John 7:37-39
Pentecost - Year A
Breath comes in. Rivers of living water flow out.
This is not a closed system of breath in and breath out or a water cycle from rain to evaporation to rain. There is a shift that goes on between Chapter 20 and Chapter 7 (and, yes, it would look different reading them in a different order).
The shift here is from potential to kinetic energy. Creation (G*D/Jesus) imbues us with potential and we await the trigger to action. The Spirit urges us to choose to let our potential loose even if that sets entropy in motion and we find ourselves entirely dispersed.
The trigger point is choice. Will we choose to continue to be pure potential or will we get our hands and conscience dirty with action? Of course it is never quite this clear a choice, but, for argument's sake, there is no religion but social religion, no holiness but social holiness. What is breathed in as personal religion or holiness must flow forth as social religion and social holiness.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/may2005.html
Forgiveness is drinking deep of thirst-quenching life. Forgiveness revives both the forgiver and the forgiven, the forgiven and the forgiver, in whichever order the mystery of forgiveness occurs.
This is a participation in the carrying on and deepening of the acts of Jesus. Here greater works are done. We have it available to us to bind ourselves and others together, mutually. There are some who would claim this is greater than having that binding take place from the outside, as though someone else's forgiveness would take precedence over that of the parties involved.
So with Peace breathed into us we are energized to move from Peace-made to Peace-makers. Enjoy the journey.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/may2005.html
How manifold are G*D's works! So many languages, so many gifts, so many prophesies, so many locked doors walked through, so many "Peace"s, so many breaths, so many rivers of living water.
This is a time to remember how these have been loosed in the past, to talk about how they are currently ebbing and flowing all around us, and to anticipate more blessings than can be counted.
While we can get caught up in the mechanisms of all this we are basically dealing with a song of hope and faith and love all mixed up in its themes and meters and keys.
A part of our task is to stand and proclaim, "What you are experiencing is real - don't deny it by blaming it on excess of one kind or another." More is going on than this world knows.
- - -
languages speak what they know
today is a day to focus on what we are saying
how we are saying what we are saying
going beyond whom we usually say what we say
there is a drive to communicate
we will even learn another language if need be
we will talk with our hands and our eyes
until our tongue connects with an ear
in camp or out of room
we will join gift to gift
forgiving past separations
calling Peace where there is none
until there is
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html
Pentecost is not parochial. It is all too easy to think that our people have a lock on Spirit.
There seemed to a be certain willy-nilliness about the witnessing that went on as a direct result of tongues of fire stimulating human tongues. This is an implicit working out of, “Let anyone who is thirsty come.”
Of course there is the kicker of subsequent language about believing to be dealt with. It is certainly understandable why the church would want the “believer” language added. It means larger coffers and a control factor over new believers.
This believer talk takes place in the context of early church struggles. We know this from the asides regarding spirit and glorification. Bottom-line is that Jesus is inclusive and the church is exclusive.
This is not a new phenomenon. A more recent one is the way in which we covered up Nelson Mandela’s revolutionary inclusiveness to talk mostly about how wonderful that he was released and then did so much. We have done the same with every prophet along the way, moving digitally from “Revile them” to “Venerate them” with no transition or recognition of a wholeness and the messiness of their humanity, virtues and flaws.
For now a question of where on a continuum you take your stand.
Inclusive Pentecost - (1) - - - (2) - - - (3) - - - (4) - - - (5) - Exclusive Pentecost