Lectionary Reading Day of Pentecost Pt 2
Collect. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer to the Holy Spirit: Upper Room. 2002)
Reading. 1 Corinthians 12:3b- 13. “Jesus is Lord” is the catch cry of this reading and as such reminds us that as the church we are all under one headship and this headship brings with it a unity. It is a unity which is very significant for Paul. Even at this early stage of the church’s life human nature has begun to poke through: A nature that tends towards rebellion against authority and a longing to be in control. From memory it was Martin Luther who said that when we were baptised the old Adam in us was drowned and the new Adam appeared. However the old Adam is a very strong swimmer and keeps bobbing his head up above the water and our task is to keep plunging him back down under! This may not be an exact quote but I am sure you get the drift of its meaning!
Just as there are many members of the body so we find many and varied gifts divided among the membership. A body functions best when all members are sound and in harmony so too the church: when the variety of gifts are being used for the benefit of the church and her ministry, the ministry and mission of the church are most fruitful. Why, because the unity of the body flows from Jesus Christ himself and when the church is in harmony the very work of Christ flourishes. Church harmony comes not from members trying to get along together: harmony comes when every member is focussed only on pleasing Christ and obeying him. The members of the church constitute the New People of God. They are people who have been renewed by the Spirit and so have been filled and given gifts to equip each one for the ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ. While it is appropriate to celebrate the festival of Pentecost we have to also remember that the gifts of the Spirit are not trophies but equipment which furthers the total ministry in the Name of Jesus, Lord and Saviour.
Prayer. Holy Lord, according to your promise you have poured out your Spirit upon the church and by your grace have made the ministry fruitful. On this time of festival stir our minds to remember our first calling and to look again at all that you have done through the ministry and mission of your church. As we look back to that first out pouring help us more and more to desire a fresh renewing of your church the body of Christ. May we as faith filled members once more take up the call and use our gifts to honour and glorify your holy name. Remembering how great is the salvation that you have won for all people, we pray for your holy light to shine on every corner of our world bringing the message of Good News, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Reading. John 7:37-39. One commentator has mentioned that in this short passage Jesus is standing. In the ancient world a teacher who was teaching would always be seated and in comparative comfort. A person standing is making a statement, a proclamation, an announcement, rather than trying to teach. This might seem like splitting hairs but if John is recording an announcement then it needs to be first taken and accepted rather than be analysed for a deeper or hidden meaning.
The feast referred to is the feast of Tabernacles which lasted 7days. This feast was a remembrance of the Exodus wanderings when the people lived in tents and relied on God for supplies of food and water. Each morning during the feast the priests would carry a pitcher of water into the temple in solemn procession. The water would be ceremoniously poured out over the altar for burnt offerings. The ceremony commemorated the water that gushed out of the rock at Meribah.{Exodus 17:6 & Psalm 95:8} A rock that produced the water for the Exodus wanderers. They doubted that God would supply provisions for them in the isolation of the desert. It was not a happy memory for the Israelites as it recognised their distrust of God and caused Moses to strike the rock in anger: a display which displeased God. On the day that John records, Jesus is declaring that in him people will find the provisions they need, to trust and not to doubt: Indeed he is declaring that in him they will have an abundance of supply; so much that within them there would be an outflow of living water.
To drink from Jesus is to believe that Jesus can supply the needs of life and so become a believer. John then links Jesus’ statement with the coming of the Spirit who will bring the living water, the water of life. John then goes on to add that this giving and receiving from the Spirit will not occur until Jesus is glorified, in other words, until he has died and been raised back to life. Reminding us that the provision of the Spirit and the empowering of the church is contingent on the victory that Jesus Christ won on the cross.
There are many strands to the Festival of Pentecost. The central strand is that in and through Jesus the Spirit is poured over the church, bringing ministry gifts, and an abundant supply of love and life flows out from the church. The Spirit’s empowering of the church leads to a great celebration.
Prayer. At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Gracious God we look forward to that time when the glory of Jesus will be revealed and you will be king over all the earth. We pray that you will hasten the coming of your reign so that justice and mercy will flow across the whole of creation. We lift again to you the needs of our world and look for your love and grace to come to those places where there is no peace, only struggle and strife. Grant wisdom and understanding to the leaders of our world that they may work together for the good of all people. Strengthen those who have heard your call to promote freedom and justice in the name of Jesus. May their ministry be fruitful and may all who name the name of Jesus work collectively for the good of all humanity. This we ask in his most precious name. Amen
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