Barbecue
grills and the Holy Spirit. And yes, wait for it, there’s a connection, I
promise you. Because, look out, people of God! Here comes the Holy Spirit. A fresh
wind is going to blow through this place. Now how are you going to respond to
that fresh wind?
Are
you ready for what’s going to happen when the Holy Spirit starts moving within
you and asking you to speak another language? Are you ready for what’s going to
happen when the Holy Spirit shakes you up and pours you out to do something different
than maybe you’ve done before?
That’s
what happened so many years ago on the first Pentecost. People suddenly felt
and thought differently. Their lives were so transformed they were able to
communicate in new and fresh ways what they experienced following Jesus. They
were transformed by the Holy Spirit into a powerful force that spread throughout
the known world of their time. And what made them powerful was the fresh wind
of the Holy Spirit. It was the breath and wind and fire of the Holy Spirit and
their ability to be open to that fresh wind. They opened themselves to the
action of the Holy Spirit and said “yes!” And wherever they saw coals burning
they breathed on them and provided that extra wind that made the coals flame up
into more transformations.
So
let’s talk about being open to that this morning. I know it’s Memorial Day
weekend and lots of you will be at picnics and barbecues and family and friend
events of one sort or another. And speaking of barbecues, I think that’s what
we tend to do with the Holy Spirit, we try to confine the Holy Spirit and make
it manageable and something we can control. We want to put the Holy Spirit in a
barbecue grill where we can control the wind speed and the temperature.
You
know those dome-shaped barbecue grills? Lots of people have them these days, at
least most of the grills I see have a lid you can lower to cook things all the
way through. But you know, unless it’s a gas powered grill, if you put the lid
on too long, the fire will eventually go out. It works the same way with our
candles here. When we snuff them out, the lack of air over the flame makes the
flame die out. There’s nothing to sustain it.
So
what are you going to do about that fresh wind that’s coming here? His name is Father Ben and you have about
nine weeks to think about it. How are you going to welcome him?
Are
you going to slap the lid down on him? The two biggest lids we have in the
church are, well, anybody want to guess? (Silence) How about these? “We’ve never done it
that way before.” “We’ve always done it this way.” Those are the quickest ways
to put the lid on a newly arrived priest's ministry. If every time they see a
new way to do something, or a better, more innovative way, or a proven way
something works well, or a way to tweak something a bit to make it even better,
they hear one of those two sentences, well, you know what happens. You know
because if you’re more than six years old, you’ve probably had that happen
to you.
So
let’s think instead about something you wanted to do that someone supported
with enthusiasm. Here’s a little brain exercise for you on Pentecost morning.
Think about something you wanted to do and for which you got support. When you
mentioned it, someone said something to you like, “Hey, that sounds great. Let’s
do it!” (Long Pause) Okay, got something? Now how did that make you feel? Think
about that for a moment. (Long Pause) Okay, got it? I know some of you did because I
see some smiles that weren’t there before.
Here’s
your challenge for the next nine weeks to get ready to welcome Father Ben. Open
up your barbecue lid and let some fresh wind in. Keep it up and open for Father
Ben. Get ready, folks. Come Holy Spirit, Come. AMEN.
The Rev. Nicolette Papanek
©2015
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