Homily for
The Third Sunday in Lent
Sunday 19 March 2017
The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
A Parish of the Diocese of Bethlehem and The Episcopal Church
Readings:
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Preaching Series
on the Creed
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I believe in the Holy Spirit…
The Scriptures are filled
with references to the Holy Spirit. Even
in the first verses of the Bible, the Holy Spirit shows up, along with
Jesus. The creation account in the first
chapter of the first book of the Bible tells the Story of God the Father
overseeing creation. There are two
interesting elements in this story; Word and Wind. The Word is spoken, and creation comes to
being through the Word. Remember that in
John’s Gospel we are reminded that this Word of God, spoken by God, is
Jesus. In the speaking of this Word at
creation, a wind blows in and through that Word and works with that Word to
cause creation. The word used in Genesis
is the word for the Spirit. At the
beginning of the Scriptures, God is present.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are at work as the Creator.
This is just the first of
the three works of God that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit engage in
for our good. In the Gospel, we do not
merely encounter Christ. God is fully
present to save us and redeem us. In our
own day and generation, as with every day since the Day of Pentecost, God is
still fully present to sanctify us and prepare us for the Kingdom that is
coming.
It is on this work of God
in our present day that I want to focus most as we explore the Creed and
consider God the Holy Spirit.
We would do well to
remember that the first gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of faith. St. Paul reminds us of this when he writes to
the Corinthian Church, stating that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in
the Holy Spirit [1 Corinthians 12:3]. And Jesus himself says “You did not choose
me, but I chose you” [John 15:16]. If it were not for the Holy Spirit, we would
not be sitting here today, and we would not be Christians.
How can I say that? Look back at the Gospel. How many times after hearing the Gospel have
we been dumbfounded by the disciples? At
their best, they are often clueless. At
their worst, they disappear and hide in fear.
Of the 12, only one stands and witnesses the crucifixion. One denies him. One betrays him, then kills himself, driven
by guilt. Of the remaining 11, all but
one lock themselves away from the public, terrified for their lives. And then suddenly, in the wake of the
Resurrection, it is these 11 remaining disciples, along with Matthias, the
successor to Judas, who become the apostles, the first bishops of the
Church. Those who once cowered in fear
stood tall even in the midst of persecution.
Those who once had no voice suddenly had a powerful voice that changed
hearts and minds. Those who ran to save
their own lives endured persecution; many of them even the death of a martyr.
How could they experience
such a change? Go back with me to the
first day of Resurrection. That evening,
as the sun was setting on that Sunday on which the Lord rose from the dead,
Jesus had breathed on them and given them the gift of the Holy Spirit [John 20:22]. Seven weeks later, on the fiftieth day of the
Resurrection, the Holy Spirit came mightily upon them [Acts 2]. From that day forward they were empowered to
believe and to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and God.
Do you want to see a
change in the world around you? Are you
concerned about the nation and the world?
Do you see in our midst a people in need of God? Don’t just complain about it, and don’t look
for any other mortal person, whether they be politician or preacher, to bring
about change, no matter how loudly they say they will do this very thing and
make something great again. Rather pray
for the gift of the life-giving Holy Spirit who changes hearts and minds and
transforms the world around us.
Only know that when we do
so, this is not a monologue. When we
pray, we also need to be silent and listen.
God the Holy Spirit speaks to us often, and yet I wonder how many times
we miss his voice. I say that because
the Holy Spirit, who has the ability to speak in such a way that would never be
missed, chooses rather to speak in stillness, in calmness, to bring peace by
being peace.
Have you ever had an
experience where you feel like you are being nudged to do something? I remember a good many years ago, I was out
making a few visits and finishing a few odds and ends before going away for a
few weeks on vacation. The more the
afternoon went the more I felt this nudge nagging on me relentlessly: “Go see
Doris! Go Today! Don’t wait!
Go!” I knew it was God, and I was
even so bold as to question God. Eventually
I relented and ended my day by visiting Doris that Monday afternoon. I left for vacation the following morning. Friday morning I was informed of her
death. When I returned from vacation she
was already buried. Had I ignored the nudging
of the Holy Spirit that day before vacation, I would have missed out on that
last opportunity to be with Doris and enjoy her company.
The Holy Spirit also
empowers us by acting on our behalf. Why
is that so important? This life of faith
is not easy. We are compelled to pray
even for those who hate us, to love those who would wish us harm, to turn the
check to those who strike us rather than to strike back. If we truly pray as we ought, as Jesus taught
us to pray, there are days when it is simply overwhelming. But remember this; when the disciples did not
know how to pray, Jesus prayed for them, and then taught them to pray as he
first prayed. Likewise, for us there are
moments when the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf those things for which we
cannot pray today. And then from that
moment on, the Holy Spirit seeks to teach us, to transform us, that we might
pray likewise, in the hopes that tomorrow we can pray for that which today we
could not fathom asking that God would accomplish.
What a good reminder this
is for us during these Lenten days as we prepare to celebrate with great joy
the Resurrection of our Lord. This is
the springtime of our faith when we as Christians are called to desire and to
expect to grow more into the image of Christ.
God the Holy Spirit is the one who shall accomplish this work in
us. Therefore, let us pray boldly that
the Holy Spirit may empower us daily that we might live out the Gospel in word
and deed, for our good, and the good of all the beloved of God.
Father
Timothy
Alleman
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