“A Leap of Faith” - Pentecost Sunday; based on Acts 2:1-21 (reading at end)

Once upon a time, there was a pond next to a flowing river. The pond was full of little fish, who spent their days swimming round and round and round. One morning, on the edge of the pond, there was a huge splash. A rainbow colored, sparkling fish had just jumped into the pond. “Where did you come from?” exclaims a startled pond fish. The sparkling fish smiles brightly and replies, “Well, I come from the sea!” The pond fish looks puzzled and says, “What is the Sea?” The sparkling fish tells her, “Why, the sea is what fish are made for! It’s nothing like this tiny pond. You don’t have swim in circles all day. You can dance with the tides!”

Then a pale gray pond-fish asks, “But, how do we get to the sea?” The sparkling fish replies: “It's easy! You jump from this little pond into that river. Then the current will carry you to the sea.” The gray fish’s eyes open wide with fear, “But that river is too deep and strong! We don't know where it goes. It's much too risky!"

The sparkling fish tells him, “But you don't understand—I've been there! The Sea is far more wonderful than you can imagine. It’s worth the risk. You just have to have faith and jump! The river will take you to the sea. I’ll show you. Who wants to come with me?"

At first no one moves. Then two brave little fish swim to the side of the Sparkling Fish. Together they leap into the river, and the current sweeps them away to the Sea.
This fish story is, of course, a parable for anyone who’s afraid of change. Like some of us who today may be facing a difficult life situation. Or churches that resist trying something new—who follow the cardinal rule for congregations: “But that’s the way we’ve always done it!”

But I think this fish tale is the perfect story for Pentecost. Just like the fish in that little pond, the disciples in today’s first lesson are called to experience something new. Something never done before. Without knowing what would happen next, they gather together in prayer and anxiety. When suddenly, a fierce wind blows through the windows, and flames appear over their heads. Spontaneously, everyone starts speaking strange languages. A cacophony of weird sounds. The people around them think they’re drunk. In reality, it’s the Holy Spirit, making them act crazy.

We Christians call Pentecost the birthday of the Church. But in many congregations, it’s a pretty dull party. Most of us Lutherans would never do what those early believers did. At least not in public. But maybe that’s what has brought us to where we are today. The age of a dying Church. Where soon there may be more Americans who openly claim no Church affiliation than those who sit in pews on Sunday mornings. Which tells us something needs to change. I believe living out the Gospel means daring to make decisions, even when we fear the consequences.

Hudson Taylor, a British missionary, once said: “Unless our Christian life is lived with elements of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith.” The early Christians in the Book of Acts faced persecution and imprisonment, even death. Pentecost is a symbol of that kind of faith. A faith so desperately needed today.

Several years ago, some researchers conducted a study of 300 churches identified as successful. In his book, Excellent Protestant Congregations, Paul Wilkes names 26 characteristics of those churches. Three of which deal with taking risks. The first quality identified by Wilkes is vibrant faith. The kind of faith where church members say they feel excited when they face challenges in our modern world. For them, faith is an adventure, rather than a passive, leisure-time activity. They take risky actions based on their beliefs. Our congregation revealed this kind of faith when you voted to be Reconciling In Christ 28 years ago. That decision confirmed a never dying commitment to welcome all people, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation.

The second risk-taking characteristic of successful churches is that they are entrepreneurs—willing to engage in new ventures. Does that sound familiar? Well, it should. Let me remind you that we’re currently looking for a new worship space so we can move by August 1st. If that’s not a new venture, I don’t know what is. But that’s not the only new thing we’ve tried. Over the past years, we’ve developed an ongoing relationship with Churches United for the Homeless. We sublease office space to other organizations. We work with and on behalf of immigrant families…. Many of you could add something to that list.

The third characteristic of risk-taking congregations is a willingness to move beyond comfort zones. They dare to go places where others would never dream. Again, does that sound like St. Mark’s? This week, I’m reminded of the risk you took in calling me as an openly gay pastor. In a state that seems even more conservative than when I moved here three years ago!

So, beloved people of St. Mark’s, it sure seems like we fit all three of those criteria. Not that we’re perfect. No one is. And not that we’re done. For change is a constant factor in all our lives. And it can feel scary. But to me all this says that Pentecost is still happening in this community. The Spirit is here today. And just like that group of believers on that first Pentecost, the Spirit calls us to follow Jesus without knowing exactly where we are going.

As Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote: “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase—just take the first step.” May God help us take that first step—even a first leap in faith. And the next and the next and the next…. As we follow the call of that unpredictable Holy Spirit. Amen.
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FIRST READING: Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, [the apostles] were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.

Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

But 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. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

‘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. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

Once upon a time, there was a pond next to a flowing river. The pond was full of little fish, who spent their days swimming round and round and round. One morning, on the edge of the pond, there was a huge splash. A rainbow colored, sparkling fish had just jumped into the pond. “Where did you come from?” exclaims a startled pond fish. The sparkling fish smiles brightly and replies, “Well, I come from the sea!” The pond fish looks puzzled and says, “What is the Sea?” The sparkling fish tells her, “Why, the sea is what fish are made for! It’s nothing like this tiny pond. You don’t have swim in circles all day. You can dance with the tides!”