apostles were sitting together in a house “and suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind.” With no advance warning, the entire house was engulfed with noise that came from above similar to that of a tornado, which we in the Midwest equate with a speeding freight train. There was no actual wind but rather a sound that is associated with a damaging wind.

This is also a good example of my frustration with modern translations of the Bible. In most translations it says like a mighty wind but in the NRSV it says a violent wind. Now we who live in the upper Midwest know there’s a difference between a fifty mile an hour gust and a full blown tornado. Both are mighty in force but there is much more violence inherent to the latter. In fact, just by my saying “full blown” to describe a tornado may indicate the difference between a cold air funnel hanging beneath a cloud and a funnel that touches down to earth causing massive destruction.

Now think how difficult it is to describe something supernatural; something not of this physical world. It’s almost impossible to describe a divine experience in human terms so we have to choose our adjectives and verbs with care so as to paint an accurate mental picture.

Let’s look at today’s second reading. We are dealing with Spiritual gifts and Paul is being very specific. He outlines that there are a variety of gifts, services and activities, and they all have a single source. But notice how he describes the source; the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God. Paul has accurately described the triune nature of the One God; the three persons of the Holy Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Now hang onto that thought for a moment because we’ll need it later on.

In verse 6 of the same passage it reads, “[T]here are a variety of activities but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.” In Bible study last week it was noted that the word “activate” in the NRSV translation was used to replace the word “inspires” found in earlier translations. And in verse 11, the word “activated” replaces the word “inspired” when describing the manifestation of the Spirit in each of us.

Now the more I thought about the word “activate” the more I didn’t care for it. “Activate” means to set something in motion, and of course if we partake in an activity the very word implies some sort of action or movement. Technologically, something can be activated by the winding of a key or the flipping of a switch. Activity can be simulated by electrical current, magnetism or even gravity. But we also know that there is little or no action in some activities, like watching television. It’s an activity but there isn’t much action involved except to get physically comfortable with the remote in hand, and with our modern cultural mindset it’s highly questionable as to how much mental activity is actually going on. The point is that there has to be something more to life than just being mechanically “turned on.”

However, the word “inspire” is a remarkable word especially in a divine or biblical context, and especially from a Jewish perspective. The word “inspire” means to breathe in or to inhale. Inspire is the exact opposite of expire. When we are born into this world the first thing we do is inhale or take a breath, and the last thing we do when we die is exhale. Keeping this in mind, I believe it’s no accident that both the Hebrew and Greek word for “breath” is also used for the words “spirit” and “wind.”

So when we state in the creed that the Holy Spirit is the “giver of life” we are acknowledging that when we are born we are infused with the very breath of God. It’s God’s Spirit which animates that which God has created. It is the gift of His Spirit that enables us to live. And when we die and breathe our last, when we give up the ghost, we are giving back to God what rightly belongs to Him.

But mentally, the word “inspire” also means to infuse ideas or emotions into us as if by breathing; to animate or kindle our intellects as by spiritual influence. (See the connection between “kindle” and the tongues of fire resting on each of the Apostles’ heads.) This is what we mean when we say that Scripture is the inspired Word of God. Yes, they were written by men but the words were influenced, breathed in from God. God has revealed His Truth by the inflow of His Spirit into those who were writing the words. The authors of scripture never intended to sit down and write scripture. They were addressing the questions and needs of a particular community but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they were able to write down and we are able to ascertain the timeless Wisdom of God from within the original context.

Now grab that thought we put aside from the second lesson. We don’t know whether or not Paul fully grasped the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity but it doesn’t matter. Because of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he used words that make it easier for us to understand the complexities of that particular Divine Mystery in and through the context of his letter to the Corinthians.

When scripture was being collected and canonized, be it the Old Testament or the New, it was not the arbitrary choices of an individual but the inspiration of the Holy Spirit flowing collectively through the hearts and minds of men who made the choices of which writings resonated with the same Spirit, bringing together a disparate compilation of stories that when combined reveal to us the Truth which God desires for us to know. So wouldn’t it behoove us to steep ourselves in the Bible as the revealed Word of God, to breathe it in and be influenced by the Holy Spirit, grounding ourselves in the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ and living our lives in the way of a Christian as opposed to being just activated and eventually winding down to immobility?

The Holy Spirit is a Divine Mystery. He ordered the chaotic waters of the earth in creation. He animates all creatures with His life-giving breath. He inspired the prophets of old. He dwells within us by virtue of our baptisms. He transforms bread and wine into the life-sustaining body and blood of Christ. He strengthens and empowers us during confirmation. He unites us in Holy Matrimony. He infuses us with grace when we confess our sins, repent, and amend our lives. He transforms us yet again in ordination, and He comforts us when we are sick or dying. The Holy Spirit is God active in this world. Just as Jesus is God incarnate who lived among us, the Holy Spirit is God living within us, always there to influence us with the Truth and Word of God.

As we celebrate today the coming of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide the Church after Christ’s ascension, let us continually pray that we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and mouth glorify the one source of our inspiration. Gloria Patri