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Feast of Pentecost

Added Jun 05, 2017 •

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Fr. Tom Wilson, Pastor June 4, 2017

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when I first arrived at All Saints 9 years ago and when father Millis arrived here three years ago and went are two new priests arriving in a couple of weeks there's there's a common factor that that many of us realize particularly if we're not necessarily that familiar with the with the property here and that is saw that the fact that it can get pretty windy outside here okay alright and especially in the especially in the winter time that first cast that first blow across that with with a low temperature its it can be it could be breathtaking it can also be really really uncomfortable or it can be very very uncomfortable with that breeze whipping across the the the top of the hill and one of the things that I that I recognize very early particularly where my offices is situated over in our in our in our office Wing is the is the fact that particularly when it would it be ginn's to just just a little bit I mean just any any snow or any any any loose flurry or whatever looking outside that wind oh in that there's there's a little bit of an Alcove that swirl can make it look like a scene from dr. Zhivago and it can be it could be it could be blowing around and like a massive blizzard even though if you get out and actually go to the bottom of the hill it's actually quite mild outside and it's a real Distortion that and that that that wind blowing across the top of the hill can couldn't create a real Distortion of what it's actually like right and today play as we celebrate the Panic the the Feast of Pentecost in the in the manifestation of the gifts of the holy spirit we're reminded by St Luke in the Acts of the Apostles have a couple of different images of the of the Holy Spirit coming one of them is when one of them is fire we also have a very common image of the of the dove which is a little bit more Serene perhaps than then Wind and Fire which we all know can be can be incredibly dangerous incredibly power fallen and devastating but as the holy spirit is coming down in the apostles and the gifts are manifesting themselves that loud wind that that he lights in the upper room brings something to the apostles right it brings something absolutely critical to the apostles who know that where's that they're supposed to be doing something and that in that first gift that first gift is is a gift of clarity it's a gift it's a gift of clarity as that as the holy spirit is coming down upon them 50 days after Jesus after Jesus rose from the dead and that and that Clarity allows them to allows them to be able to go out and to speak in different languages so that everybody can know who Jesus is everyone can who the person of Jesus is and that in that gift of clarity is so important it was absolutely essential to to the apostles but it's it's even more important perhaps today in a world of a in a world of confusion that we live especially religiously we have a situation which even the person of Jesus Christ is brought into question and Challenge and often in very casual conversation is reduced still practically to Simply one moral teacher one historical moral teacher among many right reducing him to play a teacher from his place as king and then in the fact that he sacrificially gave his life so that all of us could get to heaven right Rarity in who the person of Jesus is the apostles are sitting in that Upper Room they're sitting in that in that upper room and they have heard for 3 years for 3 years Jesus has has told him who he was what his kingdom is what they're what their role is going to be and he even it even told at one point that that many many times actually that he would have to suffer die and then rise again and that it would be better that they be separate because then the advocate then the Holy Spirit could come upon them so that they could go on Mission and they're sitting there and it said that the conflation what about readings for Pentecost is is interesting cuz they don't necessarily tied together chronologically right we've got that we've got the upper room on on Easter Sunday and then we've got the the the image of the Acts of the Apostles that's on Pentecost 50 days after Easter Sunday and they're given that gift of clay pretty so that they can go out and clearly Pro clay in the Majestic acts of of of God to the world what he's done for the world that also what he has fun for them and in particular in particular is it is not an accident we are reminded of this on Divine Mercy Sunday every year that wengie shows up on that first Easter and breathes on them and says receive the Holy Spirit whose sins you forgive are forgiven and peace be he's not he's not going up an offering that gift of peace and he's not giving that command to go out and forgive sins to a really confident group people to people who are really embracing and saying yes we are ready to go he's not think about where they have been think about what's going on in that room what they where they have been is it is a place of betrayal of Jesus they have been walking with him for 3 years and they abandon him in his time of need they are now looking at a situation in which they there at Bassett they they could be isolated from their communities at worse they could be seriously persecuted there Power Ranger coloring they are afraid they are hiding they are hiding from from there that they are experiencing shame they're high confirm their own betrayal of Jesus and yet the first thing that Jesus dies when he shows up to them and gives in the Holy Spirit is peace it's piece think about any situation in your life in which you've made maybe a serious maybe a grave mistake right maybe done nothing to harm or damage a relationship and all the stuff that swirls around inside the the feelings of regret the feelings of Shame the feelings of boy really wish I wouldn't do this I've gone over the edge this time all those things those do not breed confidence they do not breed confidence but Jesus walk when do that exact same situation and says peace be with you peace be with you he does not hang their shame and their failure over their head but again reminds them to go out and two to be able to go out on Mission so they're given this gift of clarity but before they can even use that to go out admission to make disciples of all Nations like he reminded us of last week they have to receive the gift of Mercy they must play the gift to the mercy and it is a same thing it is the exact same thing in the hearts of every single one of us that follow Jesus can I possibly credibly bring the Lord to anyone else without first receiving and allowing his Mercy to be embedded deeply in our hard to recognize that we need him to recognize that in fact even in our weakness and since he has forgiven us and then said okay now go do next now go to It Make Disciples of all Nations Proclaim clearly who the person of Jesus is Proclaim clear the truth of God and all sorts of things in our in our culture and our world that will that will that will challenge that will challenge that the truth of God I say no go out and do it with great clarity the truth is the world and thus The Winds of the world that swirl around can create distortions the wind of the holy spirit that fills the hearts of the church that fills the hearts of every one of us who are who are disciples is that it is is wind that brings us Clarity the wind that brings us Clarity the wind that that brings us Mercy that allows us then to Proclaim Faithfully and clearly who the person of Jesus Christ is and the mighty acts that he's done for the world and for each one of us

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Feast of Pentecost

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