Jubi and I proclaim, each time we meet, the Gospel. We
prophesy. We, hopefully, speak God’s word addressed to you who are a gathering
of God’s people. The passages we read today on Pentecost, though say that it
isn’t only certain people with certain roles and who are ordained that can or
should prophesy- speak the word of God to others, share the Gospel. This has been something of what our Easter
series has been seeking to explore: How might we all access and be freed up to prophesy,
to speak by the power of the Spirit, to share with those around us and with
each other the living water of our life with God.
Jesus in our short Gospel passage says .we both drink of Christ
and we become streams of living water, from which others will drink. That water
from which we drink and which pours out from us the Spirit of God.
A few things about this proclamation of the Gospel and
prophesying: It isn’t necessarily something thought out. To prophesy by the Spirit
isn’t a choice. One doesn’t choose to be empowered by the Spirit. The Spirit
comes upon us, and flows through us and from us. We are conduits. We make ourselves available
like those who gathered in Jerusalem in the upper room, waiting. At the same
time, there are times when this proclamation and speaking with the Spirit,
prophesying, is thought out and choice. There are moments, like Jubi’s and my
sermon in which we not only wait, but in waiting actively participate with the
Spirit in prophesying, speaking the word of God to a specific group of people.
We see both kinds of proclamation in the story of that first
Day of Pentecost when the Spirit descended and a band of followers of Jesus
Christ were transformed into the Church, Christ’s body. The Spirit descends
with a sound of rushing wind and the sign of tongues of fire and without
willing it the gathered disciples male and female along with the apostles begin
to speak in languages unknown to them and proclaim God’s word and the Gospel of
God’s great works in Jesus Christ.
Those
who spoke in tongues and were heard by those of various native languages from
all over the globe, spoke by inspiration and not choice, the words flowed from
them in a way that they couldn’t choose or plan. But Peter stands up and speaks
by the same inspiration of the Spirit in a language, he knows and while
extemporaneous, he chooses his words, and we can say from the evidence of
Luke’s account he chose them carefully, in a well thought out manner, with a
chosen line of argument and chosen supporting evidence of that argument. Both are under the direction and inspiration
of the Spirit one with less agency the other with more, but all prophesy by the
power of the Holy Spirit.
Peter’s proclamation and prophesy is more akin to what Jubi
and I do each Sunday we gather, and in fact our ordination puts us in a line of
decent from St Peter and the Apostles, those chosen to stand as official
representatives of the Gospel and the visible Church. It is one of the great
tragedies that has repeated itself in the church that the Spirit filled proclamation
of St Peter and the Apostles has been pitted against the prophesy of the
gathered people of God, the disciples who speak in various and sundry tongues
by the inspiration of that same Spirit.
Jubi and my prophesying as Peter can’t and shouldn’t stand apart
from the speaking in tongues of the gathered people of God, who speak prophesy
empowered and inspired by the same Spirit. But the lay proclamation of the disciples
the gathered people of God, needs the proclamation of St. Peter. And St Peter’s
proclamation is without effect without the proclamation of the gathered
disciples. They aren’t in competition, one shouldn’t and doesn’t diminish the
other each is supported and supportive of the other. They both are expressions
of the same Spirit. So, Moses’ authority and Spirit empowerment wasn’t
diminished or threatened by other’s who received the same Spirit as God
distributed the Spirit as God chose.
What I hope, is that what Jubi and I proclaim and prophesy
when we gather may awaken in each of us the same Spirit so that each of us is opened
to the Spirit that each of you may proclaim in our contexts in languages we may
not all understand, not only here in this worship service but more importantly
outside this upper room, among the crowds.
So, this act of proclamation that Jubi and I do each week,
is also what is to flow from your own mouths by the power and inspiration of
the Spirit. It is both the water you drink and the water you are to allow to
flow form you so those around you may drink. This is our life together. This is
our prophesy. That we all may be like streams of water quenching the thirst of
those around us. Don’t think it enough that Jubi and I prophesy to you, in fact
our speaking by the Spirit needs your own speaking by the power of the
Spirit. It begins in our times of
discussion, but is to overflow this time and space flow out into the crowds of
the world. And don’t worry if you think you don’t’ know enough or don’t know
what to say, you have the Spirit in you, it will give you the words, even the
language to say what you are called to proclaim. You are among the Disciples, you have
different call from those of us who are among the apostles. So, don’t worry,
but be open to the gifting and guidance of the Spirit. Let the spirit flow
through you. Trust the Spirit of God in you. Amen
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