The Church Police
The first reading that we heard this morning is one of the few passages from the Book of Numbers which appears in our Lectionary, and it is a favorite of mine. It makes a rather strong point about spiritual democracy, the movement from spiritual power held by an elect few, a religious caste, to being granted to all the people. The sentiment that Bible knowledge, prayer, spiritual insight is mostly given to pastors and religious professionals is still widespread. And while I don’t shy away from that kind of responsibility, I say with Moses, “I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets (and pastors) and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!”
And I am in luck. In this congregation many people have heard and heeded the spirit’s stirring in their hearts. Whether it is the passionate shepherding of people toward providing hospitality for homeless families by Brian and Robin, the steadfast leadership and scholarship that Rob Strauss provides for our Bible Study group, the proclamation of green theology by Charlene Bance and her friends, the gathering of men by Bernie Heinze, the women’s spiritual sharing circle led by Sherri, the involvement in our synod by Tina Marie and Maureen… and on it goes. And I tell you what… It could be even more people. I wish that all of God’s people found their vocation in this big thing called church and ministry.
Yes, the Feast of Pentecost is about spiritual democracy. On that day, as the story from the Book of Acts tells us, not only the apostles felt the spirit’s power, but pilgrims from various regions and nationalities gathering in Jerusalem. They were compelled to speak as the spirit gave them words, to listen as the spirit gave them ears. The late German theologian and activist Dorothee Soelle wrote a book about mystics and mysticism in which she emphasized that mystical experiences are not just for saints and especially gifted people but can be experienced by absolutely everyone. Go out in nature, contemplate in the presence of flowers and trees. Open the Bible and meditate on a passage. Breathe deeply and feel the flow of God’s spirit. The opportunities are as simple as they are endless. There is no reason to keep the spirit locked up in some church and away from people.
What has hurt us in the church in the past is the police. No offense, I don’t mean the cops who try hard to keep our communities safe. I mean the church police. You can see it in the reading from the Book of Numbers. People are calling the police and say to Moses, “These two guys, Eldad and Medad, are totally out of line. They are prophesying, taking over your place and authority. Where will this lead if everybody does that?” And Moses coolely responds, and I imagine he had learned this over many years, years in which he may have felt the burden of lonesome leadership, “Don’t worry about me. My ego isn’t offended. I wish that everybody was moved by the Spirit of God.”
In the contemporary church, the police also show up sometimes, the church police. Imagine this… Whenever I invited Pastor Sandra Ellis-Kilian to lead services at St. Peter’s, I had to get a special permission for her to administer Holy Communion. To be honest, I’m a bit embarrassed to share this with you. She has been an ordained pastor for decades, serving in our synod for many years, but happens to be a southern Baptist, the daughter of a pastor, not wanting to leave her own church roots behind. And the Lutheran church police says, “We are not in full communion with that church body. You can preach but you can’t just administer the sacrament.” And they told me, “If you want Pastor Sandra to give communion at St. Peter’s, you need to write a letter to get special dispensation for her.” In all respect, how ridiculous is that? Pastor Sandra is a seasoned pastor and brings a wealth of experience. But churches are sometimes like that, more focused on rules and turf than on mission and life.
Granted, I probably err on the other side of the spectrum. I tend to be too loose with rules. But even Jesus said at one point when his disciples acted as the church police and complained that there were other people using his good name, healing in his name, “whoever is not against us is for us.” Such generosity of spirit! Traditional churches have often succumbed to their own worst fears that things might get out of hand and as a result suppressed a lot of good opportunities. Where has Pentecost been?
There is no church police here in this place, or very little thereof, just as much as absolutely needed. Instead, we invite you to listen to the spirit of God and to learn the spirit’s language of love, hospitality, generosity, courage, self-denial, humility, hope. We open our hearts to receive more of that life energy, which is never ours to own, but ours to share, which is never ours to deny but ours to encourage. Pentecost ultimately refreshes our memory about one basic fact: we are not in control, but God is. Go in peace and share the spirit!
Amen.
