Power of Life
By The Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling
May 27, 2012
Text: John 15:26-27, 16:4-15
Like many of you, who I'm sure could repeat this story in different ways, I have a friend who is a technophile. He is a techno-geek in the truest sense of the word. Every time some new technology comes out he's the first in line to buy it. If he has it, he likes to show it off and tell you how it works. He's always on the cutting edge, he always has the latest thing and he knows how to work it better than those who created it in the first place, or so he thinks. Not so long ago he invited me to have a look at his new iPad 2. This was a great excitement, “You've really got to see this, Andrew. It's going to transform my life.” I was hoping that would happen.
He was intent on showing all the different apps that were on it. He was shaking with excitement. Finally he came to the app that he wanted me to see. And, by the way, if you want to download this app it's really cool. It's the National Geographic app. It has one section in it that deals with wild animals in the jungle. I thought this was ideal for Confirmation Sunday.
It was very exciting. Then suddenly there was a beep, and a warning light in the corner that he just ignored it. He says, “Oh, these have batteries, Andrew, that go on and on forever. Don't worry about it. It's all new technology, so different than the stuff that you use.” And then there was another beep, and then another beep, and then it all went black. And we sat there with nothing.
Finally, he reached into his case, he got a plug, but where we were there were no outlets. For the next ten minutes the he tried to describe an app that he couldn't show me on a thing that had lost its power. It was the most boring description of wild animals in Africa you have ever heard in your life. He says, “You know, next time we come together I'll show it to you.”
I said, “Yeah, whatever.” Like this is going to happen again. It was amazing how he had this incredible thing but he didn't have it powered up and ready to go. When the power left it just seemed so unimportant - a dark flat screen.
When Jesus got his disciples together, not long before the days when he would be put on trial, sentenced and executed, he told them that there would come a day when he would not be there but that he would send a comforter, a gift, a power, the Holy Spirit. He said, “This Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will receive power.” In different places and in different gospels he said the same thing. Jesus knew that in his earthly absence there was a need for the power of God to descend upon his disciples and to do two things. The first of which was to let them know and teach them about God's will and purpose. He knew that the disciples needed the power of the Spirit if they were going to be prophetic, if they were going to make a change in the world, if they were going to bear witness, they needed the power.
I was reading a story in a missionary journal about a very famous missionary called Herbert Jackson. Jackson worked in Africa for many years and, as with all missionaries, you move into the home that is there you. When you take over you take over the home, the car, everything. Well, he was very happy to take over this mission, but he found the car a little problematic. You see, the only way he could get this car to start was if he parked it on the top of a hill and had people push it down.
Jackson managed to get some children from the school to push it down a hill to get it started. He then made his visits and left the car running, before coming back every night and parking it at the top of a hill. At the end of two years he'd been able to keep that car running by making sure that it was always at the top of the hill to get it started.
Well, finally, his furlough came to an end and another missionary arrived. When he was moving out he gave instructions to the new missionary. He said, “We've got a lovely home here, everything's prepared for you. By the way, we have a car that will only [laughter] start from the top of a hill.”
The new missionary said, “Oh, that's very interesting, got inside the hood, played around with a few wires, and started it up.” Evidently, one wire was loose, and it only took a minute to twist it and reconnect it. For two years he could have driven perfectly normally, but he didn't have the power connected in the right place.
For the disciples, after the death and the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus there was a sense in which they were powerless. They could either keep on doing things the same way that they'd always done, or they could be open to the power of this Holy Spirit to move them and to encourage them. I think that that is true in every single generation. Without the power of the Holy Spirit everything that we say, everything that we do simply does not have an impact in power. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you then you have this connection, not only with Jesus but with God the Father. There is a moment in the Confirmation service when we lay our hands on those who are being newly confirmed and we say the following: “Confirm, oh, Lord, this, your servant, by the power of the Holy Spirit that he/she may be thine forever.” We ask for the presence of the Spirit. We invoke the power of the Spirit, because the Spirit is needed.
The second thing the disciples needed the Spirit for was courage, courage to live the Christian life, courage to follow Christ, courage to bear witness. Many of them faced insurmountable opposition, terrible problems, both within the church and within society as a whole and they needed the power of the Spirit to keep them going and to encourage them.
Now, there might be times in your walk with God that you feel the same need for the refreshing and renewing power of the Holy Spirit. Ask for the Spirit's power. Wait on the Spirit's power. Seek the gifts of the Spirit's power. Do not feel that in this walk with God in following Christ you are alone. You're not alone physically because the power of the Spirit is poured out on the whole of the church. That is why we're a community and not just a series of individual mystics. We're a community of believers. But as a community of believers, prayerfully, we need to seek the Spirit's will and power. We need to be reminded that there is something greater than ourselves.
I love a book that was written by Rabbi Harold Kushner some years ago, entitled Why We Need God. He said:
Have you ever noticed what people are like when they go to the zoo? When they see the deer there's a few people lining up at the fence. When they see the sheep and the goats there's a few people there, too. When they see the monkeys running around that's all very good, and entertaining, and exciting and people like that as well. But, one thing I noticed at the New York Zoo is that most of the people are lining up to see the big animals. They line up for the tigers, and the lions, and the elephants, the big guys. “Why is this I wonder? Because, I think human beings need to remind themselves that there are creatures that are bigger than they are.” That is why we're fascinated by whales, and the bigger the shark the more terrifying, and the bigger the lion the more fascinating. As human beings, there's a sense in which we like to know there's something bigger out there.
He goes on to say, “That is the same attitude that we have towards God, the need to know that there is something greater than ourselves.” I believe that the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, working in our lives, reminds us of that truth. When we get all off kilter and distracted by problems, when we get down about things happening in our lives that don't work out, when we're upset about injustices in the world, it's at these moments that we need to stop and humbly say to the Holy Spirit, “Come. Renew, empower, embolden me, then I may be at peace with you and walk in this world as Christ did, through the power of the Holy Spirit.” May that be our prayer this morning. Amen.