Sermon

24th May 26

Having written his gospel, St Luke was asked to produce a sequel.  Thus his ‘Acts of the Apostles’ tells the stories of those early Christians as the Church expands rapidly.  Beginning in Jerusalem, the gospel is taken through Asia Minor (that is modern Turkey) into Europe (through Greece) until, in the person of St Paul, it is preached in Rome, the capital of that great Empire: a period of about thirty years.

The book begins with the Ascension that we celebrated last week, and now today the coming of the Holy Spirit.  I want to suggest that both are described in dramatic terms, but that we can easily get so stuck with trying to get our heads around what actually happened, that we fail to appreciate their meaning, and their relevance for us today.

Last week we were thinking about how concentrating on the mechanics of the Ascension can be more confusing than helpful.  The picture of a couple of feet sticking out of a cloud obscures the significance of the event, of Jesus leading us through death and resurrection to our final destination in heaven.

Today’s account of that first Pentecost can be equally distracting, with all that talk of a mighty wind and tongues as of fire.  Again, trying to picture the scene is difficult, if not impossible.  

Probably the most important painting we have of this in England is normally in the National Gallery (I say normally, but it’s back in Italy on loan at present!).  Made about 700 years ago by the great Giotto, it’s about 18” square (45cm).  It shows the disciples gathered in a small room; each of them with a flame sticking out of his head.  Again, the picture is comical at best, and confusing at worst.  It frankly looks like a box of human candles!  (You’ll find the painting on our WhatsApp group or on the sermon page of the Parish website.)

Luke doesn’t claim to be giving a literal description.  Look carefully: he describes the sound from heaven as LIKE the rush of a mighty wind, and tongues AS of fire.  We need to find another way of understanding the Holy Spirit.  We’ve been asking “What does the Holy Spirit look like? instead we need to ask “What does the Holy Spirit do?”.  And our answer is there in the rest of the book.  For all these acts of the Apostles are only possible because of the Holy Spirit working in them and through them. 

From being so scared that many ran away when Jesus was arrested, then so timid after his ascension that they hid away in that upper room, they are transformed.  The Holy Spirit was the power that changed them; that enabled them to go out into the world to preach the gospel and perform miracles and acts of healing in Jesus’ name.  That work continues in the Church today: not through any power of our own, but by the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. 

Amen