5/23/21

The Spirituality of Pentecost

Pastor Noel Anderson, First Presbyterian Church of Upland

So we have looked at twelve kinds of Christian spirituality since Easter—twelve ways that we can grow into Christ and Christ-likeness. With each one, we’ve seen positive and negative aspects. We see the qualities of Christ and of our Christian heroes as well as the tarnishing of every spirituality by pridefulness. The path of faithful spirituality is indeed a  walk along the razor’s edge—a tightrope walk demanding that we keep a careful balance of strengths. But the largest lesson on Christian spirituality comes with Pentecost itself. 

There is only one element that can give each of these spiritualities their full value and without which they are all mere vanity. That is the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Today we look at the difference the Holy Spirit makes, and that Spirit is everything.

Shavuot: Jewish Pentecost

Remember, Pentecost is a Jewish holiday. Pentecost means fifty, and fifty days after Passover is Shavuot. The word “shavuot” means “weeks,” and it is the celebration of the first grain harvest. In the Temple of Jerusalem, the gift of first fruits of the harvest were brought in. Today, Jews celebrate the giving of the Torah—the Law of Moses—and some do all-night readings in celebration. 

The Law is celebrated as God’s gift, even though it is the measure by which God’s people fall short. It is the high bar no human being can clear except Christ alone. The Law steered God’s people forward through history, and though they fell, the Law told them how to stand upright again. 

For Christians, Pentecost marks the first fruits of the Holy Spirit—the first harvest of Christianity. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit which fulfills the words of the prophet Jeremiah: 

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.  —Jeremiah 31: 33-34

Written on our hearts, the knowledge of the Lord—that is the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost, the first fruits of the fulfillment of the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to the Church, and it relegates the Law to the status of babysitter—that which kept us and guided us until Christ should come, send us His Holy Spirit, and dwell among us for our comfort, encouragement, and empowerment. .

The Spiritualities:  Potential Idols

We may think of spirituality as a good thing, but I would rather suggest that it is, to an equal degree, potentially evil.  Every spirituality can be, like the Law, a source of human vanity. 

In Jesus’ ministry, we see him again and again catching friction from the Scribes and Pharisees, who had grown so adept at serving the Law that they failed to serve God who gave them the Law. The Law can become exactly like an idol, taking the service that belongs to God alone. It’s the same way with all the spiritualities. 

Let’s consider each without the Holy Spirit and with. 

Sacramental spirituality

The sacramental spirituality leans upon the rituals established by Christ. The Church preserves them and passes them down from generation to generation regardless of contemporary thoughts and trends. To share in a sacrament is to immerse oneself in an act of remembrance that precedes us and one that will long survive us. The self is lost in the greater whole of the drama, and we become aware that we are the very temporary players in this drama. 

Without the Holy Spirit, we see a very human, cultural preservation society—a group worshiping itself and its own heritage.  That is pretty worthless, spiritually speaking, but with the Holy Spirit, the spirituality of the sacraments becomes our foothold in eternity, for in those sacraments—Baptism and The Lord’s Supper—we commune in spirit and in truth with the eternally living God who feeds us, sustains us, heals us, and prepares us for the gift of eternal life. 

Independent Spirituality

Independent spirituality puts us in the shoes of Martin Luther who said, “Here I stand!”  We trust our conscience to the extent that family, friends, and the riches of the world could not move us or tempt us to sell out. It is conviction that is not in any way associated with “the warmth of the herd” or flock. The independent spirituality reminds us of the prophets who dwelt in the wilderness and remained impervious to peer pressure of any kind. 

Without the Holy Spirit, independent spirituality leads to self-absorption and the dangers of isolation. Without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to distinguish the truth from our cherished delusions. 

With the Holy Spirit, the practitioner of independent spirituality is never alone. Off in the desert, locked in solitary confinement, excluded from society—he or she has the deep comfort of God’s presence. The Holy Spirit is the independent’s conscience and guide, empowering him or her to stand for Christ whatever may come, even without the blessing of fellowship. 

Monastic Spirituality

Monastic spirituality takes to heart Paul’s words to the Romans when he says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2). Monastics seek to imitate Christ by embracing poverty, chastity, and obedience to God in all things. It is an immersive lifestyle—one of work, prayer, worship, silence, and contemplation. 

Without the Holy Spirit, it is just an exercise in self-denial. 

With the Holy Spirit, monastics are indeed transformed, gaining minds that the world will never quite understand. To have a quiet mind is a thing most people in our time can’t imagine, and those who can tend to think it terrifying. But for the monastic, it means peace and a close walk with Christ indeed. 

Charismatic Spirituality

Charismatic spirituality rightly engages the senses and emotions in prayer and worship. Charismatics know how to lay bare the psyche before God, holding nothing back in their approach. And they are so right in doing so—we Presbyterians lag far behind in this matter! Their worship is totally demonstrative—every thought, feeling, and intention comes right to the surface and is presented to God in totality. 

Without the Holy Spirit, charismatic worship becomes mere sensationalism, or shared sentimentalism—not unlike a headbanger, heavy metal concert. Without the Holy Spirit, it’s just folks working themselves into an emotional lather, a vanity. 

But with the Holy Spirit, their every activity is translated into praise and the glorification of God. And as much of themselves as they can bring to the surface and present to God, God touches, heals, transforms, and comforts. We can not heal or change what we do not acknowledge. Reveal little, gain little. Reveal much, benefit much. We all have something to learn from charismatics. 

Mystical Spirituality

Mystical spirituality depends upon extraordinary personal experiences—altered consciousness or altered awareness. The extremely subjective experience of God produces visions and insights, many of which encourage the Church. 

Without the Holy Spirit, these experience are suspect. Brain chemistry gone awry, such experiences are little more than hallucinations that could have been brought on by LSD or psychoactive mushrooms. 

But with the Holy Spirit, these experiences—once shared with the whole community of faith—awaken wonder and new faith. Mystical spirituality can awaken us all into renewed perspectives and transformed minds. 

Puritanical Spirituality

In puritanical spirituality, all the things which separate one from total devotion are removed. The puritans were minimalists, dedicating themselves to the core of Christianity. Their devotion and dedication are unparalleled.

Without the Holy Spirit, puritan spirituality is self-righteousness and spiritual superiority. Like the Pharisees, they are the “holy ones” quietly self-congratulating as they condemn the sins of the world. 

With the Holy Spirit, puritans can be a powerful witness to the world of changed lives. Such puritan spirituality speaks a loud witness to a world caught up in stuff, things, and social media follows. We could use more puritans today.

Eastern Spirituality

The eastern spirituality similarly shuns the ways of the world to find enlightenment and peace within. Meditation and the cessation of desire are its central practices. 

Without the Holy Spirit, it is as best a kind of self-absorption and at worst a form of egocide—the union of the self with nothingness and death. But with the Holy Spirit, eastern practices offer Christians powerful ways to pray. Inner peace, healing, and heartfelt gratitude can replace the anxieties of this world. 

Activistic Spirituality

The activistic spirituality is out there, making a real-world difference in the political and economic realms. Community organizing, public protests, marches on Washington, social movements—all serve as ways to serve The Lord and his world. 

Without the Holy Spirit, it is all vanity—parades of self-empowerment and collective selfishness. Just a group version of dog-eat-dog king of the hill. But with the Holy Spirit, activism presents a powerful witness to the world that God is caring and active within and among His people for the good of the world. 

Humanistic Spirituality

Humanistic spirituality celebrates the goodness of God’s creation of humankind. People are awesome, and there are no limits to what they can achieve when they are positive-minded and put their heads together to make things happen. Science, medicine, space travel—all point to an enormously untapped human potential. 

Without the Holy Spirit, humanistic spirituality thinks itself to be God and we have the Tower of Babel—endless ambition leading to chaos and confusion. But with the Holy Spirit, we have a mission and in loving cooperation stretch ourselves to do things previously undreamed of and never thought possible. All glory goes to God, but we are fueled to attempt great things and risk much for the gospel. 

Evangelical Spirituality

Evangelical spirituality is that collective drive to bring the good news of Jesus to every nation, tribe, and people group. It is activistic, missional, and devoted to the proclamation of Christ. But without the Holy Spirit, evangelicalism becomes another prideful endeavor, focused more upon the self-gratifications of accomplishment than the glory of God.  Sadly, that happens a lot—the world is seen as a pool of hell-bent sinners waiting to be saved by. . . us!  

With the Holy Spirit, people truly come to know the grace of Christ and many will follow Him in spirit and truth. 

Academic Spirituality

The academic spirituality is central to disciple-making. We all receive instruction, nourishment, and nurture from studying Scripture. We gain insights and wisdom as we do so. But without the Holy Spirit, it is a process of one-ups-manship and arrogance—establishing superiority and knowing-it-all.  Knowledge, by itself, puffs up. But with the Holy Spirit, love and devotion to God undergird our learning, so that we move toward greater wisdom, and we experience study—and teaching—as a deep joy. 

Pietistic Spirituality

Pietistic spirituality seeks utter devotion to God, giving ourselves—our hearts, mind, and souls—in totality to the Lord. There is nothing the pietist wants to keep to him or herself. It is all about God and all about the goodness of God. 

But without the Holy Spirit, it is vanity. Piety becomes the new rule—the new Law—and pietists part of a club whose code they are most dedicated to enforce. 

With the Holy Spirit, pietistic spirituality knows that all good is a matter of God’s grace alone, and pietists rest in the joy of God’s perfect love and providence. Only by the Holy Spirit can we love God. And with the Holy Spirit we can and do. 

The Spirituality of Pentecost

The gift of the Holy Spirit is the great center—the source that gives all spiritualities their authenticity and power. With the Holy Spirit, all spiritual disciplines and styles have strength and value. Without the Holy Spirit, they are all vanities—pointless observances devoid of direction and value. 

We at First Pres are utterly dependent upon the Holy Spirit to make good of anything we would attempt.  Any spirituality, any thought, study, activity, or mission—all depend on the Holy Spirit’s initiative and encouragement. 

Without the Holy Spirit, this is all a total waste of time and effort, but with the Holy Spirit, we live the abundant life to God’s glory. 

Pentecost is God’s gift to the Church and to you and me individually. Because of that Spirit, our entire life can be transformed into worship. I’ve named twelve spiritualities, but there may be twelve-thousand! We can practice our spirituality and know the presence of God in every moment of every day. There is nothing that is outside of spirituality because our relationship with God is constant! 

As we move forward into the new, post-covid climate of 2021 and beyond, let us be thoroughly, deeply mindful that the Holy Spirit is with us and among us, ready to transform any moment of the day into an experience of God’s power and presence. 

†

Following  Up:

1. How is it that service to The Law can become like idolatry? 
2. How can spirituality in general turn into a kind of idolatry? 
3. Review each of the 12 spiritualities. Consider for yourself: 
4. 
   
   1. Which come naturally to you?
   2. Which are most unlike you? 
   3. Which are most familiar—most common among most Christians you know? 
   4. Which seem the strangest? 
   5. Do some seem to be more risky or potentially dangerous? 
   6. Which have you never considered as spirituality—or at least not as “Christian”? 
   7. Are there any among these that piques new interest for you 
5. Consider “stretching yourself” and developing one or more of the spiritualities for which you have your “lowest score.” If you are in a group, name your challenge and keep each other accountable for exploring what is new. 
6. What is the one factor that separates all spirituality from vanity and idolatry? 
7. Consider how other Christians may have other basic spiritualities than you, and how that knowledge can become a strategy for your relationships.
8. What are ways we can affirm others with very different spiritualities than the ones we prefer? 
9. How many different spiritualities is it possible to live-out in a single day? 

Humanistic/Evangelical

Pastor Noel Anderson, First Presbyterian Church of Upland 5/9/21

Humanistic Spirituality

There is the humanism of the renaissance and the humanism of our time—from the 18th century forward—and the two should not be confused. The first was a re-embracing of classical literature and philosophy, the latter a result of science and modern philosophies. We’ve become familiar with the term “secular humanism,” which is the result of humanism once it disregards God entirely, but our interest is in Christian humanism, which is a Christian spirituality grounded in Scripture and the life of Christ. 

In a nutshell, humanism holds that “Man is the measure of all things.” The good of humankind is the sole barometer of our morality, faith, and practice. Ethics or theology which do not result in worldly good are seen as completely irrelevant. 

In theological circles, the buzz-phrase has become “human flourishing.” Human flourishing becomes the chief factor by which the church and its theologies judged. If something seems good in promoting human flourishing, it is a good thing. If it bears no weight in the human sphere, it is irrelevant—even bad. 

We see the humanistic spirituality in Christ as well. When the great multitude gathered on the grass by the lake [Matthew 14], the Disciples worried for their worldly care. “Send the crowds away so they can find some food.” But Jesus says, “YOU feed them.” Though they were poorly resourced, Jesus took what they had and miraculously fed the multitude. At one level, this is Jesus caring for the simplest of human needs—their hunger. He also heals the sick, casts out demons, and in other ways sets aright many of the worldly manifestations of inequality, inequity, decay, and death—all results of human sinfulness.

Humanistic spirituality maintains a laser beam, horizontal focus on the world. It tends to rely on the goodness of the image of God found in every person. Yes, we’ve sullied it, but it remains there waiting for good people to awaken it, encourage it, and groom it into full flourishing. 

It believes in collective good. If people will set aside their differences and look to the concerns of all instead of self alone, then there is no end to what we may accomplish. 

The song “Imagine” by John Lennon provides a poetic description of this vision. “I hope some day you’ll join us and the world can live as one.” Christian humanism graciously looks the other way over the “above us only sky” lines, though it expresses their value regarding human flourishing.  

The goal is peace, a good and Godly aim. 

You and I practice humanistic spirituality whenever we: 

1. help others to pursue their full potential. Humanism believes in that inherent goodness God has created us to pursue. 

2. coach, counsel, parent, and teach. I’ve had strict coaches in the past. I feared them, but they knew my potential better than I did. They pushed, challenged, and prodded me—which I hated—but did so in order that I may overcome personal limitations. For their work, I became a better basketball player, a more diligent student, and a more confident man. I remain deeply grateful to them all. 

3. practice activism. Here humanistic and activistic spirituality overlap. In becoming active—even politically active—we seek justice, peace, and equity for all people in a way that can bear fruit and diminish human suffering. Despite the excesses of many kinds of activism—only too much in evidence today—there is at the core of any activist the desire to help improve someone else’s station in life or to otherwise enhance human flourishing. We may disagree on the means and methods of affecting such change, but Christians should all be in agreement that human suffering merits a helpful response from the church.  

Where Humanistic Spirituality Goes Wrong

Humanism goes wrong precisely to the degree humankind is elevated to the place of God and God’s being and relevance is commensurately minimized. What happens to our ideas about God when humankind and its needs are placed at the center of the universe? It’s obvious: God becomes less than God—a distant observer or an otherwise irrelevant aspect of human thought and behavior. 

The problem with humanism in general is that it fails to provide anything greater than humanity itself. Faith and belief are only relevant to the degree they assist the first cause of human flourishing. 

Some years ago at a World Council of Churches meeting, a banner hung across the back of the stage: 

“GOD IS OTHER PEOPLE.”

 It is Matthew 25—“what you do for the least of these you’ve done for me”—on steroids. God’s spirit is imminently present within every person, so our service to Christ depends upon our service to humankind, right? What is “faith” but doing what is good for other people?  So say some. 

The failure of humanism—and the humanistic spirituality—is found as far back as Genesis 11 in the Tower of Babel story. The seeds of humanism flourished among those who decided it was time for humankind to build its way into the place of divinity. 

“Come, let us make a name for ourselves,” they said, implying that they, too, could—with all their collective virtue—share a place with the gods in heaven. The ultimate end of this ambition was—and is—utter chaos. 

Evangelicals / Evangelicalism

The word evangelical has become so problematic that in 2008, a group of Evangelical theologians produced a document called “An Evangelical Manifesto.” The purpose of this document was to address the less-than-well-informed media, which had collectively besmirched the term through increasing misuse. There are still many wrong ideas about evangelicals. 

The word means “good news.” The original use of the word “evangelist” had nothing to do with Christianity. It was a Roman term. The role of an evangelist was to travel town to town in the ancient empire and announce the good news of one-Caesar-or-another’s military victories. This was news in antiquity. Yes, we Christianized it, so the word evangelist rightly refers to one who travels town to town announcing the good news of Christ’s utter triumph over sin, death, and Hell. 

Since the Reformation, the world evangelical has served as the preferred synonym for “Protestant,” as the word protestant was originally derogatory—used by the Roman Catholic writers against the Reformers. Early Protestants never called themselves Protestants; they called themselves Evangelicals. 

In truth, evangelicalism is diverse and broad. There is no particular political allegiance rightly associated with the word. We can say that it is every bit as diverse as the word Protestant.  

What Evangelicals hold in common includes their reliance on the authority of Scripture, and their close alliance with the Great Commission—to make Disciples of all nations. Evangelicals take the Great Commission most seriously. 

Evangelical Spirituality

Evangelical spirituality, while sharing a great deal of horizontal focus with Humanistic Spirituality, operates with different values and ends.

Unlike the humanists, who say man is the measure of all things, Evangelicals hold that God is the measure of all things. God is above all, over all, and even Lord of those who deny Him. As ChristianHumanists have said, “God is other people,” Evangelicals add an all-important comma to the phrase: 

“GOD IS OTHER, PEOPLE.”

For Evangelicals, human flourishing is not the most relevant measure, but rather God’s glory.  The glorification of God is infinitely more important than human flourishing. In a choice between God being glorified and humankind being happy, God’s glory comes first. 

If God’s glory were served by the end of all life on Earth, then that would be the higher good. Should God’s glory be served by there being no cosmos instead of one, then that is the higher good. We can be thankful that God is indeed glorified in human flourishing, but it isn’t necessarily so. When humanity lives in peace and wholeness, The Lord is glorified because we approximate his will and design. 

Assisting human flourishing is a worthy piece of our witness. It is part of seeking justice and faithful stewardship of God’s creation, but to be clear,  human flourishing is no end in and of itself. 

The humanist side of evangelicalism is outreach. The Evangelical’s chief concern for humankind is in the knowledge that every human being is more than a mere animal, but rather a soul on a trajectory either toward or away from God. Once this biological life is ended, the soul remains accountable to God. Evangelicals are concerned for more than a person’s temporary well-being; Evangelicals put first priority on each person’s eternal destiny. That is human flourishing indeed.

At its best, Evangelical Spirituality remains intent upon the mission of  the Church as given by Christ. We glorify God when we obey his commands: to love God, love neighbor, and make disciples of every people group in the world. 

Where Evangelical Spirituality Goes Wrong

Evangelical Spirituality can go wrong in several ways. It can become an exclusive club, a collection of insiders celebrating their own, Evangelical identity. This is self-serving and is reflected when their collective interests become ingrown, “about us Evangelicals” in spirit. 

When Evangelicalism focuses on its “ism” rather than its charge to serve, it abandons its charge to serve and can become a community in worship of itself, just as with any common religion or identity movement. 

It also goes off when it becomes privatized—when being an Evangelical is something that lives only between one’s own ears. God has created this world as the theater for our spiritual development. We are meant to engage the world, not to climb into a bubble and avoid it. 

You and I practice Evangelical Spirituality whenever we: 

1. serve Christ’s glory, will, and purposes. To love and value God above all else—the world and collective humankind—is the earmark of evangelicalism. 

2. pursue mission, evangelism, education, and nurture. Like the humanists, Evangelicals devote themselves to the encouragement of all that they may develop their God-given gifts and share in the ongoing mission of Christ. The goal is growth, both internal growth and depth of the faith as well as growth in fellowship through outreach. 

3. serve God’s will, not human comforts. Human flourishing is the cart to be kept well-behind the horse. We are not here for our own gain and comfort, but as servants of God tending to his creation. 

As we read in our text from Ephesians: 

10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Christlikeness is Our Calling

We see Christlikeness in both Humanistic and Evangelical spiritualities. There are areas they overlap, areas they differ, and areas where they mutually exclude one another. 

It is right and good that we should acknowledge the best in every form of spirituality, find a way to embrace it and grow into it, and by doing so grow a little more into the image and likeness of our Lord and Savior Jesus. That is our mission statement here at First Pres. We are growing in Christ—that is, growing into Christ—and making him known.  †

Following  Up:

1. What are the core values of Humanistic Spirituality? What are the signs of success? 
2. Where does Christian Humanism depart from worldly humanism?
3. How do we see the humanistic spirituality exemplified by Christ? Where do we hear him charge us to such spirituality? 
4. How and where does humanism go wrong?
5. Consider sharing personally how you might challenge yourself and grow in your humanistic spirituality.
6. What has gone wrong with the word evangelical? How is it rightly understood? 
7. What is the foundation for Evangelical outreach? Why do we do it? 
8. How do the ideas about God differ between these two spiritualities? 
9. Where is the common ground between them?
10. Where does evangelicalism go wrong? 
11. What is the danger of any group celebrating its own identity?
12. Consider sharing personally how you might challenge yourself and grow in your Evangelical spirituality.