Dear St. Paul’s Family,
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability .… All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’
Step aside, Avengers. Take note, Jerry Bruckheimer and J. J. Abrams. The story of Pentecost has more special effects packed into three verses than any other story in the Bible. First, there is the sound. Not just a wind, and not just a strong wind, but a rushing, violent wind. Luke would want you to feel the brisk, gale force power of the Spirit’s arrival on the earth, as if you were right there.And then, feel the heat. Not just a fire, but “divided tongues…resting on each of them.” This was no slow-burning smolder, but an instantaneous blaze, engulfing every spectator present. Not even Industrial Light and Magic could manufacture a fire this big, this hot, this suddenly.
And finally, there were the voices. A crowd of people began speaking in strange languages, the cumulative drone likely so loud and lively that the sum effect was sheer, unbridled energy.
If there was a biblical Academy Awards category for best audio and visual effects in a Scripture story, Acts 2:1-11 would win hands down, each and every year.
BOOM! GOES THE SPIRIT
At my previous church, I served as an associate pastor whose responsibilities included the planning and implementation of creative ideas for weekly worship. I led a fabulously talented team of musicians, graphic designers, video producers, and dramatic artists whose task every week was to make the scripture passage come to life in a meaningful way each Sunday.
Pentecost Sunday, as you might imagine, was always our high holy day for creative worship.
One year, we staged a dramatic reading of the Pentecost story by four individuals who read the passage in their own native language: French, German, Spanish, and Chinese. Another year, our excellent video producer created a “soundtrack” for Pentecost, immersing the sanctuary in the sounds of wind, fire, and language.
But not all our ideas were home runs.
In 2003, our Creativity Team wanted the congregation to have a full, multi-sensory experience of Pentecost. We wanted them to feel that rushing, violent wind. We wanted them to see those “tongues of flame” descend on people. We wanted to give everyone a taste of the energized chaos of that powerful day.
So, of course, it involved confetti cannons.
We contacted one of the local event staging companies and asked to rent a few of their high-powered, turbo-charged blowers. We mounted them atop the video and audio booths, at the rear of the worship space, high above the heads of the congregation. Surely, we thought, they would create the wind effects we were looking for.
And what would we shoot out of those confetti cannons? Why, rose petals, of course!
One of our team discovered the ancient liturgical practice of using rose petals on Pentecost. Many basilicas in Europe have a circular opening called an oculus the top of the dome, and volunteers use that hole to drop huge quantities of rose petals onto the congregation, a stunning visual symbol of the Spirit’s fiery descent on the people. It is a practice that is still performed today in many basilicas throughout Europe. But our worship center had no such opening through the roof. So the confetti cannons would have to do.
We purchased several bags of fake rose petals, scrunched them into the cannon bays, and awaited the signal. Then, when it came time to debut what we thought would be a groundbreaking liturgical contribution in the rich annals of corporate worship, we flipped the switch.
The best way to describe what happened next would be to take liberties with the Pentecost narrative:
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like a throttled porcupine tossed into the turbines of a giant lawn mower, and its violent sound filled the entire worship center where they were sitting. Divided rose petals, gashed to shreds, launched into the air, dropping onto the disciples like bleeding beetles cast to their doom. All of the people started shrieking, or howling, in laughter or in fear, as the Spirit gave them ability. All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Ah, good times.
THE PENTECOST STORY, IN AND THROUGH US
I’m pretty sure that this Sunday, when we gather in the Community Center to celebrate yet another Pentecost, we won’t be shooting flowers out of air cannons. But I do know that we’ll be invited to enliven and embody this story in the way we think, act, and work together in community. We would do well to remember this stirring challenge by John Wesley, who called Christians to new obedience to God and openness to the Holy Spirit:
The cause of this [apparent decline in the vitality of the church] was not, as has been supposed, because there was no more occasion for the [gifts of the Holy Spirit], or because all the world was become Christian. This is a miserable mistake; the real cause was, the love of many, almost of all Christians, so called, was waxed cold. The Christians had no more of the Spirit of Christ than the other Heathens. The Son of Man, when he came to examine his Church, could hardly "find faith upon earth." This was the real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the Christian Church -- because the Christians were turned Heathens again, and had only a dead form left. (from the sermon, The More Excellent Way)
This, brothers and sisters, is why the Pentecost story is so important for the church to hear today. Not just for the razzle and dazzle of its visuals, or because it is the clichéd “birthday of the church.” We hear this story in order to make it real once again, in and through our lives. To remind us that our greatest purpose on earth is to serve as both the receptacle and conduit of the Holy Spirit’s work throughout the world. And to make sure that the practice of our faith is alive, and not a “dead form left.”
So join us this Sunday, in celebration of the triune God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and for the sake of the world.
Happy Pentecost!
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org
WEAR RED NEXT SUNDAY
In observance of Pentecost this Sunday, we invite you to wear the color red, a symbol of the fire of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost day.
FIRE RECOVERY UPDATE
Sanctuary: Painting has been completed, and the scaffolding has been removed. Carey’s Electronics has begun reinstalling the cameras and projectors, having completely cleaned out the equipment of soot. We are awaiting carpet samples from the company in South Sioux City that installed the prior carpet, as it has since been discontinued. Pew cushions will be removed shortly so that they can be replaced. The Sunday school closet behind the narthex has been cleaned out to make room for a new food preparation area that will serve after church coffee when we return to the sanctuary. Electrical service has been installed, and Grundman Hicks will be installing the countertop, sink, and cabinetry.
Kitchen and Dining Hall: ServiceMaster did another ozone treatment on the areas to remove odors, and the painters subsequently sprayed Killz on all the surfaces to permanently seal out any remaining odors. The architect and mechanical engineers spent a good part of the day last Thursday doing additional survey work.
Lower Level Basement: To accommodate this year’s Vacation Bible School, in light of our recent fire, our insurance company has authorized additional funds for the updating of our lower level basement. Grundman Hicks will put in a new (working!) exit door into the back alley, as well as putting in a new countertop and cabinetry. The new kitchenette will have a double sink, a full-sized residential refrigerator/freezer, and microwave oven, for use for snacks for VBS as well as groups who use the room. Rod Brown is painting the walls of the basement, and tomorrow, Robinson’s Furniture and Flooring will be delivering some new temporary carpeting.
To view past editions of the Mid-Week Message, visit http://mdevega.blogspot.com
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