Episcopal Church of Our Savior

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The Rev. Marta Maddy, Diocese of Minnesotans April 10, 2005 Easter 3A, Church of Our Savior Come Holy Spirit, Come. Come on the winds and cleanse, Come in the waves and renews, Come in the flame and burn, And set our hearts on fire. AMEN I wonder if Peter ever stayed up late at night thinking about what he would preach on Sunday? Or if he ever had a class in homiletics, read books and listened to countless lectures on preaching, and was graded not just by professors and peers, but also by his teenage daughters?? The lesson from Acts is the first sermon of the church, and Peter’s first sermon. In today’s reading we don’t get the whole sermon – just the key text and the results of the preaching. It has been 50 days since Jesus’ death and resurrection. Almost two months of sadness, grief, uncertainty, tentative joy, and probably a whole lot of wondering, “So what does this all mean?????” Jesus had appeared to all of them. Their eyes were opened now to the resurrected Christ. What an incredible reality!!! But there are no reports that the believers ever shared the story of what happened with anyone beyond their group. It is not a shared reality. I bet that at this point, none of them could have answered the question with great certainty, “So what does it all mean???” or what difference does it make? It is amazing that after 50 days there are still 120 believers who are meeting and gathering to pray. Even at 9 in the morning. And then the Holy Spirit comes, in wind and fire, in noise and loud voices. It is so noticeable that a crowd begins to gather. I would bet that even in this noisy busy city, people would have stopped to see what was going on! Maybe a movie! After a bit, the crowd starts to break up – these ‘believers’ are clearly just drunk on cheap wine. And then they begin to hear words in their own language. In their own language. It has been a real gift for me to be here at Church of Our Savior. To be in a place where the written words and spoken language are very beautiful and graceful, but so totally beyond anything I could understand by myself. I am utterly dependent on you to translate (although I am beginning to understand many words!). There is a ministry of language here – very ANGLICAN! – speaking in the language of the people: in the book of common prayer that we use, in the mission of the church to share the gospel with those in the community… Peter stood tall and raised his voice: But this is the same Peter who refused Jesus’ footwashing, and denied that he was Jesus’ disciple three times. This is Peter who is so filled with the Holy Spirit so filled with the love of God that he HAS to tell the crowd about God in Jesus. And he is bold to tell them “what it all means’ this Jesus business. 1. Know with certainty that God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah – this Jesus whom you crucified. They were cut to the heart and asked, “what should we do?” 2. “Have a change of heart, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ” so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone… What did Peter proclaim? That there was nothing that could keep anyone from being fully reconciled to God. Peter, filled with God’s Spirit, does not offer exceptions: Sometimes in a sermon you can ‘duck’ the message and think – oh – that doesn’t apply to me… But Peter keeps using the E word – for EVERYONE: there is no reason, no action, no inner anxiety or self-doubt, that is too big. Even if you had done the worst thing… Or even if you had just drifted far away…… This is a promise for you, for your children and for all who are far away, for everyone… the gift of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit in the heart. I truly believe that Peter could not have announced this forgiveness, this new nearness to God if he had not experienced it in every fiber of his being. If he had not experienced the gifting of the Holy Spirit, the radical hospitality of God. He was not making it up. It was real. And isn’t ironic, that our radical hospitality is required, too – our change of heart. My children were baptized as babies at St. Luke’s in Minneapolis. Fr. Martin told the baptismal group to face the congregation for the first set of questions. “Do you renounce Santan and all the spiritual forces that rebel against God? Do you renounce evil powers of this world? Sinful desires…?” and then he asked three questions that are all part of the ‘change of heart,’ and we turned to face the altar: “do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior? Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love? Do you promise to follow and obey him as Lord?” It is said in the Acts account that 3,000 people welcomed the message and were baptized. They did not just receive it – they joyfully opened to doors of their hearts! It is said of baptism, that it is here that Jesus fully and really meets us. In welcoming much, we also are able to live with glad and generous hearts. Just after the crucifixion, two disciples, sad and disheartened walk to Emmaus. Jesus meets them, walks with them, asks them what is wrong, and listens to the story of their heart. Then he offers a teaching. They still have no awareness of the presence of God. After accepting their hospitable offer of a meal, Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks the bread and gives it to them. Immediately in the language of an ordinary meal, they know it is Jesus. He is real. May the Church of Our Savior continue to be a place of teaching and fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers, a place where people eat with glad and generous hearts, and may the Spirit ever equip you to SHARE the good news of Jesus in the language of the people. Amen.

The Rev. Marta Maddy, Diocese of Minnesotans

April 10, 2005 Easter 3A, Church of Our Savior

Come Holy Spirit, Come.
Come on the winds and cleanse,
Come in the waves and renews,
Come in the flame and burn,
And set our hearts on fire. AMEN

I wonder if Peter ever stayed up late at night thinking about what he would preach on Sunday? Or if he ever had a class in homiletics, read books and listened to countless lectures on preaching, and was graded not just by professors and peers, but also by his teenage daughters??

The lesson from Acts is the first sermon of the church, and Peter’s first sermon. In today’s reading we don’t get the whole sermon – just the key text and the results of the preaching. It has been 50 days since Jesus’ death and resurrection. Almost two months of sadness, grief, uncertainty, tentative joy, and probably a whole lot of wondering, “So what does this all mean?????”

Jesus had appeared to all of them. Their eyes were opened now to the resurrected Christ. What an incredible reality!!! But there are no reports that the believers ever shared the story of what happened with anyone beyond their group. It is not a shared reality. I bet that at this point, none of them could have answered the question with great certainty, “So what does it all mean???” or what difference does it make?

It is amazing that after 50 days there are still 120 believers who are meeting and gathering to pray. Even at 9 in the morning. And then the Holy Spirit comes, in wind and fire, in noise and loud voices. It is so noticeable that a crowd begins to gather. I would bet that even in this noisy busy city, people would have stopped to see what was going on! Maybe a movie! After a bit, the crowd starts to break up – these ‘believers’ are clearly just drunk on cheap wine. And then they begin to hear words in their own language.

In their own language. It has been a real gift for me to be here at Church of Our Savior. To be in a place where the written words and spoken language are very beautiful and graceful, but so totally beyond anything I could understand by myself. I am utterly dependent on you to translate (although I am beginning to understand many words!). There is a ministry of language here – very ANGLICAN! – speaking in the language of the people: in the book of common prayer that we use, in the mission of the church to share the gospel with those in the community…

Peter stood tall and raised his voice: But this is the same Peter who refused Jesus’ footwashing, and denied that he was Jesus’ disciple three times. This is Peter who is so filled with the Holy Spirit so filled with the love of God that he HAS to tell the crowd about God in Jesus. And he is bold to tell them “what it all means’ this Jesus business.
1. Know with certainty that God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah – this Jesus whom you crucified.
They were cut to the heart and asked, “what should we do?”
2. “Have a change of heart, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ” so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone…

What did Peter proclaim? That there was nothing that could keep anyone from being fully reconciled to God. Peter, filled with God’s Spirit, does not offer exceptions: Sometimes in a sermon you can ‘duck’ the message and think – oh – that doesn’t apply to me… But Peter keeps using the E word – for EVERYONE: there is no reason, no action, no inner anxiety or self-doubt, that is too big. Even if you had done the worst thing… Or even if you had just drifted far away…… This is a promise for you, for your children and for all who are far away, for everyone… the gift of the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit in the heart.

I truly believe that Peter could not have announced this forgiveness, this new nearness to God if he had not experienced it in every fiber of his being. If he had not experienced the gifting of the Holy Spirit, the radical hospitality of God. He was not making it up. It was real.

And isn’t ironic, that our radical hospitality is required, too – our change of heart. My children were baptized as babies at St. Luke’s in Minneapolis. Fr. Martin told the baptismal group to face the congregation for the first set of questions. “Do you renounce Santan and all the spiritual forces that rebel against God? Do you renounce evil powers of this world? Sinful desires…?” and then he asked three questions that are all part of the ‘change of heart,’ and we turned to face the altar: “do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior? Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love? Do you promise to follow and obey him as Lord?”

It is said in the Acts account that 3,000 people welcomed the message and were baptized. They did not just receive it – they joyfully opened to doors of their hearts! It is said of baptism, that it is here that Jesus fully and really meets us. In welcoming much, we also are able to live with glad and generous hearts.

Just after the crucifixion, two disciples, sad and disheartened walk to Emmaus. Jesus meets them, walks with them, asks them what is wrong, and listens to the story of their heart. Then he offers a teaching. They still have no awareness of the presence of God. After accepting their hospitable offer of a meal, Jesus takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks the bread and gives it to them. Immediately in the language of an ordinary meal, they know it is Jesus. He is real.

May the Church of Our Savior continue to be a place of teaching and fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers, a place where people eat with glad and generous hearts, and may the Spirit ever equip you to SHARE the good news of Jesus in the language of the people. Amen.