Feast of Pentecost
For the past 95 days I have been involved in two processes of growth and development. Most important to me and to the life of this congregation has been the Spiritual Pilgrimage which started on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Every Sunday since then our six pilgrims and their companions have met after church to explore and go deeper in the way of Jesus.
Along the way we have dug into the promises made by us or for us at baptism. We promised to be regular in worship and attended as much of the Sunday sessions and the Holy Week services as our schedules and health allowed. We met together for coffee with our companions and shared our spiritual autobiographies with one another, often leading us to tears and laughter.
At Cathedral Day we supported Lori (and our dear Katy from the pilgrimage last year) as they were received into the Episcopal Church and rejoiced with Graham and Emmy at they received the laying on of hands in the sacrament of confirmation.
And now, on this Feast of Pentecost we have gathered for the sacrament of baptism as Snow makes her public proclamation of faith and is welcomed into the Body of Christ. Our pilgrims will be affirmed in their calling to follow Christ in the world through their Christian vocation and the sharing of their mission statements.
This very long and thorough process of welcome, discipleship and Christian formation is not the beginning of their life in Christ and neither will it be the end. The walk of faith is not a one-time, born-again experience, nor does it end when you finally get baptized or confirmed and are “done.” It is more like Eugene Peterson describes, “A long obedience in the same direction.”
There are glorious festival days when the Holy Spirit is palpably present and the community is gathered in love and support. And there are days when God seems absent and far from us. There will be highs and lows, great joy and terrible suffering. Many times we walk by faith because we cannot see where God is leading.
In those difficult times, it is the sure foundation we have as God’s beloved children, baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever. We have the community of faith and the experience of being loved and accepted for who we are. We belong and are knitted together because Jesus has loved us, gathered us as a shepherd gathers her sheep and promised that we will be one with him and God by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And… we still have far to go and much to learn.
The other 95 day process of growth and development that I have been following is that of two eaglets, Sundy and Gizmo born on March 3 & 4. From blind, vulnerable little fluff balls, they have grown into juvenile eagles and as of yesterday both had fledged by jumping out of their nest at the top of a 145 ft tree and taking their first flights. It has been a captivating story to follow as there are two cameras that cover both the nest and the area around the nest tree 24/7.
The tens of thousands of people following their journey watched in dismay as a terrific snowstorm buried their mother, Jackie and the three eaglets, one of whom died in the cold. We observed the many regular and bountiful feedings and the training by both parents who carefully built up guard rails of sticks around the nest to protect their rambunctious offspring from falling out before they were ready.
And now they have both developed the strength and courage to fly. But they are still not on their own. They have both parents watching over their every move, protecting them from predators, providing extra food both in the nest when they come back or even perched on a limb in a nearby tree. The eaglets will need time to grow and develop fully into adults at age 4-5 years. By then they will be completely independent.
But, all the formation, education and imprinting of their parents and sibling will be with them in their instincts, skills and bodies. They may not have the visible, physical presence of their family but they will carry with them all that has been poured into them through these past 95 days.
So it is with those who are children of God. We have received not a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption. We are never alone, even when we feel abandoned by our biological family, friends or even chosen family. We are children of God and we inherit, with Christ, all that God has poured into us by the Spirit.
By the Spirit we will grown into all that Jesus taught and did, becoming more like Christ in our love for God and neighbor. By the Spirit we will do even greater works than we can ask or imagine. We will have the courage to stand up to evil empires and ruthless rulers. We will be bearers of light in dark places and those who love when it is risky to do so.
When you look at the pilgrims, you are not seeing ordinary people, you are seeing the beloved, powerful, world-changing followers of Jesus. The same is true when you look around you or in the mirror. The Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Jesus abides in you. The peace of Christ will be manifest in the world through you. The love of God will have hands and feet because of you.
As St. Augustine said about the bread and wine on the Eucharistic table, “Be what you see. Receive who you are.” We are called to be the Body of Christ, the bread for the world, the wine poured out in sacrificial love.
Each time we come to the table for the bread of life and the cup of salvation; every time we reaffirm our baptismal vows and promises; whenever we practice radical hospitality; when we grow in forgiveness; when we feed the hungry in body, mind and spirit; when we stand up for our LGBTQ+ siblings; when we join in prayer for the most vulnerable; when we give sacrificially; when we walk in love as Christ loved us; then will our faith take off, born on the wings of God’s Holy Spirit. Amen.
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