My longtime friend and colleague (we met in Seminary in 1982) Rev. Jay Sterling has a daily posting on Facebook where he posts quotes and his own commentary about theology and our practice of our faith. A fairly consistent theme is that we shouldn’t get stuck in believing something we’ve inherited from history as the final answer, as if God no longer is active in the world and our faith isn’t active also. Rather, we need to be open to the Holy Spirit engaging us and guiding us in how we live out our faith.
His April 29 post refers to this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German pastor martyred in World War II: “With God one does not arrive at a fixed position; rather one walks along a Way”. And Jay comments (using the Jewish name for Jesus, “Yeshua”):
“Fixed positions are essentially defensive, fortresses to keep an enemy out rather than to take fight to where the enemy is. Theological orthodoxy, biblical literalism, the church as an institution are all fixed positions which are inflexible and incapable of movement. Yeshua presented the way, the truth, and the life and provided the Holy Spirit who provides the flow and movement which empowers Yeshua's followers to prevail against "the gates of Hell"--another fixed, defensive position which cannot restrain the irresistible force of God's ultimate reality.”
One of the reasons that Jesus was crucified is that he challenged the “fixed positions” around him—the religious hierarchy and practices, and the norms of the society, both of Rome and of Israel/Judah. Although Jesus was a practicing Jew, attending synagogue and participating fully in the religious observations and holidays that commemorated his faith, his approach to living out that faith—and his priorities within it—were far from “fixed”. If anything, they were dynamic; he challenged practices and attitudes that had become “settled”. Several times in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) he says ‘You have heard it said . . . But I say to you . . .” about some practice of their faith, not to throw away the settled practice but to make it more active, dynamic, and more “lived out” with the foundation of love of God and love of neighbor.
Easter changed things. The Resurrection vindicated Jesus’ life and teachings, and Pentecost brought the promised Holy Spirit to guide those who were his followers. It isn’t insignificant, connected with the Bonhoeffer quote, that following Jesus’ life and teachings, in the Holy Spirit’s guidance, was called “The Way”. And “The Way’ led to an unknown future, and yet one engaged with hope, and love, and care, and what would mean that the 3000 who received the Holy Spirit that day, led by the apostles, were the first of generations who lived out love of God and love of neighbor, trusting that God knew what they were capable of and would not leave them unguided.
Easter changes things. And Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit as God guiding us, also changes things. It not only changed things for them that day, it changes things for us every day, as we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
GOSPEL John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
26 ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
4b ‘I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgement: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11about judgement, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
12 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
NEW TESTAMENT Acts 2:1-21
1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ 13 But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 “In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”