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.
Acts 2: 1-4 NRSVue
COME, HOLY SPIRIT COME
COME AS THE FIRE – AND BURN
COME AS THE WIND – AND CLEANSE
COME AS THE LIGHT AND REVEAL
CONVICT – CONVERT – CONSECRATE UNTIL WE ARE WHOLLY THINE!
This is the Feast of Pentecost in the Christian liturgical calendar. It is our opportunity to emphasize the magnificent, chaotic infusion of the Holy Spirit into a group of dispirited followers of Jesus who were still in mourning after the death of Jesus. Although they had received the Resurrection promise of Easter they didn't know which way to turn.
We often describe Pentecost as the birth of the Christian church and it was an event that revived hope through wind and fire and new ways of speaking. I wonder how we can invoke the transformative work of the same Holy Spirit as we struggle to find our way forward in the face of the crisis of climate change.
Surely we understand by now that this is not Chicken Little "the sky if falling" alarmism. Here in North America we are already into a destructive wildfire season that is intensified by intense winds and drought. We hear of extreme environmental events almost daily, including heat warnings in India and parts of Europe. We could be tempted to hide away in the places we wish were sanctuaries of comfort while all of Creation is groaning.
We need to find a common language for change that goes beyond talking past one another at Dis-United Nations environmental conferences to quench the destruction and revive Creation. We need courage to speak the truth that ecology and economy are not separate silos but interconnected.
I see that last month a group of fourteen Liberal Members of Parliament, including former Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, sent a respectful yet challenging letter to Prime Minister Carney expressing concern about environmental rollbacks and a lessened commitment to climate change mitigation. I admire their courage in doing so. We need so much more of this from our elected leaders.
St. Andrew's United Church Sanctuary Door, Sudbury, Ontario Jordi Bonet artist
How do we as Christ's people kindle a different sort of Holy Spirit wildfire which will change the narrative of our societies for the healing of our planet? Today we will delight in time with all four of our grandchildren, a blessing in our lives, and I want this change.
Another of the passages often read on Pentecost Sunday is from one of the apostle Paul's letters where he speaks of the suffering of Creation and the saving hope of redemption for all, not just humanity. Come Holy Spirit, come.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Romans 8: 18-25 NRSVue
May God who established the dance of creation,
Who marvelled at the lilies of the field,
Who transforms chaos to order,
Lead us to transform our lives and the Church
To listen to the voice of all creatures,
That reflect God’s glory in creation
No comments:
Post a Comment