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Eight years ago on Pentecost Sunday
I stood in this pulpit as a stranger to you and preached my first sermon called
“Winds of the Spirit”. I was nervous. I saw the faces of many people I didn’t
know. It’s hard to preach to people you don’t know! It’s hard to
find words to offer meaning in the lives of persons you’ve yet to become
acquainted with. In that first sermon I told you that I believed the winds of
God’s spirit brought me here for a reason. Today I believe that with everything
that is within me.
In eight years we’ve become good
friends, many of us. We have become a sort of family to one another. We’ve
walked through the valleys and hilltops together. We’ve laughed. We’ve cried.
We’ve celebrated! We’ve made difficult decisions. We’ve looked
into the future together and made some wonderful plans for the future
ministry of God’s church here in Burnet. And today, the winds of God’s Holy
Spirit are blowing me from this place, to another place of
service. So I find myself again
on Pentecost, standing before you to proclaim a time of endings and also
new beginnings.
That’s what Pentecost was,
after all. A new beginning. The
birth of the Christian church. A time when the winds of God’s spirit
blew through Jerusalem with
such great force, it could not be contained. That’s what verse 4 tells
us, “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.” That
mighty wind couldn’t help but change the people living there. It opened
the tongues of all those speaking in different languages so that they could be
understood by all! Can you imagine the excitement that must have
flowed through the streets of Jerusalem that
day? And the confusion?
Today there are many emotions here.
Some are sad. Some might be glad! Some of you are worried
about what the future might hold, but I distinctly remember that look of
worry on your face eight years ago as you received me as your first
female pastor! J Look how God has blessed us, in spite
of our worry and nervousness! This morning the winds of change are blowing
through another congregation that will soon be new to me. Next Sunday morning I will be, once again,
nervous as I stand in a pulpit that’s foreign to me and stare out into
many new faces as I did here eight years ago. In many ways, there will be new
beginnings in Methodist congregations all over the annual conference
next Sunday morning.
This morning in the midst of all the
conflicting emotions, we as a church family grieve the loss of
our dear Diane. And at the same time we will celebrate the sacrament of
baptism. What a blessing! What a blessing to be able to stand together
and speak those words of affirmation for Mallory Claire Hughes, “we will surround this child
with a community of love and forgiveness, that she may grow in her trust of God
and be found faithful in her service to others.” This baptism is a reminder for us that even in
the midst of change, God’s abiding love never
changes. God is always with us in times of grief, of change
and times of blessing like we will celebrate in a few moments. Through
this sacrament this morning, we are reminded that no matter what occurs to us
in this life, God is the constant. It is God who provides
continuity in itinerant ministry. Always.
Friends, on this Pentecost Sunday,
let’s remember that just as God was present in that first celebration in Jerusalem thousands
of years ago, he is powerfully present with us every day of our
lives. It is God who provides the stability we need in our lives. At
times we celebrate new births and new beginnings, but if we think we
have any control in the big picture of life, let’s remember today that
we do not! And that’s not a bad thing! We are not riding in an
airplane that has no pilot. Our scripture lesson reminds us this morning in
verses 9-11 that people from all over the land had gathered on that Pentecost
Sunday. In Acts 1:8 Luke says, “you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.” Friends, we are called to be witnesses all over the land….in
Burnet, in Marble Falls, in
Rockport and every place in between. And as United Methodists, we take that
calling quite seriously. And so I go. And so Thom comes. And through the presence of those same winds
that brought me here eight years ago, the ministry of this church not only continues,
it will grow and flourish and blossom! Because God is the
continuity, you will continue to work and touch the lives of countless persons
in our community and in our world. You have touched me in such a way that your
love will go on through me, wherever I go. And that is just one
of the many ways you fulfill your Gospel calling.
My
friends, as I prepare to leave this week, let me thank you for your
abiding love. Let me ask for forgiveness for any shortcomings or oversights
I have made in my care of you. Let me thank you for your prayers that
have sustained me and helped me grow as a pastor. And let me encourage
you to “keep
on keepin’ on”! My friends,
the winds of the Holy Spirit are blowing through this place again today
and you have been given the spark of renewal that those persons
in Jerusalem
experienced on that first Pentecost. They were given a responsibility. You too,
have been given a responsibility. You are to take this spark of God’s love and
spread the fire of the Gospel! What an exciting task! What an amazing
calling! And it’s been given to you!
Where will you allow the winds of God’s spirit to send you? Where
will you allow those winds to blow you in new ministry to the
people of Burnet? As I close this message this morning, let me do so in much
the same way we began this journey together: with the reading of words
from scripture. Hear these words from 2 Timothy 1:
“I am grateful to God….when I
remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling
your tears, I long to see you that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded
of your sincere faith…. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of
God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give
us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self
discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord….but
relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace”.
Thanks be
to God for our time of shared ministry and for the goodness of God today and
every day! Amen!
Blessings,
Ellen
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