Native Language/Our own language

Sermon-Pentecost-May 27, 2012-Native Language/Our own language


The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."

Today is the 50th day of Easter, the feast of Pentecost. “In Italy, rose petals will be dropped from the ceilings of cathedrals to recall the tongues of fire. In France, trumpets will sound to evoke the mighty wind,” In Estonia and Finland eggs are dyed as at Easter because their hens (supposedly) don’t lay eggs until this time. In Germany the day is called “Pfingsten” and pink and red peonies, called “Whitsun roses”, are the symbols along with the birch trees. The English refer to the holiday as Whitsunday with reference to the white garments worn on Pentecost by the newly baptized. Some churches lower a carved dove into the congregation and call this “swinging the Holy Ghost”. and here at Trinity we wear red.

I was at a meeting of clergy recently where we were talking about the first lesson, the important one that describes the first Christian Pentecost. And someone pointed out how often we hear about the Spirit speaking in the “Native tongue or language” . It’s referred to twice and then it comes up again “in our own languages”. The Spirit spoke to all these people gathered in that upper room in a way they recognized-in a way that made sense to them. All these people heard “God’s deeds of power” in a way that changed them. That’s the key. The Holy Spirit didn’t just come-it spoke to a wide variety of people in a way they understood. Have you ever had someone tell you about some incredibly powerful life changing experience that happened to them, and you’re sitting there wondering why that would change someone’s life? It didn’t translate for you-it didn’t connect with what changes you. You think to yourself, “that changed your life?”

Do you know what your native language is? How do God’s deeds of power speak to you? When I listened to these clergy talking about “native languages” it dawned on me that what is powerful in my life-might not be so in yours-and vice versa. I hear that from people in church all the time. “You know, I listened to your emotional sermon today-and it didn’t touch me at all.” Yeah, I understand. In this first lesson from Acts, the Holy Spirit came as wind, it came as tongues of fire. It came as the ability to understand God. This story describes several different ways people could be touched by God-not just in one way. Do you know your native language? Do you know how God talks to you? What are the ways God’s deeds of power speak to you?

In his book "The Kingdom of God is a Party," Tony Campolo tells of a time when he spoke in Honolulu. Because of the time difference between Hawaii and the mainland, Campolo was wide awake and hungry at 3:30 a.m. He found a little greasy spoon diner, and as he sat finishing his coffee, several women came in who had just gotten off work. He knew they were prostitutes.

They sat down near him, and one of the women, Agnes, mentioned to her companions that tomorrow was her birthday. This didn't mean much to any of them and they chastised her for mentioning it in hopes of getting a present or party. She replied that she had never had a party.

After they left Compolo asked the diner owner, Harry, about these women and found that they showed up each night about this time. Compolo asked him if he would help him. Harry agreed.

The next evening the place was filled with decorations and when Agnes and her group arrived everyone sang "Happy Birthday." She was so overjoyed that she cried when she was asked to blow out the candles. When it came time to cut the cake, she begged to take it home.

After she left, Campolo led the group in prayer for Agnes and for the other women. They didn't know that he was a minister, and they asked at what type of church he preached. Campolo replied that it was a church that gives birthday parties for prostitutes, the church of Jesus Christ.

Who would have thought that a birthday party could be a deed of power? Do you know your native language? Do you know how God can best show you acts of power?

How does the Spirit speak to you? What deeds of power have you witnessed?

Barbara Brown Taylor says this about the disciples: “Before Pentecost, the disciples were dense, timid bumblers who fled at the least sign of trouble. Afterwards, they were fearless leaders. They healed the sick and cast out demons. They went to jail gladly, where they sang hymns until the walls fell down.” Here’s the thing, the Holy Spirit came and spoke to them in a language that they heard-their native tongue.

Tom Long tells this story about going to church on Pentecost many years ago:

I never will forget the Pentecost Sunday years ago when my family and I were at worship. My children were very small then; and on this particular Pentecost Sunday, the minister had decided to infuse a little drama into the reading of the Pentecost story in the Book of Acts. When he got to that part of the story about the wind blowing with a great sound, that was the secret cue for someone in the choir loft to turn on a tape recorder at top volume with the sound of a hurricane wind. My children were already a little bored by that point in the service, lazily coloring on their bulletins with crayons, but when the loud sound of that wind kicked up, they snapped to attention and began looking around the sanctuary.

When the minister read that part of the story about tongues of fire landing on people's heads, there were people planted in the congregation who had hidden in their purses and coat pockets little red, flashy pom-poms, which they now pulled out and started waving above their heads. When the minister got to the part about the apostles speaking in other languages some people in the congregation, some of them from Europe, some from Asia, some from Africa, stood up and began to speak in their own native tongues. At this point, of course, my children were practically standing on the pew and looking around. When the minister finished reading the passage, the choir began to lead us in a gentle rendition of "Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew." And then we settled in (or so we thought) to hear the sermon, when suddenly a man stood up in the balcony and laughed rudely and raucously at the congregation, saying, "They must be drunk on new wine!" My children, now far from being bored, were beside themselves with excitement. When we left worship that day, my son David, who was just a little boy then, turned to me and said, "Wow, Dad! That was really church!"

It’s a good day to be a little over the top, a little excessive. It’s a good day for some drama and noise and commotion. Today is the day that we tell the story that God comes as spirit and speaks to each of us in ways that we can understand. God shows us deeds of power in ways that touch each of us-in our own way. It’s a good day to talk loudly and listen intensely and to look around. Today we hear that God speaks to each of us in a way that we will understand-and shows us how we are supposed to be church. Today is the day we hear God speaking to us each-in our own language. Amen.