{"id":19915,"date":"2024-05-15T15:02:56","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T13:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theologie.whp.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/?p=19915"},"modified":"2024-05-15T15:02:56","modified_gmt":"2024-05-15T13:02:56","slug":"john-1526-27-164b-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/john-1526-27-164b-15\/","title":{"rendered":"John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pentecost B | May 19, 2024 | John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 | Luther H. Thoresen |<\/h3>\n

Note 1: <\/strong>All quotes in the sermon are from the English Standard Version.<\/p>\n

Note 2: <\/strong>This initial paragraphs in italics<\/em> of this sermon might be used as the basis for a Children\u2019s message. If not used that way, one might adapt it as the beginning of the \u201cusual\u201d sermon, or insert part of it later in the sermon\u2026 or later in the service.<\/p>\n

Good morning. If I say, \u201cTake a deep breath,\u201d what do I mean? It\u2019s like \u201cCalm down.\u201d Right? When might it be a good idea to \u201ctake a deep breath\u201d? (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 \u201ctake a deep breath\u201d is when someone is baking bread or cinnamon rolls in the house. (take a deep breath and say, \u201cMmmmm that smells good\u201d) We breathe in deeply to enjoy the aroma! We usually do not think about breathing. We \u201cjust do it,\u201d but sometimes we DO think about it. <\/em><\/p>\n

OR we might say \u201cCatch your breath,\u201d to someone after they run a race. Why? Because sometimes you \u201close your breath.\u201d OR maybe you \u201cget the wind knocked out of you\u201d while playing a game like football. OR if someone has asthma or another breathing issue, they might be \u201cshort on breath.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

OR we may go outside for a \u201cbreath of fresh air.\u201d That\u2019s 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\u2019ll be talking more about the Breath or Spirit of God in today\u2019s sermon.<\/em><\/p>\n

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 <\/em><\/p>\n

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen<\/p>\n

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\u2019s Holy Spirit.1<\/sup><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. One is the \u201cdove.\u201d 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.<\/li>\n
  2. Another is \u201cwater.\u201d 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 \u201cliving water.\u201d 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 \u201cpour out your Holy Spirit so that that those who are washed in this water may be given new life.\u201d<\/li>\n
  3. A third symbol is \u201cfire.\u201d We heard of \u201ctongues as of fire\u201d that rested upon the disciples in the Reading from Acts.<\/li>\n
  4. And finally, for today there is the symbol of \u201cWind\u201d or \u201cBreath.\u201d In the language in which the Older Testament was written, there is ONE word, \u201cRuah,\u201d that may be translated as wind, breath and spirit. Likewise in the language in which the New Testament was written there is ONE word, \u201cpneuma\u201d that is translated as wind, breath or spirit.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Of those four primary symbols for Spirit, today we will focus on \u201cwind\u201d or \u201cbreath.\u201d<\/p>\n

    In both Genesis 1 and 2 the \u201cspirit\u201d has a role. In chapter 1 we hear at the very beginning of God\u2019s creative work \u201cThe 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.\u201d (v 2) So, that is to say that God\u2019s Breath or God\u2019s 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 \u201cbreathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.\u201d (v 7b) Both of these stories in Genesis are central to us. Do you hear about the \u201cWind \u2013 Spirit \u2013 Breath\u201d in those stories?<\/p>\n

    In John\u2019s Gospel, earlier in Chapter 3 we find the encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus. That story is the Gospel reading for next Sunday \u2013 Trinity Sunday. In that story, speaking about being born of water and Spirit, Jesus will say, \u201cThe 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.\u201d (v 8) Later, in John 20 in the reading for the 2nd<\/sup> Sunday of Easter, there is the story of Jesus\u2019 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, \u201cReceive the Holy Spirit\u201d (v 22) Do you hear about the \u201cWind \u2013 Spirit \u2013 Breath\u201d in those stories?<\/p>\n

    Now, with that as background from Genesis and John\u2019s Gospel, we move to the Gospel reading for today in John 15 and 16. Jesus speaks of the \u201cHelper\u201d. The Helper is translated sometimes as \u201cAdvocate\u201d or \u201cComforter;\u201d or just transliterated from the Greek as \u201cParaclete.\u201d In today\u2019s reading Jesus says, \u201cBut 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.\u201d (15:26-27) According to Jesus, the Spirit of Truth will bear witness, testify about Jesus\u2026 and the disciples will also bear witness, testify about Jesus. Jesus also says, \u201cWhen the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.\u201d (16:13a) Jesus says more in today\u2019s reading, but that\u2019s enough to work with today.<\/p>\n

    We hear about the Spirit of Truth, the Breath of Truth, the Wind of Truth. In John\u2019s Gospel the word \u201ctruth\u201d is not a word about objective propositions that are \u201ctrue\u201d. The word \u201ctruth\u201d in Greek is not a word that is contrasted with lies or fiction. It is not a word over against \u201cfalsehood\u201d. Well then, what is it? In English we have words like \u201camoral\u201d which means not moral. The word for truth in Greek is \u201calethia\u201d. \u201cLethia\u201d is hidden or concealed. So \u201calethia\u201d 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 \u201cHide \u2018n Seek\u201d? In that game, all players hide\u2026 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\u2026 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\u2019s face is seen\u2026 the bride\u2019s face is revealed\u2026 the truth is seen.<\/p>\n

    The Spirit of Truth reveals what is. Nearly always in John\u2019s Gospel, Truth is a person. You might remember that we hear in John 8 that, \u201cJesus said to the Jews who had believed him, \u2018If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.\u2019\u201d (v 31, 32) Later in that chapter Jesus says, \u201cif the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.\u201d (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 \u201cIn my Father’s house are many rooms.\u201d (v 2) Remember that reading? A little bit later when a disciple asks \u201cHow can we know the way?\u201d Jesus answers, \u201cI am the way, and the truth, and the life.\u201d (v 6) Jesus himself is the Way. Jesus himself is the Life. Jesus himself is the Truth. I like to say that in John\u2019s Gospel, Truth is a person, and that person is Jesus. So, the Spirit of Truth is the Spirit of Jesus, the Breath of Jesus.<\/p>\n

    Have you ever been in a room, and someone walks in and seems to \u201csuck the air out of the room\u201d? 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 \u201cbreath of fresh air\u201d? 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.<\/p>\n

    I read about an event recounted by Pastor Shannon Johnson Kershner a while ago.2<\/sup> 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 \u201cStewpot\u201d 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<\/sup> \u201cI\u2019m gonna lay down my burdens down by the riverside.\u201d They breathed, they sang. Their timidity faded and smiles grew. \u201cDown by the riverside, down by the riverside.\u201d They breathed and sang. They grew taller, their heads lifted and their bodies swayed. \u201cI\u2019m gonna lay down my burdens, ain\u2019t gonna study war no more.\u201d Pastor Kershner watched and listened and swayed, too. She had a sense of God\u2019s Holy Breath rushing freely. It WAS a breath of fresh air. The Spirit of Truth revealed the dignity of clients and volunteers together.<\/p>\n

    Jesus promised to send the Spirit of Truth, the Breath of Truth\u2026 so that we might bear witness to the truth\u2026 so that we might be guided into truth\u2026 so that we might become a Breath of Fresh Air for others in our local community.<\/p>\n