Pentecost Sunday

June 8, 2003

"Pente-what?"  A High School Dialogue Sermon

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

(A small group of football players stand on a field, apparently after practice.  Could be cheerleaders/soccer players/ etc.)

1        Great practice!

2        Yeah—I think we’ll be ready for our first game—with a few more day’s practice.

5    Yeah—with a few more day’s practice.  We need every practice, though.

2     Well, there’s my mom—guess I’d better go.

4     See you at school tomorrow!

5     Don’t forget our next practice is Sunday morning!

2        I  haven’t forgotten—but I won’t be there.

1        What?  You won’t be at Sunday practice?

4     Jason—we need every practice.  We only have 2 weeks till our first game!

1        And every one of us is important.

3     Jason, we need you to be there Sunday.

2        Sorry.  I’m not going to be at practice.

5        Well, why not?

2     Sunday is when my family goes to church.  And this Sunday is Pentecost.

4     Pente-what?

2        This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday—and I want to go to church.

1        I  never even heard of Pentecost.

3     So your parents are making you go to church?  Don’t they understand how important this practice is?

4     And we only have 2 weeks till our first game!

2        Oh, they know…and I know.  And I know how important football is to us.  But you know what—church is important, too.  It’s important to ME.

1        Your parents say you HAVE to go to church this Sunday?

2     No.  Actually, they said I could make my own decision.

5     And you’re choosing church?

2 Yes, I’m choosing church.

3 I guess I don’t understand.

1     Jason, you're letting us down.

2     Am I?  I’ve been at all the other practices.  I’ll be at every game, as long as it’s not on Sunday.

6     But you’re letting us down by not being at THIS practice!

2     If I choose football practice, I’ll be letting God down—and my congregation.  As a Christian, I’ve made a commitment to them, too.  And I’m sorry to say, but if I have to choose between God and football—I’ll always choose God!

4    Man, you must belong to some kind of weird, strict church.  Are you some kind of religious fanatic?

2     Well, I'm Lutheran.

5     Lutheran?!  I thought Lutherans were normal!

3     I thought Lutherans let you do whatever you want!

2     Lutherans do…and I want to go church on Pentecost Sunday.  Is that so hard for you guys to understand?

1     What's so special about Pentecost Sunday, anyway?

2     Well, it's one of the three great festivals of the church year.

4     I thought the most important days were Easter, Mother's Day, and Super Bowl Sunday!

2     In the church, it's Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.

5     What is Pentecost?

2     After Easter, Jesus lived in His resurrection body on the earth, until He ascended into heaven.  Before He ascended, He told His disciples that they would not be alone;  that He would send the Holy Spirit--the Advocate--the Spirit of Truth.  Pentecost is the Sunday when the Spirit came to the Church.

3     Hmmm--the Holy Spirit.  In my church, we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--but we don't talk much about the Spirit.  I never knew about the Holy Spirit coming because Jesus was leaving.  That's--well, that's cool…that Jesus didn't want to leave us alone, so He sent the Holy Spirit.

6     I never heard that there was a Holy Spirit.  We don't go to church--but, I always thought we were Christians.

2     Well, to become a Christian, you are baptized by the water and the Holy Spirit--the same Holy Spirit that Jesus sent at Pentecost.

3    And what's the Holy Spirit supposed to do?

2     First, the Spirit makes Jesus present everywhere, until the close of the age.  But Jesus also talks about the Spirit as an advocate, a comforter, the Spirit of truth, to guide us into all the truth.  To be an advocate means the Spirit advocates for us--he's on our side.  As a comforter, the Spirit helps us in our weakness--supporting us and praying for us and connecting us with the Father.  As the Spirit of Truth, he teaches us the truth about Jesus and His death and resurrection--and about sin and righteousness and judgement.

4     Wow--you're like an encyclopedia of Christian teaching.

2     Well, Pastor Dave was a great catechism teacher--and I'm the assisting minister this Sunday, so I've been reading the scripture lessons, and thinking about the meaning of Pentecost. 

1     I wish I knew more about my faith.

2     A lot of what I know, I learned from going to church and hearing the Bible and sermons that are based on the Bible!  If I miss church, I know I'm missing something important.

5     I never really pay attention at church.  Our pastor's B-O-R-I-N-G!

2     Pastor Dave is too, sometimes.  But church is kind of like school--or football practice.  You get out of it what you put into it.  I really have to work to pay attention, some Sundays.  But if I work at it, I always hear the Word of God.  But--you do have to work at it.  We refer to worship as LITURGY--which means, "the work of the people". 

6     I never thought of it that way.

1     I  really admire your faith.  Where did you get such a strong faith?

2     You know, it's not really me--it's the Holy Spirit, working through the Word of God and the Sacraments--all of it together created my faith, and strengthens my faith and helps me to be faithful.

5     You talk like the Holy Spirit is someone real, someone right beside you.  But isn't the Spirit--well, a spirit?  Like, a ghost, or an apparition?  How do you even know there is a Holy Spirit--when it's a spirit?

2     The Bible talks about the Spirit as being like the wind.  You can't see the wind, but you know there is wind because you see it's effects.  You see the trees move, the dust blow,  a sailboat pushed across a lake.  We see the effects and know it's the wind.  Same with the Holy Spirit.  I know there's a Spirit because I see how the Spirit has been working in the Church from Pentecost on.  And I see the Spirit at work in my church--and in my life.  From my baptism on, the Spirit has been shaping me and guiding me in life.  At my Confirmation, the pastor prayed especially that the Holy Spirit would continue working in my life--and I can tell you, the Spirit guides me into the truth.  In all the hard decisions of my life, I pray that the Spirit would guide me--and He does.

4     I could use help making decisions--I haven't been doing so well lately.  Maybe I'll pray for the Holy Spirit to guide me into the truth. 

2     Maybe you should!

1     Maybe we all should.

3     Maybe we should all--go to church with Jason this Sunday.

4     Why couldn't we have practice after church?  So we can all celebrate Pentecost!

5     Let's ask coach--and tell her how important Pentecost is!

6     Let's go--and, thanks, Jason, for choosing church--and telling us about Pentecost!