A New, Suprising Thing

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ²And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. ⁶And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. ⁷Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? ⁹Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ ¹²All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ ¹³But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

Peter Addresses the Crowd

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. ¹⁵Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
¹⁷ “In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
   and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
   and your old men shall dream dreams.
¹⁸ Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
   in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
     and they shall prophesy. "    Acts 2:1-18

Today is Pentecost Sunday-- Fifty days after Easter.  While I was serving actively in a church, this was one of my favorite Sundays. Often, students would be confirmed in the faith on this day. In our denomination, Confirmation day is a day when young people would affirm their Baptism and become adult members of the congregation. 

One of the most powerful Confirmation services I experienced happened about 15 years ago. I had the privilege of teaching a young woman who was deaf.  She taught me a great deal during our two years of classes as I learned her abilities, and as she challenged me to find new ways of communicating, and explaining how God was at work in the lives of the people of the Bible and in her life.

In preparation for her Confirmation day, her parents taught me the worship service in sign language. Confirmation Sunday that year was very powerful as we heard the words of this scripture about God doing a new thing, and then we saw something new (to  us) happening right before our eyes-- a worship service in silence where faith in God was being affirmed. 

The Holy Spirit's work didn't just happen 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, but continues to be at work in our lives now in unexpected ways.  The Spirit continues to work around things that we see as obstacles (such as differences in languages) and continues to reach, touch and change lives through people like us who have limitations.  In God's hands, limitations are really just new opportunities that we can't see yet.  May this day be one of surprises and new opportunities through God's work in you and those around you.

Amazing God, help us to see that those things that are obstacles to us can be opportunities in your care. Work in and through us to open up new doors and possibilities.  Amen.