In today’s readings,
images are used to communicate the coming of the Holy Spirit.
In the gospel, Jesus breathed on them,
saying Receive the Holy Spirit.
This recalls God breathing life into the clay man, Adam,
at the start of the bible.
The image speaks of Jesus giving a share in his divine life
to his followers:
changing completely who they are and what they can do.
Then in the Acts of the Apostles we have two images:
what sounded like a powerful wind
filling the place with sound; and,
something appeared …that seemed like tongues of fire
on their heads.
These images speak of the powerful presence of God working.
Fire speaks of profound and permanent change:
with fire, wood turns to ash
and ore is refined to produce strong, or precious, metal.
Fire is hotter, fiercer, when blown upon,
and its capacity to consume and refine is enhanced.
These two images together leave us in no doubt that God,
as Holy Spirit, came to the disciples to change them permanently.
How do they change?
They are given a different world view.
They realise that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection
are God’s gift for everyone, for every nation under heaven:
a gift not just for them,
not just for them and their friends,
not just for them and the people who were like them,
but for everyone.
There will be no boundaries in their reaching out.
This gift of the Holy Spirit,
coming to people and changing them, has never stopped.
It is why we are here today.
So our joyful celebration of Pentecost
is a celebration not only of the gift at the first Pentecost
but also the continuing gift of the Spirit through history,
right up to today.
In five weeks’ time
eighteen of our young people will be confirmed by Bishop Ralph.
They will become full members of the Church.
He will pray for the Holy Spirit to come down on them,
as happened for the disciples as Pentecost.
I am expecting the event itself to look more like the gospel account:
a quiet encounter, in which, through anointing,
Jesus breathes his Spirit into our young people
and greets them with ‘Peace be with you’.
The whole point though, for them,
and for those who are already confirmed,
is that the gift, once given, is never rescinded.
We have a lifetime to respond, to grow, to be changed
The gift of the Holy Spirit cannot be seen.
What we do see are the effects of the Holy Spirit.
With the eyes of faith,
we can recognise these workings of God among us.
The second reading points the way on this.
Paul assures those in Corinth, and us,
that each time we turn to Jesus in faith
the gift of the Holy Spirit is at work in our hearts, for
No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’
unless .. under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Paul assures those in Corinth, and us,
that the Spirit is animating all sorts of service
through a variety of gifts.
We look into our hearts, we look around us,
we detect God’s Spirit at work, …..
and we rejoice.