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Homily for the Day of Pentecost (Whitsunday) 23 May 2010
Think about the words “heirs, through hope, of thy everlasting kingdom.” In other words, the gift of immortal life for our souls is our promised inheritance: a precious gift of immeasurable value. Another of God’s gifts, also of immeasurable value, is that of the Holy Spirit; a gift God bestowed on Christians on the Day of Pentecost following Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Our Christian inheritance for all eternity will be God’s kingdom, a realm not bounded in any way by time. The Holy Spirit is also part of our Christian inheritance, but one God has given us even as we still live in the realm that is bounded by time: the same world we live in now and the apostles lived in 2,000 years ago. The inheritance given to the apostles and subsequently shared with Christians for 2,000 years is passed along not through wills or bequests, but through baptism. Through baptism, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and claim the heritage of the apostolic tradition. What is “the apostolic tradition?” What does it have to do with the apostles? What does it have to do with other Christian traditions? As Episcopalians, we are probably more familiar with the term apostolic succession, the ancient understanding that our bishops (like the bishops of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and some Lutheran churches) are in a direct line of succession that goes back to the apostle Peter. When a bishop is consecrated, at least three bishops lay hands on him or her, summoning the Holy Spirit. To many observers, the bishops are passing on to the new bishop the authority and power associated with that office. That is certainly what happens in symbolic terms. In spiritual terms, however, the bishops are passing on the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are also associated with the ordained ministry of deacons and priests. But bishops, priests, and deacons are not the only Christians who inherit the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The inheritance we call “apostolic succession” is only a part of the much greater inheritance of the apostolic tradition, a heritage for all Christians. The apostolic tradition began when Jesus shared his ministry with the apostles and taught them to pray. Still present with the twelve, Jesus bequeathed his ministry of prophecy, teaching, and healing. And, as we heard in this morning’s Gospel lesson, he promised them an “Advocate” who would be with them forever. When they gathered with other disciples 10 days after Jesus’ ascension, God sent the Advocate, bestowing on the apostles and their companions the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. From the Day of Pentecost onward, the gift of the Holy Spirit made the full exercise of ministry possible for the apostles and all disciples who would preach, teach, and heal in Jesus’ name. In the Holy Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit, sustained by the Holy Spirit, they ministered to God’s people and baptized in God’s name. When they baptized they sealed the new Christians with the Holy Spirit and marked them as Christ’s own forever. They secured for these Christians both the inheritance of eternal life and the Holy Spirit and in so doing made them ministers. From that time forward, baptism has transformed all Christians into ministers of the Gospel. The apostolic tradition of Christianity holds that all baptized Christians are called to be ministers of Jesus Christ. Some Christian churches, including the Episcopal Church, maintain that God calls certain Christians to ministries that require particular preparation and commitment. Through ordination as deacons, priests, and bishops, the Church recognizes these ministries and asks God to specially equip these ministers for the work that they do. In calling some people to ordained ministry, however, God is not recruiting an elite group to relieve other Christians of responsibility. You are all Christians. You are all ministers. The Holy Spirit sealed you in baptism and gave you not only gifts to enjoy, but also gifts to use. You can preach, and teach, and heal. You too can minister to the people of God. By the grace of God, the Episcopal Church began to fully recognize the ministry of all the baptized a generation ago. In a process some might describe as “two steps forward, one step back,” the Episcopal Church has gradually begun to support the ministry of all baptized people in important ways. Episcopalians who are not bishops sit on the highest councils of the church. Episcopalians who are not priests preach from the pulpit. Episcopalians who are not deacons bring communion to homebound parishioners and lay on hands for healing. These Episcopalian Christians minister in the apostolic tradition that is their inheritance: in the Holy Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit, and sustained by the Holy Spirit. This morning we as a congregation will recognize and pray for those of our fellow parishioners who, while not seeking ordination, have sought and completed special training to minister to fellow Christians. These parishioners will minister to you and to me in church, in hospitals and nursing facilities, and in our homes. They will bring Christ to us in the bread and the wine, in the words of Scripture, and in their prayerful presence. We celebrate their Christian ministries this morning. This morning we also celebrate the birthday of the Church. Our traditions recognize the Day of Pentecost as the day when the Church began its work. When God fulfilled Jesus’ promise by sending down the Holy Spirit, the followers of Jesus in the temporal world formed the Body of Christ to use this precious gift. Equipped with this inheritance, those of us who continue to be the Body of Christ will minister to each other and the rest of the temporal world until we come into our complete inheritance: God’s everlasting kingdom.
AMEN.
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