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There was a father and son who liked to send each other riddles and questions intended to foster conversation.

Living With Spirit: GATHER -Acts 2: 1-13 - March 31, 2009 - Cicero United Methodist Church - Everett J. Bassett

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There was a father and son who liked to send each other riddles and questions intended to foster conversation. At one point, the son sent to his father a photograph of a rowboat and a sailboat, side by side at the edge of a pond. Underneath the picture, the son posed his question: "If you had to cross over, which boat would you choose?"

The father sent back his reply: "That is an interesting question you pose. I can see advantages and disadvantages both ways. But I feel you have not given me the most important information I need to make my choice. Before I can decide between the rowboat and the sailboat, I must absolutely know this -- is there any wind?'

In many ways, that is the critical question, not only for that father and son, but for followers of Jesus today. Earlier in our service, we read the first verses of Acts, chapter 2, the Pentecost story - or, what some people call the birthday of the church. After Jesus had risen at Easter and spent some time with his disciples, he ascended into heaven, according to Christian tradition, and the disciples were left on their own - or so they imagined. On the day of Pentecost, one of the major Jewish feasts, they gathered together. And, according to Acts 2: 2, " ... suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind ..."

Now here is a brief language lesson about the Bible. In both the Hebrew of the Old Testament, and the Greek of the New Testament, the word for 'wind' can be translated several ways - wind, breath, spirit, life, ghost. So, for example, when God created the first man, Adam, in Genesis 2, the story says God formed Adam out of the ground, and then 'breathed into him ... the breath of life.' And what is meant there is certainly physical breath in the man's lungs. But it also means God's spirit and life.

And in the same way, when Acts 2 describes a mighty wind filling the house where the disciples were observing Pentecost, you could also say that was the breath of God, or God's mighty spirit filled the house. And, in fact, the verse says that they were all filled by the Holy Spirit. That wind was the sound of power and spirit filling the room, and those followers gathered, and they seized that power, and they seized that spirit, and from that moment on, they did amazing things in God's name. They became God's representatives. In fact, they transformed the world.

Is that wind in our church? Is that wind in our lives? Is the power and spirit of God still flowing? Do we seize it and let it drive us forward? The answer to those questions makes every difference about what boat we choose to cross the pond.

For the next few Sundays, I want to talk about living with spirit. And as I mentioned in the write-up in the bulletin for this sermon series, we use that word spirit in a lot of different ways. There is a generic sense of someone with spirit being someone with enthusiasm, or passion, or a zest for life. We talk about a spirited person, or having school spirit or team spirit, or lifting someone's spirits. There is also a general sense in which we talk about 'spirit' as the part: of us beyond the physical- the hopes and dreams and prayers and inspirations that make up the essence of who we are - we are spiritual people. And the fact is you can talk about spirit without mentioning God at all.

But in our faith, there is an application of the word Spirit that is intimately connected with God. This is the 'Holy Spirit,' -- part of the Trinity that makes up the heart of Christian beliefs - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the three expressions of who God is.

When I talk about 'living with spirit' in these next few sermons, I mean all of those things, because it seems to me that they are not far apart. When we are filled with God's Holy Spirit, I think it rekindles our spirit for life, and makes us spiritual beings in new and energized ways.

And here's the thing we should know every moment we live: God doesn't intend for us to be defeated people with no enthusiasm -- people who flow along in currents of negativity, woe, and weariness. Jesus didn't rise from the dead to inspire defeated churches -- churches unable to dream big dreams, churches undermined by the challenges of the times, not to mention the challenges of keeping the doors open and the bills paid.

I believe God intended people and churches and communities and families and nations and worldwide communities to live with spirit - to have hope and life and God's breath filling the world. We know the things that want to drag us down. I wouldn't belittle or underestimate for a moment the great obstacles to God's purposes that pull on our dreams, and cause great suffering and despair in the world. We know where to learn about those things, and we pray over them daily. This is not a pie-in-the-sky sermon.

All I'm saying is that we know something else as well. We know Easter. Those disciples at Pentecost had something no one else in the world had at that time - they had been with the Risen Christ! They had hearts full of Easter hope. And now they were filled with the Holy Spirit. No wonder people thought they were drunk. No wonder they went out from that place and spoke and acted miraculously and powerfully.

And we can have the same spirit. We have that possibility here and now as well- the possibility of Easter hearts and Pentecost spirits. That is the formula for a life of power.

What would it take to have a revival of that same kind of Spirit-life today? When I read the second chapter of Acts, I see five things that happened that contribute to living with spirit, and those are the things I want to preach about for the five weeks ahead.

The first one I can only briefly mention, because I've already used up most of my time. But that's okay, because we are already doing it. The first thing those disciples did was to 'Gather'. Acts 2: 1 says, 'When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in. one place.' That may seem like a small point, but it could easily have been otherwise. When Jesus ascended to heaven, they could have said, "This has been good. Let's all go back to our lives now, and we'll live the best we can with what we've learned." But they understood that they needed each other to keep the spirit strong. They needed to be together in order for fresh wind to blow in their lives. And so they gathered.

Probably most of us have run across the image of the bed of coals - and how if you take one coal away from the fire, it quickly bums itself out. But the ones who stay huddled together continue to bum, because they kindle each other - the heat of each one helps keep the flame for the neighboring one. So it is for the church. We need each other to keep the flame going.

On my Spiritual Growth and Formation Leave, I spent a great deal of time alone in prayer and study. Indeed, that was one of the main purposes of that time apart, especially in the desert setting. The solitude was both deep and nourishing. But only because it drew me back to fellowship. First and foremost, of course, was the fellowship and companionship of Sharon, and the spiritual sharing we were able to do together. That was pretty nice. But there were also the people of the church we attended, and in particular the Bible study we became part of, and others we encountered along the way. Without that gathering, we wouldn't have been able to live with spirit on our journey.

I believe that is universally true - we need each other. We all have our own thoughts, and need our own space. But those thoughts and ideas and dreams get their shape in communion with others. It's where the people of God gather that the spirit blows like a mighty wind, and fills the house, and fills the heart, and fills life with possibility.

These are tough times we've encountered - our nation at war on two fronts; our economy on rocky territory, and, depending on who you listen to, things are either bad or very bad. Some of you are experiencing these times more personally. Your family is affected. A loved one is deployed; you or a relative are feeling the job pinch; all of us are seeing higher costs of living, depleted resources. In such times, despair comes easily. In all times, there are hurting people. The challenges of life are strong.

But spirit is stronger! The wind is blowing. God has not gone on vacation. God is right here, breathing life and hope for His people. On our own, we might forget that. But gathered together, we are like a burning flame of hope. We cover each others' back; we lift each other up; we hold each other accountable; we find faith together. And if there are moments this week when the world crowds in on you, and you feel those deadening echoes of discouragement or even despair, stop and take a few deep breaths. Remember that that is God's spirit filling you as well. Go outside and let the wind touch your face. Remember that love is flowing and God is with you. And then remember that you are not alone. You are part of a great family of faith. Reach out, gather with somebody. In this room are people who will listen to you, pray with you, live in spirit with you.

Today we join for Communion. Communion means gathering, joining together.

Joining together with God, with Jesus whose Body and Blood have been given, with each other, with people around the world who accept the invitation to this table. We are diverse and come from many places. But here we are one. We bring our burdens and fears. And where we are gathered, Jesus brings healing and hope. Let the Holy One breathe in this place. Let the Spirit of Life fill you again .