SUNDAY SERMON: The Promise of Pentecost

By Rev. Stephen Baldwin

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 12.3b-13

Today is Pentecost, the one day of the year that red is our liturgical color. Which is appropriate, since Pentecost is like the red-headed step child of the church year. It always gets passed over for not quite fitting in. And I can say that, because I’m a red-headed, left-handed, step-child and also a former Minority Leader, so I know a thing or two about not quite fitting in! 

There are all kinds of reasons Pentecost isn’t as well-known or adored as other holy days. It comes at a weird time of the year. Late May lacks the luster of Christmas. Easter has come and gone just a few weeks ago. But above all, the main Pentecost story is, honestly, weird. 

According to Acts, the Holy Spirit descends on the disciples and they all start speaking different languages under one roof. To the point that people think they’ve been drinking like it’s the Fourth of July! It’s a weird story. Not one that translates well to the kid’s Bible. 

But the real reason I think Pentecost isn’t up there with Christmas and Easter is that rational, thoughtful, calm, and careful Presbyterians are scared of its power. 

Some churches are organized around the presence of the Holy Spirit. They are emotional and passionate. Ours is not. We downplay emotion. We like to think things through. And do things decently and in order. But on Pentecost, the Spirit blows the doors off decency and order. 

It enters the house where the disciples are, breaks down the barriers that divide people, even overcomes differences of language, “and they were gathered together of one accord,” the scripture says. 

It’s precisely the kind of power we need now. The power to bring people together despite all their differences. 

We need Pentecost today. When everything from what clothes you wear to what music you play to who you vote for to what you eat divides people, we need Pentecost. When division and hatred pits people against each other, we need Pentecost. When we talk about people whose skin is a different color or whose ideas differ from our own as enemies, we need Pentecost. When we clamor for violence against anyone for any reason, we need Pentecost. We need Pentecost today! 

Our scripture this morning paints a picture of what it must have been like when “they were gathered together of one accord” and the Spirit came down on Pentecost. Paul famously says they were one body with many members. Varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. Varieties of service, but the same Lord. Varieties of activities, but one Lord who activates them all. One body with one spirit, made up of many members. It’s a vision of unity we desperately need. 

I know, because not only am I a red-headed, left-handed stepchild, but I’m also a youth baseball coach. And let me tell you, life in the dugout with a dozen 8-11 year old boys is not for the faint of heart…and a lot like being in a room full of people speaking different languages. 

While there’s a game going on, which I am supposed to be coaching the kids are supposed to be playing, I’ve got three boys asking to go to the bathroom, two boys playing with bees that have made a nest in the rafters, one kid who needs his shoe tied, another telling me about his dream last night, someone else asking for snacks, and a batter who can’t find his…bat. That’s when they’re not talking about girls, their favorite TikToks trends, and using slang I don’t understand.  

So for me to hear today’s scripture about a group of 12 being “together of one accord” is not just a vision; it’s a miracle. A blessed miracle which could only come from the Lord above! 

Which is also what happens sometimes with those 12 boys. The moments are rare. They don’t last long. But sometimes, as a group, they transcend all the distractions, focus on the game we are playing, and have the time of their lives. 

They laugh, they learn, and they do something together they never thought was possible. It’s every bit as much of a miracle. And you don’t have to be a player or a coach to understand it. Because you’ve experienced too in other aspects of life. Sometimes it happens among friends. Or in church. 

There is a power in the members of the body working together and being of one accord. It’s the power of Pentecost, and we need it now as much as ever. We don’t need another Pentecost, as some Christians are calling for these days, any more than we need another Christmas or another Easter. We need to remember the point of Pentecost here and now, for it still is as true now as it was then. 

Pentecost is the fulfilment of God’s promise to never forsake us, sending the Spirit when Jesus departed. That promise fulfilled also shows us its immense power. When we are open to the Spirit’s presence, God can bring us together as members of one body like nothing else. I believe that with all my heart.  

Will we be ready? Will we set our own egos aside in order to make room for the Spirit? Will we set our own plans aside to make room for God’s? Will we set aside our own ambitions in order to work together with others for God’s good purposes? Will we welcome the joy of Pentecost and the miracle of belonging to something greater than ourselves? 

Amen.