Sermon preached at All Saints Church, San Diego
\n by Fr Tony Noble, Rector Emeritus
\n The Feast of Pentecost, June 9th 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John 7:37-39
\n \u201cOn the last & greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood up & said in a loud voice, \u2018Let anyone who is thirsty come to me & drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.\u2019 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On this day 30 years ago I happened to be in Honolulu on vacation. I was staying with friends who attended St Andrew\u2019s cathedral. They told me something special was planned for Mass that day & were excited to take me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I arrived at the cathedral, to my astonishment attached to each pew was a red balloon. I had never seen balloons in church before, let alone a cathedral!
\n \u201cIt\u2019s the birthday of the church\u201d, my friends declared. And, of course, you always have balloons at a birthday party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was the first time I had heard Pentecost described as the birthday of the church & I decided to investigate. It arose in the 20th cent & seemed to have been a reaction to the Pentecostal movement. We are familiar with Pentecostal churches, which have grown remarkably in recent decades. The charismatic movement has also affected the Roman catholic church. The Belgian Cardinal Suenens wrote a book, A New Pentecost, describing the charismatic movement as a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit to renew the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pentecostal churches place great emphasis on speaking in tongues, healing & extempore prayer. Their services are not liturgical & they do not observe the church calendar. It is all about the power of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, Pentecost was not the first time the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles. It was on Easter night & is recorded in John 20:19-23. The apostles are in the upper room in fear & confusion with the doors locked. Jesus appears. \u201cPeace be with you\u201d, he says. And then he breathed on them, saying, \u201cReceive the Holy Spirit\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is such a contrast to Pentecost. No fire, no rushing wind. Just the gentle breath of the Risen Lord. And rather than speaking in tongues, Jesus gives the apostles the power to forgive sins. \u201cWhose sins you forgive, they are forgiven\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now I am the first to say that there is a priority for enthusiastic preaching of the gospel, as we see at Pentecost. But, surely hearing that your sins are forgiven is better than hearing someone speak in tongues? And certainly a greater tool of evangelism!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So if Pentecost is not the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit, perhaps it\u2019s not the birthday of the church?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And perhaps the important thing about the Holy Spirit is not loud wind, fire & tongues – but a gentle breath and words of forgiveness?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember when the prophet Isaiah was on the mountain, waiting on God. The bible says that first came fire, then came wind, then came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in any of those. Then came a quiet, small voice. And the Lord was in the quiet, small voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most important occasion when Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit is in my text for this sermon, John 7:37-39.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus is in the temple & declares, \u201cLet anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me\u2026\u2026\u2026rivers of living water will flow from within them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Living water! John then adds that Jesus meant the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, he says that the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus was glorified when he rose from the dead. So on Easter night the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles by Jesus – & in a quiet breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The context of John 7:37-39 is important. John says it was the last & greatest day of the festival. The festival was the Feast of Tabernacles. On the last day water was brought from the Pool of Siloam & poured out on the altar in dramatic fashion. Imagine the scene\u2026\u2026.water everywhere! Then Jesus declares that the Holy Spirit is like that. And it will be given to those who believe in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All this followed after Jesus had prophesied his Ascension. It is a prelude to Pentecost – & is quite a contrast. Here the image is water, the opposite to fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is very interesting, not least because it was when we were baptised that we first received the Holy Spirit. Not with wind & fire, but with water. Not only that, associated with Baptism is what Jesus promised on Easter night as a gift of the Spirit: forgiveness of sins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we were baptised:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sermon preached at All Saints Church, San Diego
> by Fr Tony Noble, Rector Emeritus
> The Feast of Pentecost, June 9th 2019
>
> John 7:37-39
> \u201cOn the last & greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood up & said in a loud voice, \u2018Let anyone who is thirsty come to me & drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.\u2019 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.\u201d
>
> On this day 30 years ago I happened to be in Honolulu on vacation. I was staying with friends who attended St Andrew\u2019s cathedral. They told me something special was planned for Mass that day & were excited to take me.
>
> When I arrived at the cathedral, to my astonishment attached to each pew was a red balloon. I had never seen balloons in church before, let alone a cathedral!
> \u201cIt\u2019s the birthday of the church\u201d, my friends declared. And, of course, you always have balloons at a birthday party.
>
> This was the first time I had heard Pentecost described as the birthday of the church & I decided to investigate. It arose in the 20th cent & seemed to have been a reaction to the Pentecostal movement. We are familiar with Pentecostal churches, which have grown remarkably in recent decades. The charismatic movement has also affected the Roman catholic church. The Belgian Cardinal Suenens wrote a book, A New Pentecost, describing the charismatic movement as a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit to renew the church.
>
> Pentecostal churches place great emphasis on speaking in tongues, healing & extempore prayer. Their services are not liturgical & they do not observe the church calendar. It is all about the power of the Holy Spirit.
>
> In fact, Pentecost was not the first time the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles. It was on Easter night & is recorded in John 20:19-23. The apostles are in the upper room in fear & confusion with the doors locked. Jesus appears. \u201cPeace be with you\u201d, he says. And then he breathed on them, saying, \u201cReceive the Holy Spirit\u201d.
>
> This is such a contrast to Pentecost. No fire, no rushing wind. Just the gentle breath of the Risen Lord. And rather than speaking in tongues, Jesus gives the apostles the power to forgive sins. \u201cWhose sins you forgive, they are forgiven\u201d, he says.
>
> Now I am the first to say that there is a priority for enthusiastic preaching of the gospel, as we see at Pentecost. But, surely hearing that your sins are forgiven is better than hearing someone speak in tongues? And certainly a greater tool of evangelism!
>
> So if Pentecost is not the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit, perhaps it\u2019s not the birthday of the church?
>
> And perhaps the important thing about the Holy Spirit is not loud wind, fire & tongues – but a gentle breath and words of forgiveness?
>
> Remember when the prophet Isaiah was on the mountain, waiting on God. The bible says that first came fire, then came wind, then came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in any of those. Then came a quiet, small voice. And the Lord was in the quiet, small voice.
>
> The most important occasion when Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit is in my text for this sermon, John 7:37-39.
>
> Jesus is in the temple & declares, \u201cLet anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me………rivers of living water will flow from within them.\u201d
>
> Living water! John then adds that Jesus meant the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, he says that the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
>
> Jesus was glorified when he rose from the dead. So on Easter night the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles by Jesus – & in a quiet breath.
>
> The context of John 7:37-39 is important. John says it was the last & greatest day of the festival. The festival was the Feast of Tabernacles. On the last day water was brought from the Pool of Siloam & poured out on the altar in dramatic fashion. Imagine the scene…….water everywhere! Then Jesus declares that the Holy Spirit is like that. And it will be given to those who believe in him.
>
> All this followed after Jesus had prophesied his Ascension. It is a prelude to Pentecost – & is quite a contrast. Here the image is water, the opposite to fire.
>
> It is very interesting, not least because it was when we were baptised that we first received the Holy Spirit. Not with wind & fire, but with water. Not only that, associated with Baptism is what Jesus promised on Easter night as a gift of the Spirit: forgiveness of sins.
>
> When we were baptised:
> + our sins were forgiven
> + we received the Holy Spirit
> + we were made members of the church
> + we received eternal life
>
> Pentecost, then, is both mystery & dilemma. And if Pentecost was not the birthday of the church, when was it? It could be argued that it was way back when Jesus first called the apostles. For the church is the new Israel & the apostles are an image of the 12 tribes. We see this in Revelation, where it describes the new Jerusalem built on the foundation of the 12 apostles.
>
> However, it is the death & resurrection of Christ when the church is truly born. Jesus\u2019 death on the cross is the foundation & centre of the Faith. It is at the centre of the church\u2019s life & mission.
>
> So it was on Calvary that the church was born. 2 significant facts reveal this.
>
> At the foot of the cross stand Mary, the blessed mother, & John, the beloved disciple. Jesus, in his agony says to Mary, \u201cWoman, behold thy son.\u201d And to John he says, \u201cBehold thy mother.\u201d Now this is not just Jesus\u2019 concern for his mother. Everything at Calvary has meaning & purpose.
>
> Go back in your mind to the wedding at Cana, the first miracle Jesus did. They ran out of wine, so Mary turned to Jesus & said, \u201cThey have no wine.\u201d Jesus responds, \u201cWoman, my hour has not yet come.\u201d Jesus did not address Mary as Woman again until Calvary: \u201cWoman, behold thy son.\u201d
>
> Now Jesus\u2019 hour has come………& the Woman is there! The meaning is profound. John symbolises us. Mary is given to us as mother of the church, Christ\u2019s body on earth.
>
> Mary & John are given to each other in love.
> Now the church is born – it is born in love.
> The church is to be a community of love.
> And we are given to each other in love.
>
> Then there is a 2nd sign on Calvary. From Jesus\u2019 side flowed blood & water. Another profound meaning. It represents Baptism & the Eucharist. It is a sign of the 2 great sacraments. Here on Calvary, as the church is born, Jesus reveals the sacraments which are at the heart of the church\u2019s life. And the heart of our life in Christ. The Holy Spirit runs through all our life from Baptism, aided by the Eucharist & other sacraments. This is what makes us the Body of Christ on earth.
>
> On this Pentecost day let us rejoice in the gifts of the Spirit. And let\u2019s party as members of the Church. But let the last word be from St Peter. He was, after all, appointed by Jesus as head of the Church.
>
> Today is the last day of Eastertide & concludes our 50 days of celebrating the Risen Christ. Do you recall the incident on the beach, when the risen Lord appeared to Peter? 3 times Jesus asked Peter, \u201cDo you love me?\u201d. Each time Peter replied, \u201cYes, Lord, you know that I love you.\u201d
>
> Peter was agitated that Jesus asked him 3 times. It was Jesus\u2019 absolution of Peter\u2019s 3-fold denial of Jesus on Maundy Thursday. It is an image of reconciliation.
>
> So to finish the season of Easter, let Peter\u2019s response be our response as members of the church. It will be the best gift of the Holy Spirit.
>
> Yes, Lord, you know that I love you!
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Sermon preached at All Saints Church, San Diego by Fr Tony Noble, Rector Emeritus The Feast of Pentecost, June 9th 2019 John 7:37-39 \u201cOn the last & greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood up & said in a loud voice, \u2018Let anyone who is thirsty come to me & […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons","category-recent-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1353"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1355,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353\/revisions\/1355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/frtonynoble.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}