The Sixth Sunday Of Easter

THE SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, May 22, 2022
Let’s Meet Some Early Followers of the Way
Part Three: “When God’s Spirit Moves, Surprising Things Happen ”
(Acts 16:9-15)
Shortly after I joined the Foreign Service, the Department of Employment and Immigration decided that I would be posted to Germany. I was sent to Stuttgart for my two months of overseas training. I spent our cross-Canada tour asking employers about German immigrants – how their skills matched Canadian needs; what challenges they faced; what more I might do to prepare them for the transition. The day the letters with our postings were handed out, I felt excited and ready; that is, until all my twenty-seven colleagues received one, and I did not. The Personnel Director summoned me to his office: “as you know, you are not going to Germany” – actually, that was the first I heard the news – “and we are not sure where to send you. Maybe, a consulate in the United States or our embassy in Martinique or Argentina.” There I was all set to launch into my career, but with nowhere to go.
Paul is all set to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and of God’s realm of justice and peace, but he has nowhere to go. He has been touring around Asia Minor, preaching and baptizing, starting new communities of faith. The time has come to move on. Paul knows himself: his gifts are those of a travelling evangelist, not a stay-in-one-place pastor. His plan, to journey eastward, and on into Asia seems perfectly reasonable. And yet, he is thwarted at every turn. Paul interprets these barriers as the work of the Spirit: a sign he is meant to walk a different path.
On the day I learned I was not going to Germany, I would not have been amused if someone had suggested the Spirit might be at work. All I knew was: it was hard to see my colleagues, my friends, taking flight while I was left behind in Ottawa; it was uncomfortable to be stuck in limbo with no real say, let alone power, over what happened next.
However, as time passed, and I looked back, I was thankful for my unexpected posting to Buenos Aires. I got to explore much of South America. I had the opportunity to work with refugees and help to develop government refugee policy. None of that would have happened if I had ended up in Stuttgart.
As individuals, as communities of faith, our best laid plans do not always work out. If we hadn’t realized that before, this pandemic has certainly brought it home. At church, worship services we had planned couldn’t take place in person; programmes and events had to be cancelled or significantly modified. This is never easy especially for those of us who like to plan ahead. Such disruptions do not bring joy to our hearts.
But might the Spirit be at work in these upsets? For instance, having to switch to recording services has meant that people who are unable to come to church or live at a distance can watch a YouTube video and feel part of the community of faith. Might there be other paths for us to tread, different ones which will enable us to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives and join in God’s mission in this world God loves?
Unable to travel on to the East, Paul is left wandering around Asia Minor. With no clear itinerary, he is in a perfect position to follow my spiritual companion’s advice and “mooch” – meaning living each day with eyes open for signs of God’s leading, and ears pricked to listen for the Spirit’s breath; refusing to leap into action, but waiting patiently to discern what the next steps should be. You, in Churchill-Gilford may be feeling a bit like Paul, waiting for a clear sense of direction. Who will enter into ministry with you come September? What should happen with the manse – repairs to make it livable for a new minister; sale to generate income to pay the housing allowance; renovation to turn it into affordable accommodation for some under-served group in this area? Living with questions, and few answers can feel daunting, but it can be an ideal opportunity to look and listen for the Spirit’s leading.
Paul is looking and listening. He receives his sign in a dream like Jacob’s favourite son, Joseph, or the other Joseph, Jesus’ father. In his night vision, Paul sees a man of Macedonia, saying: “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” He wakes up and sets sail with his companions. Such a vision in the night, like the dreams revealing Joseph will become a ruler over his brothers or the one spurring the Holy Family to flee to Egypt are spectacular manifestations of the Spirit. There are others, far less dramatic.

See if this sounds familiar. You are sitting with your morning coffee or out for a walk when someone’s face floats into your mind. You think: I haven’t visited her in a while; I haven’t called him lately. You drop in; you pick up the phone and discover your timing was perfect: they really needed someone to talk with. Or how about this? It had never crossed your mind to volunteer at the hospital or for Habitat or some other organization.
But then someone approaches you; you give it a try and realize – it’s a great fit. Or how about this? You have always shied away from any sort of leadership role, but then an individual you trust suggests – not that it is your duty because there is no one else – but that you have the requisite gifts and skills. You summon up your courage and gain confidence along the way.
The Spirit moves and Paul responds. He sets sail for Macedonia. He follows the Spirit’s leading to Philippi, a leading city and a Roman colony where retired soldiers are re-settled. The Sabbath day rolls round. Paul, like Jesus, seeks out a place of worship, somewhere he can join with others in prayer and the study of scripture. Especially since March 2020, we know how precious these opportunities are. Yes, we can pray by ourselves anywhere, at any time – we don’t need anyone to intercede on our behalf. Yes, we can read the Bible on our own. We can surf the internet if we need help with interpretation. But there is something about being in a place like this where generations have sought God’s presence. There is something about being with others who can sing the hymns of faith when our voices falter, who can hold us in prayer when we cannot find the words.
On the Sabbath, Paul and his companions seek to join with others. The problem is: there is no synagogue in Philippi. So they head for the river as the likeliest place for Jews to gather. Sure enough, there are people praying. But they are Gentiles, and there is not a male in sight. The old Paul, the Pharisee trained in Torah and steeped in tradition, would have walked right on by. A Paul who interprets his vision literally would assume there is a Macedonian man farther along, looking for his help. But this Paul whose life has been turned right around by his encounter with the risen Christ is more than ready to share the good news with these women.
Two Sundays ago we met a woman named Tabitha or Dorcas who unusually for that time and place is not further identified by her association with some man. Today, it is Lydia, a name based on a city in Asia Minor, as ironically, she comes from the exact area Paul just left behind. Lydia, a God-fearer like Cornelius, is not identified as the daughter of… the wife of… the mother of … , but as a businesswoman, a dealer in purple cloth. Scholars have spilled lots of ink arguing over her financial status: whether she is rich because purple dye made from the secretions of one particular type of snail is extremely expensive or she is at best, comfortably off, because a new way has been found to produce an inferior purple dye more cheaply. Either way, Lydia is the head of her household. She listens to what Paul has to say, and asks to be baptized. She turns around to invite Paul and his companions to stay at her home.
When Paul responds to the vision, do you suppose he ever expected to found a church, meeting in the home of a female Gentile or imagined that she would become a leader in that community and later be recognized by the church as a saint? I doubt it.
When we listen for the Spirit’s breath, when we respond to those nudges of the Spirit, we never know what is going to happen. Two young women, both real estate agents, felt something was missing in their lives. They turned to Bloor Street for help in their search. One chose to change occupations and started training as a nurse. The other remained in real estate, but began volunteering in her community. A social justice group at Richmond Hill decided to hold an forum to allow anyone and everyone to make suggestions about the type of projects their community of faith should support. What was expected was more involvement with refugee sponsorship and efforts to end homelessness. What came out was a desire to become part of the Stephen Lewis Grandmother-to-Grandmother programme supporting African grandmothers raising their grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. After my Mom died last September, a gaping hole opened up in my life. I sought to fill it, at least partially, by taking on some pulpit supply. When I contacted Dale Hildebrand, he wondered if I might be interested in a short term appointment at Churchill-Gilford. If you had asked me last May, if this year I would be enjoying ministry with people on a two point charge, I would have laughed. And yet, that is the reality.
When the Spirit moves, surprising things happen. Our lives take unexpected turns. We find ourselves joining with God in new and different forms of ministry. Thanks
be to God.