It is the Monday after Pentecost. I’m glad I have this day to reflect on a slightly unsatisfied – not necessarily dissatisfied – spirit within me. It is as though the fires of Pentecost left me a little ‘underwhelmed’ as a friend of mine once quipped. In these days of Corona services including ever novel ways of doing that which must still be done – going to church at least for those of us who have the habit – I saw digital flames atop children playing nicely with friends, grandmas reading to little ones, young people reading the Bible together, neighbors carrying groceries to quarantined friends, and even some flames wiggling a little on a couple of rubiks cubes. The sermons and the illustrations spoke creatively to our circumstance, even offering thoughtful suggestions on how we might not let flames get too big (out of control), the possibility of flames cleansing or clearing debris, purifying, etc. Helpful and edifying, all of this, including the testimony of one of the preachers that on Pentecost Sunday a number of years ago he was baptized upon his confession of faith.
It was all good, and provided some satisfaction as I sat at my laptop. In fact, I was grateful for this rather than some of the other neighborhood activities going on, like tinkering in personal garages or mowing lawns or clipping at things in their worldly back yards (Oh yes, my church habit so ingrained it even survived twenty years of long haul trucking). This, however, was Pentecost, and in my mind it requires more. This is not merely an occasion to assuage the church-going conscience.
Pentecost is that fiftieth day after Easter which was, and still is, the day of earth shaking experience for those who had just endured, agonized, wondered, wept and marveled at all things just transpired. A mighty wind appeared where they had gathered to pray, and tongues, as of fire, rested on each of them (Acts 2:2-3). Pentecost is dramatic undeniable verification of Jesus’ words spoken about Holy Spirit just before his crucifixion (John 14:26), shortly after the resurrection (John 20:22), and even just ten days prior at ascension (Acts 1:8). Pentecost appears in the Bible in the book of Acts, often also labeled the Acts of the Holy Spirit. The rest of the Bible from thereon to the final chapter of the last book, Revelation, is a description of the experiences, adventures, teachings and relationships with those freshly Holy Spirit empowered apostles of the faith doing that which Jesus had instructed them to. And no longer are we dealing with the twelve or even the 120. It's larger than that; it's a pandemic! “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:47).
Pentecost is about wind of the spirit, it is about the Hebrew ruach and the Greek pneuma. It is about God, creator God, breathing extra life into his creatures. New life, new meaning, new confidence, new joy, to the extent that windows rattle, that rough places look simple and mountains are climbable. Pentecost is at least one day in the church year when we get to proclaim and maybe even experience (?) the Power source.
Churches, no matter the denomination, are not churches if there not be a divine anointing. I just read an essay “Glossolalia: Divine Speech or man-made Language? A psychological analysis of the gift of speaking in tongues in the Pentecostal Churches in Botswana” by James N. Amanze (University of Botswana, 2015). I happened upon this academic on-line paper recently and kept on reading because it referred specifically to an African country in its title and for me that raised the expectation that I might read a unique spirit interpretation of Glossolalia (ecstatic utterance) from another country possibly a different perspective. This is a topic which has held my interest almost forever - even wrote an undergrad term paper on it in Bible College many years back! Surprise, this paper by Amanze pursues the topic in what I would characterize as simple familiar format - as I would have expected from any of my college teachers. The conclusion however is uniquely fascinating. Says the author, theologically glossolalia is God communicating in tongues in another language. Psychologically, however, the conclusion is that it always happens in anxiety or stressed circumstance! Also interesting, this is a study done by a Pentecostal professor. Reviews indicate varieties of response even from reviewers who are of the Pentecostal church. I am intrigued to observe Pentecostals speaking or writing about this in similar manner as I or any fellow students have or might continue to do. Denominational lines become slightly more blurred when one studies divine outpouring. The conversation is accessible for anyone who might wish to participate. Clearly the Pentecost incident, as described in the Bible, was not prepared for Pentecostals only or for one particular culture only. It's for any who had or would yet become followers of Jesus!
Perhaps this is why as an evangelical Mennonite I have an ongoing Pentecostal neediness. Mennonite Christians are not known for much emotion, so kind of hoping that AT LEAST on this day there might be some outpouring! Might there be at least some rippling of the sails or some extra exuberance or perhaps opportunity to celebrate the new faith of some by baptism! [As indicated in a previous blogpost “Holy Week Battle” (April 7) my Old Colony Mennonite background may have instilled in me a bit of church year yen, including a good appreciation of the Lectionary to organize church services]. In addition to my need for baptisms on Pentecost Sunday I’m also ready for singing till the rafters shake. I need confident proclamatory anointed preaching, and yes, also open for speaking in tongues or unplanned prophetic utterances if need should arise. The charismatic movement is not lost on me. Indeed I'm an Anabaptist, neither Catholic nor Protestant (Walter Klaassen, 1973). Check out 1 Corinthians 12 – 14. It’s everywhere in the early church.
I write this stridently as a retired preacher, perhaps with a little abandon. After all there is no need for caution lest my salary be jeopardized! This is a testimony of what’s important to me, ie an open dependence on the anointed obvious presence of God, both in Word and Spirit. Also, it's a declaration of what I believe important for the upcoming years. The organized church consisting of hundreds of denominations has fallen on hard times. The reason for that is because the church is now modeling itself on modern societal individualism. Organizational structures, salaries, and safe workplace guidelines seem more important than pastoral care of the faithful (and the faithless). We think we are 2000 years beyond that Acts 2 Pentecost Service and all we must do is interpret that for our own denomination, be it Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant (and its myriad of Reformed or Evangelical or Ecumenical variations), and of course the Anabaptists and Quakers run right into Mormons and spiritists and unaffiliated sectarian groups often qualifying as cults. No, we are not beyond Acts 2. Church history has included many wars and many books, but now will need to rethink denominations. Tongues may eventually become the language of Mennonites and maybe Catholics and even in sweat-lodges in Indigenous communities. In fact church history will need to become a reflection of how God was and continues to be here for all persons, all faiths.
Oh yes, even before Acts 2, Jesus had given an instruct to those same disciples. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”. (Matthew 28:19). More than ever we need that original Pentecost now. And now just one more look at Acts 2: 8 and 11. Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? —we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
God has a language and a place for each and every one of us.
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