Rivers of water

At the final service of the Feast of Tabernacles the priests would process to the Pool of Siloam to catch a pitcher of water and then process back to the altar at the temple. The liturgy called for the priest to pour the contents of that pitcher onto the altar. It was a liturgical expression of hope that Messiah would come and pour out living water on God’s people, restoring his prophetic Spirit among them.

As the priest poured the water in solemn ritual Jesus heckled from the crowd, “If anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes on me, out of him will flow rivers of living water.”

I’m sure the priest wasn’t impressed, but Jesus made his point. Jesus would be the one from whom divine waters would flow, and those waters would flow through his people gathered to minister in his name.

Jesus of course spoke of the coming Holy Spirit, who would infuse Christ-followers with prophetic grace to proclaim God’s word and powerful grace to demonstrate it. Believers in Christ would not just be receivers, but conduits.

Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit grace at work. There are different manifestations of God’s Holy Spirit, but the same Spirit who manifests. There are different ministries, but the same Jesus at work through us. There are different works but it is the same God who does the work. The grace is given to profit all. We are are not just receivers, but conduits.

This Pentecost Sunday we are again reminded of the disciples-turned-apostles, speaking effortlessly in foreign languages they had never studied, about the grace of God. After a concentrated time of prayer together they received an outpouring of God’s grace that was too much to contain. They went out into a mid-morning gathering of worshipers to proclaim “the wonderful works of God.”

While most were amazed a few wise guys in the crowd snarked about them being drunk at nine in the morning. Peter identified it as definitely the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, that in fact God was pouring out his Holy Spirit on all flesh. The result would be prophetic words through dreams and visions. God’s people would be more than receivers, they would be conduits.

And so it is with us. Jesus still wants us who make up this embassy of the kingdom to be conduits of his grace to the dark world around us. He wants us to get over our preoccupation with the past, our obsession with our hurts, and our fixation with our preferences. Jesus expects us to rise above ourselves, to take up our cross, and daily follow him to a life given in the pursuit of the kingdom and its righteousness first and foremost.

Peter quoted Joel as saying young men will see visions and old men will dream dreams. I won’t date myself by telling you how it see it, but I will tell you this Pentecost Sunday what I have seen, and the future we must pursue.

I see a congregation of people nurtured by word and sacrament and equipped to do works of ministry. As Wesley felt his heart strangely warmed at Aldersgate, I see small groups of people gathering in fellowship and mutual accountability to encourage each other in their discipleship in an Aldersgate experience. I also see people, as in a foundry, shaped and molded into the image of Christ by training in Bible content and basic skills to be equipped, ready craftsmen of the Gospel.

But we must not only be receivers, but conduits. I see people engaged in productive and effective outreach ministries that evidence the love of Jesus Christ in tangible ways. Jesus said we’d be witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea, in Samaria, and in the uttermost parts of the earth. I see active outreach to neighbors close to home, to people no one loves in places no one else wants to go, and to people and places around the world.

Good news means we have a story to tell, and we have a commission to tell it. I see us living the story in life-changing worship in different formats so many can come here to honor Jesus in a way they fit. One size does not fit all. And I see us unashamedly engaged in powerful witness in the community as we tell the good news in effective ways, inviting people to Jesus so they too can be nurtured in faith, commissioned to serve, and challenged to tell.

I look for God to pour out his Holy Spirit on discouraged hearts, to spring forth new life. The word comes down like rain, Isaiah said, and it does not return empty.

If we go to church this Pentecost Sunday looking to be receivers of blessing we will go home disappointed. Jesus does not send his Holy Spirit so we may have a blessing. But if we go to church this Pentecost Sunday to be empowered by God’s Holy Spirit to live for Jesus we will be blessed. What we receive always must be passed along.

Jesus heckled the priest that September day in the temple, at the conclusion of the Tabernacles liturgy, to say, “If you are thirsty come to me and drink. If you believe on me, as the Scripture says, out of your heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Thirsty?

Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP)

John 7:37-39 (Pentecost A 2014)