Pentecost B | May 19, 2024 | John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 | Luther H. Thoresen |

Note 1: All quotes in the sermon are from the English Standard Version.

Note 2: This initial paragraphs in italics of this sermon might be used as the basis for a Children’s message. If not used that way, one might adapt it as the beginning of the “usual” sermon, or insert part of it later in the sermon… or later in the service.

Good morning. If I say, “Take a deep breath,” what do I mean? It’s like “Calm down.” Right? When might it be a good idea to “take a deep breath”? (accept answers) Ones I think of are like these: when you prepare to run a race; when you prepare to speak in front of your class. Another time we might “take a deep breath” is when someone is baking bread or cinnamon rolls in the house. (take a deep breath and say, “Mmmmm that smells good”) We breathe in deeply to enjoy the aroma! We usually do not think about breathing. We “just do it,” but sometimes we DO think about it.

OR we might say “Catch your breath,” to someone after they run a race. Why? Because sometimes you “lose your breath.” OR maybe you “get the wind knocked out of you” while playing a game like football. OR if someone has asthma or another breathing issue, they might be “short on breath.”

OR we may go outside for a “breath of fresh air.” That’s something good. OR after a storm with lightning nearby the air feels different and we might breathe differently. Today is the Festival of Pentecost in our church. This is a festival of the Holy Spirit or Holy Breath of God. I’ll be talking more about the Breath or Spirit of God in today’s sermon.

Would you pray with me? God, as I walk and breathe in today, may I also take in your goodness. As I walk and breathe out today, may I let your goodness go into your world. Amen

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Today is the Festival of Pentecost in churches across the world. This is a festival connected to the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the early disciples as we heard in the first reading from Acts 2. Within the Church there are 4 primary symbols of God’s Holy Spirit.¹

1. One is the “dove.” This is rooted in the story of the Baptism of Jesus. When Matthew, Mark and Luke describe the story, the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended like a dove onto Jesus.
2. Another is “water.” Water is not only the water used in the sacrament, but also in John 4 and John 7 Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as “living water.” In addition, during the Thanksgiving prayer in the Rite of Baptism (e.g. LBW p 122) it is suggested that the pastor pour water from a pitcher into the font. This happens (cf. Manual on the Liturgy, LBW, p 176) as the prayer is spoken with multiple remembrances of how God has worked by water and Spirit or water and Word in history, including the words “pour out your Holy Spirit so that that those who are washed in this water may be given new life.”
3. A third symbol is “fire.” We heard of “tongues as of fire” that rested upon the disciples in the Reading from Acts.
4. And finally, for today there is the symbol of “Wind” or “Breath.” In the language in which the Older Testament was written, there is ONE word, “Ruah,” that may be translated as wind, breath and spirit. Likewise in the language in which the New Testament was written there is ONE word, “pneuma” that is translated as wind, breath or spirit.

Of those four primary symbols for Spirit, today we will focus on “wind” or “breath.”

In both Genesis 1 and 2 the “spirit” has a role. In chapter 1 we hear at the very beginning of God’s creative work “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (v 2) So, that is to say that God’s Breath or God’s Wind blew to bring forth creation out of chaos. In the second chapter, when God had formed the man out of the dust of the earth, God “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (v 7b) Both of these stories in Genesis are central to us. Do you hear about the “Wind – Spirit – Breath” in those stories?

In John’s Gospel, earlier in Chapter 3 we find the encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus. That story is the Gospel reading for next Sunday – Trinity Sunday. In that story, speaking about being born of water and Spirit, Jesus will say, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (v 8) Later, in John 20 in the reading for the 2^nd Sunday of Easter, there is the story of Jesus’ appearance to the disciples on the evening of Easter Day, as we call it. The disciples are huddled in fear, Jesus appears to them. Along the way he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (v 22) Do you hear about the “Wind – Spirit – Breath” in those stories?

Now, with that as background from Genesis and John’s Gospel, we move to the Gospel reading for today in John 15 and 16. Jesus speaks of the “Helper”. The Helper is translated sometimes as “Advocate” or “Comforter;” or just transliterated from the Greek as “Paraclete.” In today’s reading Jesus says, “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.” (15:26-27) According to Jesus, the Spirit of Truth will bear witness, testify about Jesus… and the disciples will also bear witness, testify about Jesus. Jesus also says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (16:13a) Jesus says more in today’s reading, but that’s enough to work with today.

We hear about the Spirit of Truth, the Breath of Truth, the Wind of Truth. In John’s Gospel the word “truth” is not a word about objective propositions that are “true”. The word “truth” in Greek is not a word that is contrasted with lies or fiction. It is not a word over against “falsehood”. Well then, what is it? In English we have words like “amoral” which means not moral. The word for truth in Greek is “alethia”. “Lethia” is hidden or concealed. So “alethia” is not hidden, not concealed. If truth is not hidden, then this implies that something has been revealed. For example, have any of you played “Hide ‘n Seek”? In that game, all players hide… except the one who seeks. One by one, the hidden players are found, and the hiding places are revealed. The truth of where each one was hiding is discovered… the truth is revealed. Also, for example many wedding dresses come with a veil. The veil is to hide the face of the bride. Then, at the agreed upon moment, the veil is removed and the bride’s face is seen… the bride’s face is revealed… the truth is seen.

The Spirit of Truth reveals what is. Nearly always in John’s Gospel, Truth is a person. You might remember that we hear in John 8 that, “Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (v 31, 32) Later in that chapter Jesus says, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (v 37) Do you hear it? In one place Jesus says that the truth will set you free, and then shortly he says the Son sets you free. So, it seems that the truth IS the Son. Again, early in chapter 14 Jesus says “In my Father’s house are many rooms.” (v 2) Remember that reading? A little bit later when a disciple asks “How can we know the way?” Jesus answers, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (v 6) Jesus himself is the Way. Jesus himself is the Life. Jesus himself is the Truth. I like to say that in John’s Gospel, Truth is a person, and that person is Jesus. So, the Spirit of Truth is the Spirit of Jesus, the Breath of Jesus.

Have you ever been in a room, and someone walks in and seems to “suck the air out of the room”? In those moments it is almost hard to breathe. By contrast, have you ever been in a room, and someone walks in and it is like a “breath of fresh air”? In many ways, Jesus was and is the second of these. The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of Truth is the Spirit of Fresh Air. The Breath of Jesus is the Breath of Truth is the Breath of Fresh Air.

I read about an event recounted by Pastor Shannon Johnson Kershner a while ago.² Pastor Kershner at the time was a pastor for a Presbyterian congregation in Irving, TX, a suburb of Dallas. Many members of the Irving congregation volunteered at the “Stewpot” in downtown Dallas. Twice monthly they would serve food and provide both hospitality and dignity on a soup line at lunch. Usually more than 500 came to eat. Once the volunteers were invited to an appreciation lunch hosted by clients of Stewpot. As the volunteers began to eat, a number of clients assembled on risers by a piano. These are people who often lost their breath, they had the wind knocked out of them often on the street. They took a deep breath together, many of them were nervous. Then, they began singing,³ “I’m gonna lay down my burdens down by the riverside.” They breathed, they sang. Their timidity faded and smiles grew. “Down by the riverside, down by the riverside.” They breathed and sang. They grew taller, their heads lifted and their bodies swayed. “I’m gonna lay down my burdens, ain’t gonna study war no more.” Pastor Kershner watched and listened and swayed, too. She had a sense of God’s Holy Breath rushing freely. It WAS a breath of fresh air. The Spirit of Truth revealed the dignity of clients and volunteers together.

Jesus promised to send the Spirit of Truth, the Breath of Truth… so that we might bear witness to the truth… so that we might be guided into truth… so that we might become a Breath of Fresh Air for others in our local community.

• The Spirit of Truth, the Breath of Truth comes to us as we hear the Word in Scripture and proclamation.
• The Spirit of Truth, the Breath of Truth comes to you in, with and under the waters of Holy Baptism.
• The Spirit of Truth, the Breath of Truth comes to us in, with and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion.
• The Spirit of Truth, the Breath of Truth comes to you in, with and under mutual conversation among brothers and sister in Christ in our life together in this congregation.
• The Spirit of Truth, the Breath of Truth comes to us in with and under service to the poor, the hungry, the naked, the sick and those imprisoned.
• The Breath of Truth, the Breath of Jesus comes to us. The Breath of Truth, the Breath of Jesus comes to you.

With the Breath of Truth within and among us; with the Spirit of Jesus within and among us, we become a Breath of Fresh Air for others! Amen

Now, may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen

—

Pr. Luther H. Thoresen, ELCA, STS, retired            thoresenluther54@gmail.com

¹ If any of these symbols are visible in the congregation’s sanctuary art (banners, paraments, stained glass, etc.) you might point them out along the way.

² This was in a sermon by Pastor Kershner titled, “Breathing Deeply” for Pentecost 2006 and published on Day 1 web site. This can be accessed at https://day1.org/weekly-broadcast/5d9b820ef71918cdf2002629/view

³ If the pastor is comfortable, the lines of this African-American Spiritual could be sung lightly at first, and then growing in volume a bit with successive lines.