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