Sermon in English

A few hours after Johns Hopkins University recorded the 100,000th death from the COVID-19 pandemic here in the Unites State, former Vice President Joe Biden released a solemn speech, saying: "My fellow Americans, there are moments in our history so grim, so heart-rending, that they are forever fixed in each of our hearts as shared grief. Today is one of those moments. One-hundred thousand lives have been lost to this virus here in the United States alone. Each one leaving behind a family that will never again be whole.�

"I know there's nothing I, or anyone else, can say or do to dull the sharpness of the pain you feel right now, but I can promise you from experience," Biden said, "the day will come when the memory of your loved one will being a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eyes. May this time come sooner rather than later�. So much as it relates to us today.

The disciples had been through the excruciating torture and death of their beloved leader. He was dead. All their hopes and dreams were crushed. They felt some hope and excitement when he appeared to them and his resurrection became a real experience for them. But then, he disappeared for good. No appearances, no sharing of walks, or meals or gatherings. The day Jesus ascended into Heaven was a sad day. A day of lament, of worry, filled with feelings of abandonment and dread. What would the future hold? Without Jesus, surely, they would be in danger. Who could ever replace him? They cried again.

Surely no smile was on their faces when they gathered on Pentecost morning behind closed doors. Yes, Jesus had appeared, was resurrected, but now he was finally gone‌ He reappearance had made it even more challenging to accept the finality of him not being among them in flesh and blood. They could no longer touch him, hug him, see in his eyes, or listen to his voice. There was nothing anyone could say or do to dull the sharpness of the pain they felt right then.

And then: A tornado like storm. Flames of inspiration. And suddenly: Men and Women filled with a flaming energy. Word turbulences that are amazingly being understood by all. Then a fiery sermon. Sparks

that jump over and deeply impress and ignite the hearts of those who are listening.

And then 3000 people who suddenly believe in this Jesus and who want to follow him and ask to be baptized. The Pentecost dream of every pastor and every congregation becomes a reality.

The birthday of the church, a birth experience while pushing through pain. Unexpected and with much energy. The sad and paralyzed disciples are becoming excited, filled with the Spirit. And then there was Euphoria, Enthusiasm, a Spectacle and even an extreme situation.

The Holy Spirit that was pure energy. Back then during the first Pentecost experience.

And how is this today with this experience of the Holy Spirit?

II. »I have surely doubted my faith, a woman says, especially in my twenties, but then sometime in my thirties I have found my way back: „Do it like Jesus, become human“, this sentence has built an important bridge for me. Jesus is for me until today an great role model. Not in the sense of narrow moralistic ways, but because he has shown what is really important in life: That we recognize our own talents and develop them, that we allow for our weaknesses, admit mistakes and forgive. That we look for community with others and together create a society that is as fair as possible. Especially as a teenager I had the feeling: You can never do this! Surely then I felt I wanted to give up. Luckily I belonged to an ecumenical youth group.

There we talked about our ideas and also talked about the possibility of not being successful. This is where I learned a second important lesson for my life: Jesus forgives you when you fall short. You are always being given another chance.

This is how the experience of the Spirit sounds and looks like from the mouth of an active Christian woman.

III. »My faith gives me a feeling of home“ another woman shares. Often growing up I would enter the cool building of a church after playing in the hot summer sun. I still like to do that today. It is as if one touches another dimension. I don’t even have to pray, just sit there and be.

During puberty I developed my doubts about church. My emotional closeness returned during the time when my first child died. Jason had an aneurism in his brain and only lived for one week. A young chaplain was the first who came to my side. He was unsure and seemed overwhelmed with the situation, but he was there, sat beside me and prayed for me. I was touched by his courage. How he felt apparently called and responsible to be with somebody who had just experienced something horrible. When you lose a child you don’t want to talk right away about feelings. You just need to endure them. That is why I did not need the Psychologist of the clinic, but the spiritual care person. My soul just needed to be prayed for. Today I am volunteering with the child and youth hospice movement of the Malteser. This is how I feel closest to what I understand as Christianity. For the real task of the church is to be there for people and to serve them.”

Would these words convince us and inspire us when it comes to the Christian faith?

IV. »I have not been doing well these past weeks“ a man shares during a devotional time. A few things did not go well in my life as I had hoped. I became anxious and worried all the time. So I sat down and prayed: „God help me“. That felt good. I have had the experience over and over again that prayer and faith are helping me. At certain junctures of my life when I was looking for direction, I have prayed.

And then it felt like a miracle but somehow a person would come into my life who would help me with that decision making. I always had and still have the feeling that God’s Spirit sent me this particular person because I prayed and asked for help.”

This thing with God’s Spirit – how would you tell other people about it?

IV. »The mission of Jesus needs the inspired, the Spirit is looking for them also among us“, this was a typical new church song in the 70s I grew up with. Pentecost is a good opportunity to ask ourselves: Is my faith still burning? Is there still a spark that lights my heart?

During Pentecost our own aliveness and the aliveness of our faith becomes a theme. For as the church father Augustine says: „Whatever

you want to light in another person first needs to burn within yourself.”

V. „Oh well“, we might sigh today as we celebrate Pentecost „how lovely such a Pentecost miracle would be among us“. Especially now in this particular year with all those restrictions because of the the Corona pandemic. How wonderful it would be if the video services would stream into people’s houses. How great if all Facebook posts and newsletters would be read by people. How nice if the Church Kaffeeklatsch would be visited by many, even if the restrictions of Covid 19 separate us. We would call each other and would make sure we have the contact information of people who belonged to us before.

Even though we have to keep social distance we would connect through prayer not only with our loved ones but also to Christians around the world. Our children and confirmands would also not be just forgotten. They would check in on Sundays and feel: This speaks to me too. And the children’s parents would support the kids being part of stories and prayer and singing, as those are important for children during these troubling times. And as long as the church could not meet yet, people would open up their bibles at home. Because they wanted to read for themselves how the story of the Holy Spirit continued. “Oh Well, how wonderful would be such a Pentecost experience also among us.”

Dear friends, I cannot make a smile appear on your lips, as so many sad things are happening in our days.

But I am smiling today, for I am experiencing the Holy Spirit right here in our church community. Many of those wishes have become a reality in these past weeks: This congregation is being carried by you, by you who do not want that our community will die or go under during these difficult times. I sense an excitement, and an energy that emerges even in the face of the unknown during these Corona months. Church members call each other, they pray for each other and make sure contact information is being updated. Others are singing together after a long time once again new and old songs. Some are sitting for hours at a time at their computers to put together the worship videos. Some who are inspired are donating money, other are giving their time. One

is carefully keeping up the financial books of the church. The ten council members desire to see each other more often and are now meeting twice a month instead of once a month as usual. And then there is this connecting energy that flows. And that also during the Kaffeeklatsches, even across the ocean.

Dear friends, Pentecost is not a day. Pentecost is an experience that we as congregation are currently going through. Pentecost is the experience of God’s energy that is flowing in and among us. The Spirit of God us that keeps this church community alive, gives it new life and works as loving and connecting energy among us.

And therefore, I wish all of us as church community and as followers of Jesus a conscious and happy experience of Pentecost in the midst of all uncertainties, in the midst of all sadness and all the changes that are happening. Happy Pentecost! Amen