"FIRST IMPRESSIONS" PENTECOST

ACTS 2: 1-11 Psalm 104 Galatians 5: 16-25 John 20: 19-23

By Jude Siciliano, OP

Dear Preachers:

Prenote: I call your attention to the justice reflection by Judy Morris, OP towards the end of these notes.

I became acutely aware that we were doing something terrible to the environment back in the seventies when I lived and preached in West Virginia. There I frequently saw strip mines, where soil was scrapped off the tops of hills and pushed into valleys and streams below in order to expose the underlying veins of coal. Then mechanized shovels with scoops the size of trucks scooped up the exposed coal, loaded it into trucks that took it off somewhere far away. The land that was left looked like the face of the moon; the streams below soon became poisoned as rain water washed down the exposed acid soil. Local residents would have to move out because their land had become too ugly, worthless for planting and dangerous to their health. Sometimes topsoil would be replaced, but it was a token job and did little to cover the scars or make the land fertile again. As a citizen I knew a terrible injustice was being done to the local residents. I also knew the land was being ruined, but I didn't make the connection from this environmental injustice to the faith I was preaching and its source in the scriptures. In recent years that has changed.

Our church leadership has been preaching and teaching about the effects on the poor of the world by pollution and overuse of natural resources. The poor bear an extra share of the burden because of our consumer demands for the earth's goods. We take the resources from their lands, disregard the unhealthy working conditions in which they manufacture our goods, and leave behind an unhealthy environment for them, one that is especially deadly for their children and the elderly.

This Jubilee year has been emphasizing a renewal of the earth, not only for the improvement of the living conditions of peoples around the world, but also for the sake of the earth itself. We are being reminded of something that our ancestors in faith knew, that the created world around us is a place of communion with God. This holy encounter inspires us to respond with wonder and praise for our Creator. But our natural world is also injured. Jubilee calls us to listen to the voice of the poor of the world---- and to include in our listening the voice of nature.

So, with a sense of my responsibility as a preacher to include an environmental awareness in my preaching, I look at today's readings and wonder: how it is possible to address the environment without manipulating the scriptural texts? I remember the great theologian and preacher Karl Barth saying that a preacher should have the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. He was addressing the need to stay rooted in the Word, but to also see how daily life and the Word were to be in dialogue with one another. I guess, in the light of recent awareness about the environment, we preachers need a third hand in which to hold and read "the Book of Nature," for nature is also a source of revelation we need to attend. Let's see then how we might listen to our "sources" for preaching—the scriptures, the newspaper and creation around us.

The first reading is a stunning manifestation of the gift of the Spirit on the new community. John's gospel account of that same gift is a much quieter event. Both speak truths about the Spirit and us. Whichever account we favor we want to remember that the gift of the Spirit was not a "once-back-then gift." It's not like one of those fancy kitchen gadgets, like a food processor, that when it new, we use over and over, but after the novelty wares off, we put on a shelf for some future, less frequent use. Acts shows us that the Spirit changed the community, from a small group tucked away in an upper room, to vibrant, highly visible, inclusive, and articulate believers who weren't shy about proclaiming their faith. We are told in the Acts account that the noise from the sky is like a strong driving wind and that tongues "as of fire" appeared, parted and came "to rest on each of them." These are the symbols of this gifting-
Spirit. Isn't it appropriate that the manifestation of the Spirit should come through natural symbols? Pentecost was originally a harvest festival, called "the Feast of the First Fruits," so the feast itself is earth-connected. This community had Jewish roots and the God of the Jews had often spoken and acted using natural signs and wonders: simple signs like flowing water, sheep, vineyards, trees etc.; spectacular signs like the parting of the sea, the water from the rock, the guiding cloud by day and fire by night.

Sin caused a terrible rupture in the human community and terribly damaged our harmony with one another and with creation. We turned against the Creator's plans for us. We, who were made in the "image of God," the God who lovingly created our world with the care of a gardener, fell out of grace with this God. We forgot we were made to love God, our neighbor, and ourselves---and to tend the world around us. The gift of the Pentecost Spirit energizes and emboldens the community to go out and break down the barriers of race, economics, ethnicity and gender and form a new community of harmonious relations----as existed in the Garden before sin. We, who are gifted with the Spirit, are also made aware of the world community and know that Jesus' teachings to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and heal the sick require us to be conscious how our overuse of the world's resources leaves others hungry, naked and wounded. The Spirit has given us a big vision of the world and our relation to all living and inanimate creatures in it.

We need a holistic understanding of Christ's salvation. The bible sees all of creation affected by the sin of the first humans. Where there was once harmony between humans and their surrounding world, now there is discord and disorder. In this biblical perspective, even nature experiences the fallen condition caused by human sin. Just as we struggle and long for our wholeness, so does creation long for a time when it "...will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8: 19-22) The redemption of humanity occurs along with a renewal of creation. "I saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." (Rev. 21: 15)

The Incarnation also shows God's intimate connection and love, not just for humankind but also for all of our natural world. Salvation has been achieved through Jesus's death and resurrection, but the Gospel account points out that he has not left our worldly condition behind. His wounds are a reminder of his and our human condition. They point us to look at where he continues to be wounded among God's creatures. The wounds of the world are linked to his.

John's Gospel has strong parallels to Genesis and so Jesus' breathing on the disciples is reminiscent of the wind that swept over the primordial waters at the creation of the world; it also reminds us of God's breathing the divine breath into the first human. The Genesis story shows humans as the pinnacle of creation, but also very much a part the creative natural surroundings. There was an original harmony, an original graced time in the humans' relation to God and the created world. All this was fragmented by sin. Jesus' breathing over his community is reestablishing the harmony that was meant to be there.

Jesus' double greeting (shalom) speaks of a dawning of a long-awaited age. The new age promised by the prophets has begun, sin has been defeated and a new human community is being created. As has been mentioned, the Johannine account of Pentecost lacks the fireworks of Acts. However, I would think though that most of us would identify more with the former. We have received the life-giving and life-sustaining creative breath. We look for ways to proclaim this new life by how we live out the gift of shalom among the humans and the rest of the created world around us.

PREACHING JUSTICE----a reflection by Judy Morris, O.P.

Pentecost

Fire is an appropriate symbol for Pentecost. Jesus preached with the fire of strong conviction a message he continually heard from the God of love. This message of unconditional love, service, forgiveness and healing runs throughout the Gospels. The passion that Jesus modeled in his teaching, healing and confronting came from his intimacy with God, a God who did not act alone, but with the love and power of God fueling all he said and did, he could be confident and courageous. He could "speak with authority."

The good news in this Pentecost celebration is that Jesus promises to send the "Spirit of Truth" to us. We can be bold and courageous. We can "speak with authority." We do not only celebrate an event of the past but an event that continues every day. The Spirit dwelling within open hearts--hearts beating with compassion and courage.

Look around our country and one will find Pentecost-people who have internalized the Gospel message of justice, compassion, forgiveness and healing.

We find:

-an 80-something year old grandmother walking from California to Washington DC gathering disciples all along the way, calling for serious campaign finance reform.

-thousands gathering at the School of the Americas, at Ft. Benning, Georgia, demanding that this "School of Assassins" be closed. They are students, grandmothers, veterans, Sisters, Priests, Brothers, teachers etc, all confronting evil with determination.

-women from around the U.S. descending on Washington DC in the "Million Mom March" demanding strict gun control laws.

-many thousands of all faith traditions speaking out about he absolute necessity of canceling third world debt

-hundreds of women and men keeping vigil outside penitentiaries, as yet another execution is carried out by the state int eh name of justice.

Long ago, as Acts 2:1-ll) describes, there was "a sound of a violent wind filling the house. Divided tongues of fire appeared among them ... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability."

We are all called to be Pentecost people today as then. All that is needed is hearts open to conversion. If we are quiet we can hear the intimate word of love from God that will create hearts of compassion, leading to passion and finally to bold witness.

We must stop asking, where are the prophets today? We are the ones called to be prophets. This Pentecost calls us to witness in streets, halls of Congress, in front of prisons, in the classrooms, from the pulpit--that God calls us to be people of compassion and passion.

AN INTERNET PREACHING RESOURCE:

Keeping the Faith in Babylon: A pastoral resource for Christians in Exile is a Lectionary based resource for Christians in and out of the institutional church. Each meditation, which primarily follows the liturgical calendar (and occasionally picks up texts overlooked by the Lectionary), is an attempt to do what William Stringfellow once called "listening to scripture" but not in a simplistic way. Recent scholarship, relevant stories and illustrations from contemporary literature and film are used liberally.

The metaphor underlying the resource, the one prompting its release and inherent in its message is that of exile, the biblical experience of faithful people who have been displaced. Keeping the Faith . . . is an attempt to provide sustenance to those who are still serious about living the life of discipleship in both a society and (often) a church that have lost their way, a message of hope and challenge to those who long for God's day and share a passionate commitment to Jesus - by a pastor in exile.

You can visit Keeping the Faith in Babylon on Fernstone's site at: www.fernstone.org,

where monthly samples and subscription information are available."

ANNOUNCEMENTS

I get notes from people responding to these reflections. Sometimes they tell how they use "First Impressions" in their ministry and for personal use. Others respond to the reflections, make suggestions and additions. I think our readers would benefit from these additional thoughts. If you drop me a BRIEF note, I will be happy to add your thoughts and reflections to my own. (Judeop@Juno.com)

Our webpage addresses:

http://www.opsouth.org/preexch.htm

http://www.op.org/domcentral/preach/exchange/

http://www.Mattdoyle.com/pe/peindex.htm

"Homilias Dominicales"-- these Spanish reflections are written by two friars of the Southern Dominican Province experienced in Hispanic Ministry, Carmen Mele, O.P. and Isidore Vicente, O.P. Like "First Impressions", "Homilias Dominicales" are a preacher's early reflections on the upcoming Sunday readings and liturgy. So, if you or a friend would like to receive "Homilias

Dominicales" drop a note to John Boll, O.P. jboll@opsouth.org)

"First Impressions" is a service to preachers and those wishing to prepare for Sunday worship. It is sponsored by the Southern Dominican Province, U.S.A. If you would like "First Impressions" sent weekly to a friend, send a note to John Boll at the above Email address.

If you would like to support this ministry, please send tax deductible contributions to Jude Siciliano, O.P., whose address is listed below. Make checks to: Dominican Friars of Raleigh.

Thank you.

Blessings on your preaching,

Jude Siciliano, O.P., Promoter of Preaching, Southern Dominican Province, USA

P.O. Box 12927, Raleigh, N.C. 27605, (919) 833-1893, Email: judeop@juno.com