Catch Fire

Acts 2:1-24, 32-42

Rev. Dr. Mary Alice Mulligan

Many people in the sanctuary, and perhaps those online as well, are wearing fire colors to welcome the arrival of the Holy Spirit on this Day of Pentecost. The Season of Easter ends with the arrival of the Day of Pentecost. We celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter, remembering he told his followers he would rise, but then he would depart, but he would not leave them orphaned. God would send them another Advocate, to accompany them on their journey. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, would support and empower them. The Roman Catholic Church begins mass today with these words in the opening prayer: “Almighty and ever-living God, you fulfilled the Easter promise by sending us your Holy Spirit.”[1] The resurrection, the ascension 40 days later (when the Risen Christ moves into the eternal presence of God), and now the arrival of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, forging the church. These three events are intimately connected. We understand them best when we think of them together. Easter, the ascension of Jesus, and now the final part of the Easter promise is fulfilled with the arrival of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. From the 2nd chapter of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, listen for the word of God.  

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 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. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

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. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘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. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Let’s look at the Pentecost story. Many years on the Sunday of Pentecost we hear Luke’s report of the coming of the Holy Spirit from the book of Acts. We know this is not a historic retelling of the coming of the Spirit since the Gospel of John tells a very different story. John says on the evening of the resurrection, Jesus comes among the disciples and breathes the Holy Spirit into them, apparently relatively quietly with no tongues of fire (read John 20:19-23). Jesus then appears among them a number of times in the following weeks. But here in Acts, 50 days after Easter, after Jesus’ ascension, Luke tells a very different story. So, if history is not the point of the Pentecost story, what is? Details aside, an important point is, the power of God manifest as the Holy Spirit, comes among followers of Jesus, turning them into a specific community. They are forged into the community of Christ. They are no longer just individuals.

Think of a crowd at a basketball game, clock ticking down. Caitlin Clark gets the ball. The entire crowd stands as one body. No one tells them to; they just spontaneously rise to their feet to watch. The first community of Christ is like that, although even more powerful since the Holy Spirit (not basketball) shapes them. They have become one body, connected into what St. Paul will eventually call “the body of Christ.” Instead of dozens of believers closed into a house staring at each other, baffled about what to do next, the Holy Spirit has forged them into the church. Their fearful silence is left behind. Listen to Peter, boldly vocal in his declarations. He knows all of the Roman Empire must claim “Caesar is Lord,” but he speaks for a ragtag group, followers of the Galilean claiming, “only Jesus is Lord!” Together, these have become the Community of Christ, empowered by God’s presence among them. They boldly commit to carrying on what Jesus taught them. Remember last week’s reminder that Jesus washed feet and then handed over the towel. The new community is committed to taking on Jesus’ ministry, which is to work, empowered by the Spirit, toward the coming of the Realm of God. The church together taking on the ministry of Jesus is the point of Pentecost.

But 2000 years later, trouble seems to reign. The church today seems hopelessly divided, even though we heard for several weeks recently that Jesus says the church is One. All we have to do is look around and see that doesn’t seem likely. So were those sermons full of baloney?  Christianity certainly does not look like one community.

A recent issue of The Christian Century reports on a study detailing divisions churches experienced because of Covid. Many ministers felt tremendous stress; some considered leaving the ministry. Lots of churches were divided over Covid precautions and restriction decisions. People withdrew membership from their churches. Unity in Christ could not overcome divisions over Covid. The report adds that in many churches the wounds continue to fester.[2]

It isn’t just COVID, of course. A St. Andrew person admitted when they tell someone they are Christian, the immediate response is often rejection. People assume all Christians are judgmental. Curiously the term “Evangelical” is part of the problem. Surveys show numerous Jews, Roman Catholics, and even Muslims self-identify as evangelical.[3] Americans are using “evangelical” as a political rather than a religious label, meaning politically conservative, usually Republican. The term is becoming separate from a description of any sort of Christian.

So, I believe Jesus is correct to say: the church, with all its differences, is One. However, a lot of folks using Christian language and labels do not seem to be committed to Jesus. We can rightly question whether people who reject the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount (to hunger after righteousness or to love one’s enemies) are actually followers of Jesus Christ. The church is one, but not everything calling itself a Christian church is. The name “Christian” is getting used in a lot of questionable arenas. Chaos seems to be having its way in our thinking about the church.

So, let’s be sure we know who we are. We need to be sure we can articulate what we believe. Here are some basics: As part of the St. Andrew United Church of Christ family, we choose to listen to the teachings of Jesus which point us toward God’s vision of the way the world should be. We start with the belief that every person is precious, loved by God. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are committed to carrying on his ministry of service to others. However, a distinguishing feature is that we know our power alone cannot do what God calls us to do. We need God’s presence among us, to forge us into the community of Christ and to empower us to carry on the ministry of Jesus Christ.

And that is where the sermon title comes from. As people who choose Christ, who are open to the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, we better look out, because Luke says when the Spirit comes, she will figuratively set fire on us and within us. Look at Peter, who couldn’t admit he even knew Jesus when he was arrested, who on Pentecost is able to proclaim that God was working in Jesus’ many deeds of power. Then Peter boldly asserts Jesus is Lord (not Caesar!) and he is Messiah (the Christ). If the Holy Spirit can convert Peter like that, what might happen here if we actually committed to Jesus Christ, if we actually believed in God’s power to act, if we actually opened ourselves to the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit?

We get glimpses of God’s vision. We know God’s love for all creation and all persons. Empowered by the Spirit, followers of Jesus can do more than the sum of their parts is able. We can work to bring peace and wholeness and enough to more people. Gawkers around the first followers thought they had gotten drunk at nine in the morning since they were saying and doing the impossible. Through the centuries, people who were seriously committed to the Almighty and open to the Spirit have been called “God intoxicated.” They were so full of love for God, they no longer seem normal. “God intoxicated.” I prefer to say they are catching fire. Totally committed to God’s vision. St. Andrew, if we were open…if we weren’t afraid…. if we truly loved God… I believe we would together catch fire. And there’s the church of Jesus Christ!

[1] Quoted in William Willimon, Acts (John Knox Press, 1988), 28.

[2] See Jeff Brumley, “COVID. New Study Details Church Divisions…,” Christian Century, May 2024, 14-15.

[3] See “Evangelical but not Christian,” in Christian Century, May 2024, 10.