Sermon Notes Sunday June 4, 2006

Movement of the Spirit: Acts 2:1-21

Our United Methodist Symbol is a flame next to a cross. This symbol represents the Holy Spirit moving the church forward. This symbol was created when the United Brethren Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church became the singular “United Methodist Church.” With this union there was much hope for ecumenical relationships and the movement of the Holy Spirit brining the church together in unity.

Those dreams of unity have long disappeared as differences within the church regarding doctrinal standards, the place of “experience” in theology and disagreements about our social principles threaten to create the “Untied” Methodist Church.

Church history is filled with movements of unity becoming fractured. Our reading today describes the very movement of the Holy Spirit as the people began speaking and understanding a variety of languages. The first movement of the Holy Spirit was a movement toward diversity. Within a period of two hundred years there were many church communities spread to the edges of the Roman empire. Each of these early Christian communities began incorporating their understanding of the Jesus story into their culture and society and there was a diversity of Christian schools of thought.

When Christianity became a legal religion in the Roman Empire in 313 Constantine began to align the power of Rome with the power the Church. The council of Nicaea in 325 was brought together in order to create some order within the faith. At stake was the accepted understanding of the nature of Jesus Christ and the relationship of Jesus to “the Father.” The “Nicaean Creed” was created from the decisions of this council. Groups such as the Arians and the Gnostics were deemed Heretics by the majority.

In the 11th century the church split over a debate of what is called the “Filioque clause.” The phrase literally means “and the son” The great debate was whether the Holy Spirit comes directly from “the Father” and/or from “the Son.” The Eastern Church rejected the clause as an addition to the original creed and the Western Church was increasingly accepting it. The result was a church split that was as much about language, culture and politics as it was about theology.

This wouldn’t be the last church split. On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther posted 95 theses (arguments) primarily aimed at the practice of the selling of indulgences. Indulgences were papers of forgiveness sold by the church. It was a great little fundraiser. With the new invention of the printing press Luther’s arguments spread rapidly and soon a separatist church movement was born.

Not all church splits were differences of theology. Henry the VIII divorced himself from the Roman church when Pope Clement VII refused to annul Henry’s marriage with Catherine of Aragorn. Henry simply took matters into his own hands and Parliament created the Church of England.

Methodism was born not out of a theological controversy but with the movement of the Holy Spirit in the life of John Wesley. John’s desire was to strengthen the faith within the Church of England. He despaired at those who would attend church for the appearance of faith. He was moved to help the poor and saw that it was the churches work to care for the poor and oppressed. It was his deep desire that the people of America could receive the sacraments that moved him to ordain preachers to send to America and effectively split himself from the Church of England.

The history of the church is a history of diversity and the movement of the Holy Spirit bringing unity and moving people to the needs of others, sometimes at the expense of church unity. There are some who are anxious about the future of the United Methodist Church as we continue to debate with one another about theology and society. Yet there are also movements of unity. The Methodist of the UK and the Church of England are talking about unification. The Church of England and Roman Catholic Church are strengthening their ties. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches are talking with one another in an increasingly friendly manner.

How do we become open to the movement of the Holy Spirit? We begin by being continually willing to grow as individuals and as a community. We must be willing to change and to be changed.

This Pentecost can be an anniversary date for you to reflect on and to look forward with. First: In what ways have you noticed the movement of the Holy Spirit in your life this past year?

Secondly: What changes do you feel the Holy Spirit calling you to consider in this next year? (more devotional time, giving up a bad habit, closer relationships?)

Third: How are you going to allow the Holy Spirit to move you and strengthen you in the next year. What are you going to do today, what are you going to do on Monday that begin the process?