Where There's Smoke, There's Fire

Sermon from June 12, 2011
(The Day of Pentecost – Year A)
Acts 2: 1-21
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Waco, Texas

Last Thursday afternoon, Susan and I flew back from a few days of vacation in Las Vegas.
On the plane trip back home, we had beautiful views out of the window.
After we departed from Vegas, we saw the desert below us - and then the magnificent sight of the Hoover Dam.
Soon after, we were treated to a bird’s-eye view of the Grand Canyon down below us.

After a while the pilot of the plane made an announcement.
The pilot informed us, saying:
“Folks, if are sitting on the left hand side of the plane, you can look out your window and plainly see the wildfires that are raging through Arizona.”
Susan and I then gazed out of our window down below.
However, I could not see any red or orange flames at all.
But we could very plainly see miles and miles and miles of smoke, billowing up from the parched earth below.
The area covered by the white smoke in Arizona was truly massive.
Yet even though I could not see a single red or orange flame, I could certainly see the smoky effects of this disastrous fire.
For I know that
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Today is the day of Pentecost.
The day of Pentecost was and is a Jewish festival occurring 50 days after Passover.
Therefore, since Passover and Easter coincide, the Day of Pentecost is also 50 days after Easter.
The day of Pentecost seems to be the one Sunday each year when we give a particular shout out to the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity.

The history book in the New Testament, called the Acts of the Apostles, gives us an account of what happened on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection.
In the Acts of the Apostles, it is written:
“When the day of Pentecost had come, the followers of Jesus 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.
Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them.
And all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Back two thousand years ago, many people were in Jerusalem for the Pentecost festival.
And upon hearing the sound of the fiery wind of the Holy Spirit, the crowd gathers together in amazement.
The people cannot see red and orange flames of the Holy Spirit.
But the crowd can hear the followers of Jesus speaking in the native languages of the crowd.
The crowd can hear the apostle Peter raise his voice and confidently preach the words of the good news of Jesus Christ.
For even though the crowd on Pentecost morning could not see a single red or orange flame, they could certainly see the smoky effects of this amazing fire of words.
Because where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Today, on this day of Pentecost, as your preacher for the day, I believe that it is part of my job to show you, to convince you, that there is a Holy Spirit.
There is a Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus who is alive and active in our world today.
As your spiritual leader, I do believe that there is more to this world than what meets the eye.
As we say in the Nicene Creed, we believe in all that it is, seen and unseen.

Although most of us will never see the red and orange flames of Pentecost,
We can see the effects of the Holy Spirit.
We can see the smoke that billows up from the fiery Spirit of Jesus.

When Jesus began his earthly ministry, Jesus had a conversation with Nicodemus at night.
Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit is like the wind.
You cannot see the wind, where it comes from or where it goes.
But we can see the effects of the wind, how it bends tree branches and flutters flags on flagpoles.

So it is with Jesus’ Holy Spirit.
We might not see the wind and the flames.
But we can see the smoking effects of the Spirit.
For where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Sometimes, I wish that you could have my perspective on the people of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church.
Sometimes I wish that you could look out of the airplane window and get a bird’s-eye view of the massive amount of Holy Spirit smoke that is billowing out of the windows and doors of this church.

A few months ago, one man came to my office to tell me that - after worship one Sunday, he turned to his wife and said:
“I don’t know about you, but I believe that the Holy Spirit is doing incredible things at St. Alban’s.
Is it just me? Am I crazy?
Or can you feel the power of God working in this church, as well?”
And his wife turned to him and replied:
“Yes, honey.
I can feel it, too.”

One woman, a life-long Episcopalian, came to my office after Easter Day.
She came to tell me that had felt an energy, a holy and energizing presence, during Easter worship that she had never felt in her life before.
As she drove away from this church on Easter morning, she had exclaimed to herself:
“O my God, this is what the Holy Spirit feels like!”

Another woman, a woman named Debbie Williams, also came to my office after Easter.
She told me that she wanted to be baptized.
And so we are baptizing her today, baptizing her with water and with fire.

My brothers and sisters, I can see smoke pouring out all over this place!

Therefore, I do not need to see the Holy Spirit.
I do not need to see the Holy Spirit, because I see the smoking effects of God’s Spirit working in you.
I see the massive clouds of smoke pouring out of these windows and doors and I know that Jesus is alive.
I know, I know, that where there is the smoke of God’s love, there is also the fire of Jesus’ Spirit.

However, the Holy Spirit was not poured out on Pentecost morning just to give the followers of Jesus a warm and fuzzy feeling.
The Church, throughout the ages, messes up over and over again when we think that the Holy Spirit is here to just make us feel good and self-important.

The real reason that we are ignited by the Holy Spirit is so that, like a wildfire, the smoke of Jesus’ message will billow outside of these walls, outside of Jerusalem, outside to the very ends of the earth.
For the risen Jesus’ last words on earth, before he was ascended, were these:
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.
And you will be my witnesses, to the ends of the earth.”

The Holy Spirit is here to give us power, the power to get over ourselves and to love the people whom we find unlovable.
The Holy Spirit is here to give us power, the power to find just the right words to say to someone who is lonely or sick or having a bad day.
The Holy Spirit is here to give us power, the power to open our mouths up and to spread the good news like wildfire that Jesus is alive and he loves everyone!

My friends, the Holy Spirit is here and alive so that the fire of Jesus ignited in us at Pentecost will spread to your home and to your office and to your school and to your neighborhood and to the ends of the earth - even to the other side of the Brazos River.
The Holy Spirit of Jesus is here and alive so that your words of power will fill the room with holy love.
The Holy Spirit is here and alive - to fill the whole world with holy smoke.

For where there’s smoke,
There’s fire.

AMEN.

The Energy You Bring into this Space

I took a few days at the end of May to spend time with my parents in Houston. One of my mother’s favorite shows is the Oprah Winfrey Show. On May 25, Oprah broadcast her last show and I watched the show with my Mom. Oprah’s last show was actually a monologue, with no guest stars, no car giveaways. She imparted some of the lessons that she had learned in 25 years of hosting her show. I was impressed that Oprah gave a teaching, instruction for life using plain language and real examples. Essentially, Oprah gave a very effective sermon.

In her “sermon,” one of the nuggets of wisdom that Oprah shared was something she learned years ago from one of her guests, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor. Dr. Taylor told Oprah that a lesson for life is this:

Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.

Everyone has energy. Some people have energy that is upbeat and optimistic. Others have an energy that is pessimistic and defeated. I have known some people who, just by walking into a room, can either suck the life out of the room, or can fill the room with radiant joy.

Jesus has energy, as well. And Jesus takes responsibility for the energy he brings into the room. To the Pharisees and religious muckety-mucks, Jesus is responsible for his energy that calls us to task for injustice, bigotry and hypocrisy. To prostitutes and tax collectors, Jesus is responsible for his energy that calls us to forgiveness and grace. To everyone, Jesus is responsible for his energy of tough love that calls us to lay down our lives for our friends, even on a cross.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the energy that I bring into a room. At home, do I bring an energy of engagement with my family, or a preoccupation with things from earlier in the workday? At my work, do I bring an energy of optimism, or of pessimism? At church, do I bring into worship an energy that is ready for prayer and praise, or a mind packed with a to-do list for Sunday afternoon?

To me, a good thing (no, a great thing) about being a Christian, is that the Spirit of Jesus helps me to bring a more loving and merciful energy into spaces. The Holy Spirit, when invited, can fill in the gaps where Jeff Fisher’s energy falls short, so that Jesus’ Spirit of Love can assist me to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.

This summer, I invite us to ponder the energy that we bring into our homes, into our workplaces, into our places of leisure, into this church. When our own energy seems to fall short, invite the energy and power of Jesus (aka the Holy Spirit) into the space, as well.

Take responsibility for your own energy - and invite Jesus’ energy into the spaces of your life.

The Friendliest Ghost You Know

Sermon from May 23, 2010

(The Day of Pentecost – Year C)

John 14: 8-17, 25-27

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Waco, Texas

When I was a small boy, I used to love to watch cartoons.

Tom & Jerry and Popeye and the Flintstones were all staples on our television screen.

However, there was one cartoon that always did seem to fascinate me.

The cartoon was called “Casper, The Friendly Ghost.”

In this cartoon, Casper is a white ghost, who also resembles a pudgy little boy.

All of the other ghosts in town go around scaring people.

But Casper is different.

Casper decides that instead of scaring people, like most ghosts, he wants to go around town and make friends.

Sadly, however, when Casper attempts to make friends, they discover that he is a ghost and they run off scared, many times with their teeth clattering behind them.

Although I don’t remember very much about the story lines from the Casper cartoons, I do remember the theme song from the show:

Casper, the friendly ghost.

The friendliest ghost you know.

Though grownups might

Look at him with fright

The children all love him so.

You might say that Casper is a ghost in need of an image makeover - because most people just assume that a ghost is creepy and scary.

Yet Casper, the friendly ghost, is loving and kind.

When I was growing up in the Episcopal Church, we did not refer to the Holy Trinity as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Instead, in the old days, we referred to the Holy Trinity as the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

As a matter of fact, in the opening hymn that we sang on this festival morning of Pentecost, we sing:

Hail thee, festival day!

Day when the Holy Ghost shone in the world with God’s grace.

Yet whenever I think of the Holy Ghost, I must say that that image of Casper, the friendly ghost, creeps up from the realms of my childhood memories.

And I see that, just as Casper needed an image makeover,

The Holy Spirit needs an image makeover, as well.

In this last week, I prepared for this festival day of Pentecost, the day when we celebrate that the Holy Spirit was poured out on all people.

And as I prepared for Pentecost, I asked many different people this question:

What do you think about the Holy Spirit?

By and large, the initial reaction I got from most people was the same as if they had seen a ghost.

Most people’s first reaction was that the Holy Spirit is spooky and creepy and frightening.

And once again I realized:

The Holy Spirit is in need of an image makeover.

In the Gospel of John that we read this morning, Philip makes this request of Jesus:

“Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.”

Jesus then replies by saying that if we have seen Jesus, then we have seen the Father.

Now the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are all equal.

And the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit all reflect the nature of the one true God, a loving God revealed in three persons.

Therefore, given the equality of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I believe that we can substitute Philip’s request to see the Father with a request to see the Holy Spirit.

With this substitution, Philip requests:

“Lord, show us the Holy Spirit and we will be satisfied.”

And then Jesus would reply by saying –

If we have seen Jesus, then we have seen the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, the Holy Spirit is not some weird and freaky ghost who scares the living daylights out of us.

The Holy Spirit has the same nature and qualities as Jesus.

Like Jesus, the Holy Spirit is loving and kind and joyful and fills us with justice and peace.

In some respects, I think that the story that we heard this morning from the Book of Acts is not helpful in improving the image of the Holy Spirit as some scary and weird ghost.

In the Book of Acts, we heard that the Holy Spirit is poured out upon all people in Jerusalem, with a mighty wind and with tongues of fire.

Then, the people begin speaking in different languages.

Parthians, Medes, Elamites – all hear about God’s deeds of power in their own languages.

Immediately in our minds, we could have an image of the Holy Spirit as a force that makes everyone speak in tongues and roll around on the floor and handle snakes and raise our hands in the air and shout: Amen, Hallelujah!

And we wonder why the Holy Spirit has an image problem.

And while some people do encounter the Holy Spirit in amazing ways, for most of us the Holy Spirit is simply the Spirit of Jesus - who is still alive on this earth today.

The Holy Spirit is the spirit of love and joy and peace and kindness and gentleness.[1]

And I know, without a doubt, that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in your lives - in love and joy and peace.

I know that the Holy Spirit is alive and active when I see you spend hours of your free time volunteering in our schools and libraries and hospitals.

I know that the Holy Spirit is alive and active when I hear that you spend each and every morning in silent prayer at your breakfast room table, praying using Forward Day by Day.

I know that the Holy Spirit is alive and active when I see you reach out to a newcomer or a guest at this church with the same hospitality of Jesus.

I know that the Holy Spirit is alive and active when we worship in this church each Sunday - and the bread, the wine, the words, the music all wash over me in a peace, a peace that passes all understanding.

I know that the Holy Spirit is alive and active, not because you speak in tongues or perform fantastic miracles.

I know that the Holy Spirit is alive and active – because I see Jesus in you.

However, my brothers and sisters, I want us to talk about the Holy Spirit more.

I want us to name and acknowledge the Spirit’s power in our lives.

I want us to proclaim, boldly, that we love and serve and pray in ways that we could never imagine on our own – because of the Holy Spirit.

I want us to see the Holy Spirit, not as some scary and weird ghost, but as our powerful companion in every day life.

The theme song to that old cartoon used to go:

Casper, the friendly ghost,

The friendliest ghost you know.

Yet Casper is not the only spirit who wants to love and be a friend.

Casper is not the friendliest ghost you know.

The Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, is the friendliest ghost you know.

AMEN.

---

[1] See the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23

Come, Holy Spirit, Come

Tomorrow is the Day of Pentecost: the day, 50 days after Easter, when Luke (the writer of the Book of Acts) tells us that the Holy Spirit was poured out on all, in tongues of fire and a mighty wind.

In this week before Pentecost, I have pondered the Scripture readings for tomorrow, in getting ready for Bible studies, for sermon preparation and for personal reflection. I have asked many people in this last week: What do you think of the Holy Spirit?

And I have been a bit surprised that most people's first response is one of fear and confusion. To many, the qualities of the Holy Spirit do not match up with the qualities that we see in Jesus. To many, Jesus = love, peace, kindness. And the Holy Spirit = creepiness, fear, babbling in tongues and snake-handling.

As I prepare to enter the pulpit tomorrow on this festival day, I want us to give the Holy Spirit an image makeover in our hearts. I want us to see the Holy Spirit working in our lives, in beautiful and "non-creepy" ways. I want us to not turn our noses up at the thought of the Holy Spirit. I do not want us to give he/she/it the cold shoulder.

I want us to pray, with every fiber of our being:

Come, Holy Spirit, Come.