Pentecost Year A, Acts 2:1-2 – The Breath of God

2014.06.08 Pentecost Year A
Acts 2:1-2

Today is a big day in terms of church Calendar; the culmination of many months of telling Story of God. We’ve walked thru Advent, waiting for God to show up, longing, crying out in the darkness. We’ve walked through Christmas—incarnation—and the life, teaching, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Today we celebrate a new era in the life of people of God: the birth of the Church, & the good news of the power of Holy Spirit.

John’s gospel has Jesus appearing to his disciples in the upper room saying, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21-22). And it is this breathing out that I want us to think about together today.

Have you ever heard of a guy named Stig Severinsen? He’s a Danish man who holds the world’s record for longest time holding his breath. Did you ever play that game at the pool when you were a kid, to see who can hold their breath the longest? And one kid would always cheat? I was the kid who cheated. Well Stig takes that game to extreme levels. Just take a guess at how long this guy can hold his breath. The answer is 22 minutes.

He has this whole method that he uses, (his bio says he has a PhD in medicine). He breathes pure oxygen for ten minutes, cleansing his body of all carbon dioxide and super-oxygenating his blood. Then he jumps into freezing water, 30° F, which restricts blood-flow so that it serves only the brain & vital organs. Then he’s perfected these relaxation techniques through which he has learned to lower his heart rate. The combination lets him hold his breath for over 20 min. Because of this he also holds World Record for the deepest free dive, longest underwater swim & longest under ice swim all while holding breath.

A whole sporting community has grown up around the idea of holding your breath under water & they take some criticism for it. There are many deaths—usually in free diving (its to do w/pressure). But the long term effect of all this holding your breath isn’t good. Most of these guys have abnormal brain scans. They know it’s causing brain damage they just don’t know how much. One guy lost his sense of taste, never came back. That would have been a deal killer for me. I need to taste my food. They have other interesting symptoms. You just know the long term effects can’t be good, because you have to breathe to live.

Ancient people used to hold a feather to mouth of their dead, just to make sure they were really dead, because you have to breathe to live.

If you don’t breathe for 2 minutes most of us will pass-out. Within 4-5 minutes we will have lasting brain damage. Anything over 6 minutes is considered brain death. You have to breath to live.

When they were babies I used to go into my kids’ rooms & watch them breathe. You know with an infant it takes such effort. They use their whole bodies to breathe. I used to stand there and pray: “Lord keep them breathing. I don’t know what you’ve got going on w/this whole situation. But it looks dangerously precarious to me, so just do whatever you do to keep it going.”

Babies take between 40-60 breaths per minute. 6 -10 year olds take 20-25 breaths per minute. Teenagers take around 15-20 per min. Adults around 12-20

Let’s try it. For 30 seconds I want you to sit quietly and count your own breaths. Nobody make a sound as quietly as you can, just count. Okay, now double it… Anybody fewer than 5 breaths? More than 10? 20?

The average person takes 28,880 breaths a day. That’s 10.5 million breaths in a year. If you are 35 years old that makes 360 million breaths; if you are 45 years old that’s 475 million. The average lifespan in the U.S is 80 years. That’s 850 million breaths in the average lifetime. If you live that long, somewhere around age 95 you will pass 1 billion breaths.

Yet, how often do you actually think about your breathing? You don’t tell yourself to breath? What about when you’re sleeping? What happens if you forget? Nothing, right? Your body knows it needs to breathe.

It’s interesting to me that in Hebrew the word for “breath” is the same word that they use for “Spirit.” In Hebrew it is ruach. In Greek it is pneuma. In Latin it is spiritus. In all three languages the same word for breath is used for spirit. You’ve heard spiritus sanctus—Holy Spirit—it also means holy breath. The base word spir in Latin, has made its way into English as well. To conspire means literally to breath together. Inspiring means life-breathing.

The breath of God is one of the 1st things mentioned in scripture. “Now the earth was formless & empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, 7 the Breath of God (ruach) hovered over the face of the waters.” (Gen. 1:2). It comes into play again in the next chapter: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; & man became a living being.” (Gen. 2:7).

The difference between you & me, and the dust of the earth is that we have been filled, somehow, with the breath of God. This is what makes us human. When the breath stops, we stop, and we return to dust.

Back in elementary school you probably learned that our planet is wrapped in a protective veil that we call atmosphere. And it’s incredibly thin – only about 60 miles thick. If the earth were the size of a basketball, and you would shrink wrap it, the atmosphere would be about the thickness of the atmosphere. And it is held in place only by gravity. That’s it. Gravity. This is the only thing that stands between us and the cold vacuum of space and it’s held there by gravity. Are we sure this is enough? I need a membrane or something. Underneath this protective veil (Barbara Brown Taylor says) is all the air that ever was.

Perhaps this is why the Hebrew people felt an innate connection between their sense of communal identity & the breath of God. It was breath of God that drew them together as a people. And it was the breath of God alone could sustain them.

Ezekiel the prophet was trying to warn his people they’d strayed from YHWH, he had a vision of a valley full of dry bones. God told him to speak to the bones & command them to rise. They rose up and flesh appeared on them, but there was a problem:

“I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.” – Ezekiel 37:8-10

Ezekiel was telling his people that w/out the breath of God, they were like zombies—the undead—they had no life, no vitality. Only the breath of God could make those dead bones come to life. Even in the Old Testament this concept was alive in their midst: it was the Spirit of God that made all the difference.

When God’s breath filled the lungs of a community, they became alive in a whole new way. After the flood, it was the breath of God that passed over the earth & made the waters recede. It was the breath of God that blew & parted the Red Sea. It was the breath of God would be upon the anointed one, the Messiah, according to Isaiah.

Last week we talked about Acts 1 and the problem facing the disciples after Jesus ascended to the father. He had always been their source of inspiration. There’s that word again, inspiring… life-breathing to them. How would they continue on after he was gone?

And the way Luke (who also wrote Acts), even the way he tells the story of the crucifixion paints the story in terms of breath. “Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit [pneuma].’ When he had said this, he breathed his last.” (Luke. 23:46).

Luke tells us in Acts 1 that when he died Jesus had about 120 followers; & they all gathered together to simply wait on something to happen. They didn’t even really know what it was. They had to be a sorry looking bunch you know? Forlorn and hoping against hope for something to happen… & yet, by days end, that little band of 120 people became over 3,000. And the shy had become bold. And Aramaic speakers spoke unknown languages. And lost people found a sense of direction. And the followers of Jesus discovered the breath of God in a new way.

And these disciples—who couldn’t find a coherent sentence w/both hands before this day—when they opened their mouths, inexplicably, they began to sound like Jesus. When they touched people, it was like when Jesus touched them. Before this day, the disciples couldn’t tie their sandals without Jesus. But all of the sudden they could do amazing thing. How could this be? What had happened?

Well, what happened, we believe, is that they had been breathed upon by the breath of God. Barbara Brown Taylor says it this way, “There was no explanation for it, except that they had dared to inhale on the day of Pentecost.” I love the way that focuses attention on the activity of God here. This is God’s doing… all we need to do is take a breath. And not just a breath, but a breath on Pentecost. I want to read most of Acts chapter 02. This story is our story, the story of the church and how the church began.

1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, [feminine form of pneuma/breath/spirit] and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 12All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, 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. 18Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 20The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. 21Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ And then Peter begins to preach.

22“You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— 23this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power… [jump] 32This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear… [jump] 36Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit… [jump]

42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Isn’t this an amazing story? The breath of God fills disciples & Peter preaches. The breath of God comes over the people and the church explodes.

The people were there for what is called the Festival of Weeks – one of 3 major Jewish festivals for which they were required to go to Jerusalem.

One important part of the Festival of weeks was when they brought the first sheaves of barley to the temple as an offering. Many believe that this initial growth of 3,000 people on the day of Pentecost is meant to be understood as being like: The first sheaves of the church being brought to the temple. Kind of a cool way to think of it…

The other meaning of the festival of weeks was commemorating the giving of the law in Sinai & the covenant between YHWH & Israel. Many think that just as God established his people in Sinai with the giving of the covenant. Here God establishes his people anew, only it’s all nations now.

There are other similarities: In Sinai when they worship the golden calf, 3k are cut down. Here when Peter preaches 3k were cut to the heart. In Sinai when elders go up on mountain God appears in cloud. Here when Jesus ascends (Acts 1) he goes up into a cloud. But the big one I think is this idea that Sinai created a new people, known as Israel. Pentecost called Israel out to begin to follow their Messiah, and the world’s true Lord. Those people came to be known as the church. This happened through the unleashing of and incredible power that shows up in the story, often, as the breath of God or spirit of God.

Breath of heaven calling forth a new people in Exodus.
Breath of heaven calling forth a new Exodus in the church.

So God starts a whole new chapter in the story of God that day, & he does so by breathing into their lungs the ruach YHWH, the pneuma, the Holy Spirit, and this breath constituted them as a new community. And in this new community everyone has access to God (each nation heard the gospel in their own tongue). And God has new access to them (God is not stuck behind the curtain in the temple, but is on the loose in the world).

This was a brand new movement w/in the life of Israel & this is the movement of which we are all a part. This is our story & our beginning. And really this is the story God has always been telling.

At Mt. Sinai, the people were given the 10 commandments. Anybody remember 1st commandment? You shall have no other Gods. How about the 2nd command? Don’t make idols. And the 3rd? Don’t take the name of the Lord in vain. Now, I grew up, thinking that the 3rd commandment meant don’t use the name of God in a certain arrangement of curse words. That’s what I was taught. The Jewish people, however, thought you shouldn’t even say the name of God.

In Jewish thought a name isn’t just an arbitrary group of sounds. A name conveys the nature & essence of the thing being named. In English we still do this: when we say a family has “a good name.” We don’t mean like the way their name looks on paper, or sounds when spoke. We mean their name stands for virtue or character. The Hebrew concept of a name is very similar to these ideas. Naming something coveys it’s essence. And who is worthy to convey the essence of God, right? So just don’t say it. You can’t handle the name. You’ll misuse it. You don’t know how to say the Lord’s name rightly. So just don’t say it at all.

So they needed something called a circumlocution. Say that with me “Circumlocution.” It feels good coming off the tongue doesn’t it? Circum = around; locution = speak; it’s a way of speaking around the word. If I say it’s a furry long-eared mammal with a taste for carrots you know it is a? If I say king of the jungle you know I mean? How about if I say, “he who shall not be named,” that would be? That’s circumlocution.

The Jews came up with circumlocutions for talking about God: They’d say Lord, or master of the universe, or “the name.” Jacob called God “the fear.” If you read the OT in the original Hebrew, they never use the proper name for God, only use the Lord. Now, here’s where it gets really interesting…

The Ancient Hebrew language is complicated. It was written from right to left. It didn’t have any vowels, only consonants. What it meant to be educated, at least in part, was to know which vowels to put where. There are 4 consonants in the proper name for God in the Hebrew language (YHWH). When they are correctly pronounced, they are the only Hebrew consonants that don’t allow you to close your lips or use your tongue.

When these consonants are correctly pronounced, they are not a pronouncing at all. They are a breathing; an attempt to imitate and replicate inhalation and exhalation. Say this with me, but only in a whisper: Yah… Now say weh… Say it again: Yah-weh. Now say Yah, but say it as you inhale, and weh as you exhale.

This is what the rabbis taught. This is the kind of thing that Jesus would have learned as a little boy. All your life you’ll try to learn how to use name of God rightly. Try to be found worthy to utter the unutterable name. Everyone had different opinions on what makes us worthy or unworthy. Everyone had different ideas on how to say it rightly. They fought over it, killed over it, divided over it. Some were driven mad, some have worn themselves out trying to make themselves worthy to speak the name.

What they didn’t know was that: The very 1st word you ever spoke was the name of God… at your first breath. And the very last word you’ll ever speak will be the name of God… on your death bed. Is that not mind-blowing? And the name of God conveys the essence of God. And the name of God is breath… Yah-weh. Without breath there is no life.

The gospel teaches us that to be alive is to be filled with the breath of God; to be filled with the breath of God is to speak the name of God. It’s just so beautiful. God is that accessible to us, that available to us… the name of God is in every breath you take. It’s literally breathable. Every day, moment, name of God is moving in & out of us. If we will only stop and notics… Your body knows who made it and what it was meant for. Sometimes we think loving God is about making your body do stuff you want it to do. I think loving God is about letting your body do stuff it was designed to do by God; every breath you take calls out the name of its creator…28,000 times a day, 10.5 million times a year, every day of your life.

We’ve come to use this image to describe what we think God is doing with us at Redemption Church. The church is like a pair of lungs. God breathes us into God’s lungs each week as we gather. Fortifies us, cleanses us, strengthen & shapes us. Then God breathes us out each week into the world, carrying God’s presence with us fortifying, strengthening, cleansing, and shaping the world around us.

The church is this group of people or organize their common life together @ the story of God, and around this weekly rhythm of being breathed in together week after week, allowing God’s love & presence to define us so completely that we actually begin to breath life back to God (we call that worship), and breath life out into the world (we call that mission). That’s who we are.

For our closing prayer, we are take a few moments and sit here quietly and breathe… Knowing that every breath is breathing the name of God.