Sermon - Pentecost Day A May 11, 2008

Sermon - Pentecost Day A May 11, 2008


In 1996 I was called to work as a camp Counsellor at Camp Kinasao. Literally, the phone rang... they wanted me to work. I was attending bible school at the time when the call came. The director of the camp had called the President of the seminary and said they needed people to work... Were there any students he could suggest? The president met me moments later on the stairs and brought me to his office, we made the call, I talked to the camp director... a few minutes on the phone and an application was faxed to me. I filled out the application and faxed it back 30 min later. Then I waited... It seemed like a long time? How long do you wait for a job application? You don’t want to seem to eager but at the same time I needed to know. I must have waited 2 hours I was so excited to know what the next step was in the process... what do I need to do next?

So I called... and the director said: you have it. You are a fit for the need we have - your position is waiting for you.

There is nothing like the excitement of getting the perfect summer job - getting that perfect position that is far better than you could have hoped for. To me, it was like getting a job doing the thing that I probably would have done for free.

Fast forward to today:

Welcome to Confirmation Sunday.

Confirmation is Graduation to the church.

Now note... I said graduation to the church and not graduation from the church. This day is just the beginning. Confirmation is so much more than one day. Confirmation is so much more than getting all dressed up and getting it just right for this one day. Confirmation is the beginning of a whole new relationship to the church and the beginning of a life time walk with God.

...

My position as Camp Counsellor had a two week training period at the beginning of it. Canoes, safety, lost camper drills, leadership of chapel, leadership of campfire, leadership of the challenge course, leadership of bible study and learning all the wide games they play at camp.

Staff training is two whirlwind weeks of training to do the job that you have already been hired to do. This is a leap of faith for the camp. They hire you... offer you a position... guarantee you a job and then... hopefully, by the end of the training you are ready to be turned loose on the world. Turned loose for the job that you have already been hired to do.

Today, families, friends, we are at the end of staff training. And this goes for all of us. Specifically, those being confirmed are honored today but really... we’re all living in the same world. We are all in relationship to the same one God. We are all part of the same camp - called life.

Confirmation is Graduation to the church.


Today we gather to celebrate the public proclamation of these young people Today they name there desire to be a part of God’s ongoing gift to the world. The gift of the church.

Today we honor the work that these confirmands have done. Meeting after meeting we have gathered with them to work towards this day. This is the day where they publicly say yes to the reality of God’s activity in their lives. Publicly they say yes that they are ready to get on board with this thing called church - with this group of people who form the church.

Today we celebrate that 2000 years ago... on this day of Pentecost... the Holy Spirit came to the people. The birth of a new way of God speaking in the world. Of God acting in the world.

And this brings me to my favorite part. The story goes that the Spirit descends like tongues of fire and all the disciples started speaking in foreign languages - all people gathered could understand them. All people heard the Gospel - the Good news that Christ had died, Christ had risen, and Christ would come again. What a powerful way to say that this message is for all people. All people hear it in there own language.

But this isn’t my favorite part, my favorite part is where it says “All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

They are filled with new wine. It’s like saying “You’d have to be drunk to come up with this. You’d have to be drunk to believe this. You’d have to be crazy to think that there is a God active in the world around us.

But I have seen God:
That summer at camp and through other summers at different camps, I have seen God reach our through the camp staff to children that are hurting. Children that are bullied at home and school, children who had been raped, children who carry so much pressure in their lives that I don’t now how they get up in the morning - I have seen them open up and lay the pain down. I have seen the camp community reach out and support them in those moments of emotional crisis... where it all comes pouring out, and I’ve seen the church follow up to protect and help them as they return to there lives - The Holy Spirit is at work in the midst of the pain life.

I have seen God: In confirmation students. In the little “aha” moments found in the middle of discussion. As different parts of the nature and character of God are explored. I am excited to hear the stories of where they go, what they do - to see where they work. They are part of the church now... how will God use them in the future?

I have seen God: In the work of this church - in the support that exists through the pastor and council and the many ways that the community - the people on board with church reach out to help those who need it - HAGUE:The distribution of the Delores Rudolph estate to purchase defibrillators in Hague and Hepburn, donations made to Sunshine Housing, The Zone, The Canadian Deaf Blind Rubella Association, donations made to Global Hunger Development, to the missionary serving in Peru, to our sister Synod in Argentina.
Rosthern: Visiting those who are sick and lonely, bringing food to those who have just had a baby or to those who have just lost a loved one, driving those who can't to appointments, offering hospitality


And so the world continues to turn. And I don’t doubt that we in the church get it wrong sometimes. I don’t doubt that we just don’t get it sometimes.

The Disciples give us a great example of people not getting it. Let’s look at their record. All through the Gospel of John they don’t get it. The need to have things explained to them. They are told that Jesus is going to die. They are told that Jesus is going to be resurrected and that this must happen. They are told to have faith.

Then they are in the Garden of Gethermene. Jesus is arrested and they ALL scatter. Peter denies Christ three times - can’t even admit to a child that he knows this Jesus. Some of the disciples head out of town. ALL of them are running scared. None of them get it.

And then Jesus acts with a Word: Jesus speaks Peace be with you. Jesus says Peace be with you to the disciples who “didn’t get it.” To the disciples that fled and scattered and had no faith. Jesus shows the wounds - and he’s not mad at them... he’s not vengeful for them abandoning him. Peace be with you he says a second time. And then he breathes on them the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is not simply saying peace be you... Jesus is making Peace into a reality through the gift of the Spirit.

The same Spirit that comes at Pentecost.

The same Spirit which reminds us of the promises Jesus made to never abandon us, to always be with us, to be joined with us in life, in pain, in death, and resurrection and beyond.

Everyone is broken... everyone needs to mend broken relationships with others and with God...

Everyone needs the church...

Everyone needs the support of a community at times...

Everyone needs forgiveness - the power to mend the broken relationships around them - and to move forward into new life and new possibilities.


...


Today is Pentecost Sunday where we celebrate the gift of the church and the coming of the Spirit.

Today,... ... peace be with you. Your sins are forgiven, you can forgive others, scars and all, God is offering peace.

Today it is confirmed - God is active in the world.

Today we are all graduated into the future... it is The Spirit that graduates us into being the church.

Amen.