Pentecost
Author: Pastor Carolyn Hetrick
May 24, 2026
Growing up in
Pittsburgh, one of my favorite places was the University’s Nationality Rooms.
Each room was designed to reflect one of the ethnic communities who helped to
build Pittsburgh. 31 rooms commemorate these cultural heritages. The first 19
were completed between 1938 and 1957. The other twelve have been built
since 1987. An important principle for each room is that the design must pre-date
the signing of the American Constitution and the founding of the University of
Pittsburgh in 1787 to promote the depiction of deeply rooted and lasting
elements. Somehow, amid distinctiveness, what we build together can express a
unity of purpose that does not ask us to be uniform. Over the years many
wonderful things were built though not without flaws along the way, one being
that despite the long legacy of African descent peoples, the African Heritage
room was not added until 1989.
I chuckle to
remember my great grandfather, Emil, who came here in the late 1800’s as a
German Lutheran, but who was sure the Lutheran church in his neighborhood
wasn’t doing church right. When people ask me where I am from it’s hard to
answer because I lived in the Midwest, the South and Mid Atlantic before I was
12. And I bet if we did a survey of everyone who is here today, we’d realize
almost immediately that there are a lot of differences- where we come from,
what we look like, what our ancestry is, what languages we know, who we cheer
for, who we vote for, what we think about social media... We are a room full of
divided loyalties and what we think is right. I bet some are even uncomfortable
with me saying this because it sounds like conflict. Amid all our
distinctiveness and even at times divisions of the heart, somehow, we are gathered
by the Spirit here.
If you’re
used to hearing the Pentecost reading from Acts, you may have noticed that the
lector did not read all the different types of people that heard the disciples
that day. That was on purpose not just to spare the lector but to allow us to
focus upon the real big picture here. That somehow no matter what nationality
or language, or what religion or culture you claimed; no matter whether you
supported Jesus or not, everyone had a moment of unity that amazed and
astounded them. Everyone was able to hear the message of God’s power and love
made known in Jesus even if what happened next varied.
Those
disciples were not all the same either. Just because they were all Galileans did not make them identical either
in their gifts or their shortcomings, yet the Spirit used them to embody Jesus’
earlier words that they would do even greater things than him. God called and
empowered them for bigger dreams, visions and hopes. The Spirit began to reveal
a new community of love and grace and mercy. The rest of the New Testament
shows many times when people will not agree with what the Spirit is up to. So,
it is a powerful Spirit indeed that answers Jesus’ prayer to cause his
followers all to be one as he and the Father are one as often as we do. Only
love can do this.
It can be
easy to dismiss or even demonize love in action, just like people on that first
Pentecost do- “they must be drunk.” As overwhelming as that brief visual and
auditory experience that one day must have been, the truth is that love in
action often seems less believable than the usual noise and movement of our
world. That was true then and it is true now. Our world is so incredibly loud, divided
and fractured and so dominated by the overused phrase that something is “like
you’ve never seen before.” It all can leave us overstimulated or numb.
The Spirit
across time and here today is still empowering us to share God’s message even
though there continue to be different ways we do so. On a church level, many of
us don’t even know what to make of this Spirit. Mysterious, uncertain and
elusive come to mind. Many European
Lutherans say they never really learned a lot about the Holy Spirit at all or
were raised to be a little skittish. And if the only story is this day of fire
and wind and strange voices on Pentecost, I get it. Scripture is full of so
many more stories and so are our lives.
How it all
holds together seems like a mystery. But Martin Luther said it this way in his
explanation of the third article of the Apostle’s Creed: “I believe I cannot by
my own understanding or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to
him. Instead, the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightening me
with gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as the Holy Spirit
calls, gathers, enlightens and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth
and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common true faith. Daily in THIS
Christian church the Holy Spirit abundantly forgives all sins, mine and others,
and will raise me and others and give eternal life.” Who we are today is in
some ways the same and in other ways is ever moving, but thankfully God is not
done with us or this world. In my
experience, there have been so many times I called someone, and it was just the
moment needed. I thought about someone and it turned out that was the exact
time to pray. I noticed someone and they asked, “how did you know to do that?”
There have been times when someone somehow was that person for me. There have
been times when impossible paths are made. Times reconciliation occurred when history
seemed unchangeable. A persistent small voice that told me I was called to be a
pastor. It took years to be fulfilled,
but here I am even though more than one person thought leaving a law practice
in my 40’s was just a midlife crisis. That is not just luck, or happenstance.
The Holy Spirit has been so very active in my life though I absolutely do not
get the message sometimes.
And here at
Grace, among our many ministries, one visitation of the Spirit is through our Anti-Hunger
team food ministry. It started with a phone call for a one-time request to use
our parking lot. So many lives are being touched by God’s love, not only the
people who receive groceries. There have been changes in numbers and
circumstances, weather and worries and changes in our biases about who needs
food. I can assure you that all the people who pack and distribute and deliver
our food and the people who receive it are not from the same places. They don’t
look the same; they differ in who they cheer for, vote for, believe in and
follow, but are prayed for and fed in body, mind and spirit. Our people know
how to check in on certain situations and look out for cars with kids and dogs
and special needs. It is simultaneously purposeful and chaotic but always there
is so much love. And the only reason why this manifestation of love not only exists
but thrives is the power of the Holy Spirit making a little Pentecost twice a
month. But just like that first Pentecost, it is not about us- it is about the
Holy Spirit moving through us for God’s purposes, the ones we see and the ones
we have yet to comprehend. Our calling is to be open to encountering this
Spirit in ourselves, and in others and believe God is still bringing this
powerful love into the world. To skip the noise and listen to the Spirit. We
give thanks for what we have seen and yet pray: Come Holy Spirit, enter our
hearts. Continue to kindle in us the fire of your love. Amen.
Copyright Rev. Carolyn K. Hetrick, 2026 All rights
reserved. May not be reproduced in whole or in part without written
permission.
Sermon Text: First Reading: Acts 2:1-21
1 When the day of Pentecost
had come, [the apostles] were all together in one place. 2 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. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a
tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave
them ability.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven
living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the
crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the
native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished,
they asked, “Are not all these who are
speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we
hear, each of us, in our own native language? —in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and
addressed them, “Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be
known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not
drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was
spoken through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days it will be, God
declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit,
and they shall prophesy.
Gospel: John 20:19-23
19 When it was evening on
that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the
disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send
you.” 22 When he had said this, he
breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of
any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
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