Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. They were all together in one place, and amazing things started to happen. It was an important day – It was a festival day – a day 50 days after Jesus had been raised from the dead. 50 days after the women had returned from the cemetery with strange reports of men dressed in white, strange reports of Jesus being alive – when he had been dead and buried. But fifty days had not hushed these believers – Fifty days of waiting had passed quickly and they continued to gather together, to praise God. And, fifty days after that day when Jesus’ tomb was found empty And after he himself had ascended into heaven And promised them that God would send another Advocate for them, They were all together in one place that day -- The day of Pentecost. They were all together in one place and amazing things started to happen. A rush of wind, a fresh breeze – the sound of a violent gale blew through them. And fire came and rested on each one. And they were filled with words – with the ability to speak clearly, plainly, each one speaking, each one suddenly able to speak in another language. And all filled with the Holy Spirit as they were all together in one place. It was at that gathering – at church, if you like that the Spirit was poured out upon them and that they began to speak of God’s deeds of power. It happened when they were together in one place, Not all out separate, doing their own things, Each one going about his or her own business. But when they were all together in one place, The Spirit came and poured out wind and fire – and the gift of speech, the gift to tell others about God’s deeds of power. And that very deed of power that God did that day – Pouring out the Holy Spirit and the gift of proclamation – That very deed of power reached out to those who weren’t in that gathering that day. The power of what the Spirit did among the believers who were gathered together Reached out into the streets and gathered in even more – Tourists and visitors and people who lived in the city – They heard the sound – the sound of the rushing wind and the sound of all the believers speaking And they were amazed and astounded. It was incredible – they came from every place in the known world – From Parthia, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Arabia, Crete – From Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East. And here they were in Jerusalem, visiting, making a pilgrimage for the Jewish feast of weeks and they were drawn to this gathering of other people by the remarkable sounds they were hearing. There they were, in a foreign city, and they suddenly were hearing their own language being spoken. They were seeing and hearing remarkable things coming from this gathering of people who were speaking about God’s deeds of power. If you’ve ever been in a crowd in a place where people are speaking other languages, where maybe you don’t understand all that’s being said around you, you know that when you hear someone say something in your own language, your ears perk up. You listen; you are drawn to the words and to the person speaking them. Suddenly, you are in a little gathering – a gathering around words, a gathering around language. It’s happened to me many times in foreign places, where others are speaking in their languages all around, some I understand and some I don’t – When suddenly, someone says something in English, and my ears perk up, And I listen and understand and immediately want to start a conversation with them – It doesn’t matter if they have an Australian accent, or a Cleveland accent, or a British accent – Hearing my own language spoken in the midst of lots of other languages creates a bond with the one who is speaking – instantly. Whether it’s in a museum or on a train or in a restaurant, to hear one’s own language spoken in a foreign place is a powerful thing. And so it was with these visitors to Jerusalem when suddenly, miraculously, they heard and understood what these people were talking about – They heard and understood about God’s deeds of power. Amazing things happen when the believers gather together – When the Spirit pours out its gifts. As Peter quotes from the prophet Joel, Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams and even the lowliest of society will receive the Spirit of God. Amazing things happened then. And amazing things happen now. Today, as we gather together in one place, the Spirit is once again stirred up in us. At our eleven o’clock service, we will confess our faith, joining with our five confirmands, who stand up to affirm their baptism. They affirm – that is, say YES to, their baptism because that’s when they first received the Holy Spirit, when they first became members of the church of Jesus Christ – in baptism. But today they will stand up and speak – in their own language – Today they will stand up and prophesy, just as Peter said – Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Today they will stand up in the midst of us gathered together and tell about God’s deeds of power - How God created the heavens and the earth, how God sent his only Son, Who was crucified, died and was buried. How on the third day Christ was raised again and how he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. They will prophesy about the Holy Spirit, who is poured out upon the Holy Catholic church, which is the communion of saints, Where we receive the forgiveness of sins and will be given the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting – When Dan, Eric, Brad, Vinnie and Katie speak the affirmations today – the yes’s, the I wills, and, most importantly, when they speak the creed with us, They are telling of God’s deeds of power in their own language, Just like the believers did at Pentecost. And we pray that others will hear them – today in this gathering, and then as they go out into their everyday world. Those others will hear, and through them, come to believe. That they will experience God’s deeds of power – his mercy and compassion – through these five, through their speaking in their language – Maybe the language of middle school and high school, Maybe through the language of friendship, Maybe through texting or MySpace. But what these five do today – and what we all do today – Is part of the continuing story of Pentecost – How, when we are all gathered together in one place, The Spirit comes And amazing things happen, And we share those amazing things with those around us. It really is something amazing and wonderful – When we are gathered here together -- And God acts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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