Year C Pentecost 2022 Good & Pleasant

 Year C Pentecost, 5 June 2022

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Good and Pleasant”

Collect: Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

John 14:8-17, 25-27

Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."

"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."

Good morning, friends! Happy Birthday!

This day, Pentecost, 50 days after Easter, we have the joy of this being the line of demarcation. Before this day, there were followers of Jesus’ Way. After this day, we were the Church.

The ekklesia, the word we use for Church, are the “called-out” ones, or the “called-out” assembly or gathering. On that first Pentecost, 3,000 people heard the message preached by the apostles and came out of the world into the ekklesia, the Church. And from that beginning, we are here today. It has been a long and winding road through the two millennia since then, but here we are.

In fact, Pentecost could almost be summed up in the words of Mary Oliver:

Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.

And the early Church most certainly did. Thanks be to God!

In our readings today, we are given images. Images of Division. Images of Unity. Images of Comfort.

But I want to start today with one of the Psalms of Ascent. The Psalter was the hymnbook of the Temple. And included in that hymnbook is a collection of songs the people would sing on their way “up to Jerusalem.” One would always go “up to Jerusalem.” Psalms 120-134, these 15 hymns were the marching songs of the people of God. Some bring comfort, some express a desire for justice. One expresses a vision of hope for the people of God, and today I want us to begin with that.

Please grab your Book of Common Prayer. Open it up to the Psalms. Now for those not as familiar, the entire book of Psalms is translated and included in your BCP. On page 787 we have two short psalms. This morning let us say together Psalm 133.

Psalm 133   Book of Common Prayer, p. 787 in the Book of Common Prayer

1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *

    when brethren live together in unity! 

2 It is like fine oil upon the head *

    that runs down upon the beard,

3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *

    and runs down upon the collar of his robe.

4 It is like the dew of Hermon *

    that falls upon the hills of Zion.

5 For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: *

    life for evermore.

This image, a shower of blessing raining down because of Unity is such a powerful vision, a beautiful thing. A fine oil flowing down. Dew watering all the life that needs it in Zion. This passage came to mind because of the first verse, “How good and pleasant it is, when brethren live together in unity!”

Yesterday at the Diocesan Convention we had an image of people coming together seeking Unity. We will say more at our announcements, but it was a time of deep feelings and strong opinions. But the common thread amongst all those gathered together was how seriously and importantly they took what we were about. This was no small thing, electing the 14th Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia. Since 1790 there have only been 13 people who have held the title, Episcopal Bishop Diocesan of Virginia. That makes the average tenure just shy of 18 years. So our gathering yesterday was a pretty big deal. From this one decision, made prayerfully, soberly, and in great hope, much of the next decades will be determined.

When our Bishop Elect, the Reverend Canon Mark Stevenson, came on the screen via streaming video, he expressed his joy and overwhelm, it was so touching. We stood and applauded with Unity. Here is a quote:

You have honored me greatly. I am overwhelmed with deep joy over the journey that you have invited me to be a part of with you over the coming years. There’s such a Gospel hunger, Gospel drive in Virginia. It’s simply awe-inspiring… My prayer today is that God will grant us joy-filled day after joy-filled day as we start this new journey with each other and with God.

You could tell he was touched, and he first spoke of how excited he was to join in our journey, a journey for us to be together in the Gospel Ministry of Jesus Christ. Oh, how good and pleasant it is, when brethren live together in unity! May that be the case with Bishop Elect Mark, and our diocese which has taken some heavy blows recently with distrust, division, and disunity.

In fact, let’s stop and pray right now for Bishop Elect Mark, and his forthcoming ministry with us.

Gracious Lord, the clergy and people of the Diocese of Virginia, trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, have chosen Mark Stevenson to be our bishop and chief pastor. We therefore

ask you to lay your hands upon him and in the power of the Holy Spirit to equip, empower, and enable him to be a bishop in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. In the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen

I urge you to add Mark daily to your prayers as he transitions to being with us in Virginia, and preparing for his new role.

 

Psalm 133 begins with Unity, but the outcome, the point of it all, is what is so important is the culmination in the closing verse. “For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: life for evermore.”

Unity is how we model that blessing ordained by God. But life for evermore is the goal, beginning now in this world and continuing into the world to come. This blessing is ordained by God. Friends, know that these two things are not separate from each other. They are integral to one another, but they are contingent on God. God has ordained it. God has made this blessing. God is faithful and will be true.

In our Genesis reading, the age-old story of the tower of Babel is told, where language and cultural differences are given as punishment in response to people attempting to compete with God.

But that punishment is not God’s desire for us, we need only look to the passage from Acts, where the gift to the Church is that through the Holy Spirit, we can become Un-Babel-ed. God wants for us to live in unity and harmony with him and each other. And God does not wish us to do it alone.

Jesus in our John reading promises us the Holy Spirit. 

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

That God-with-Us is Emmanuel, Jesus. But that God-within-Us is the Holy Spirit. That indwelling that can only come from the Father is a foretaste of what it will be like in heaven. Discerning and clarifying, comforting and empowering, the Holy Spirit is the ever present helper in our way through this world. That voice that leads us to calm and peace when we are facing troubled waters. That word of wisdom that comes out of nowhere and we are as surprised as everyone else when it comes out of our mouth. That still, small whisper that lets us know we are on the right path even though all evidence, and maybe even rational thought, may point to the contrary.

Come, Holy Spirit, come! And thank you! Happy Birthday to us all! Amen