First Presbyterian Church
Hearing One Another
Sermon for May 15, 2005
by Pastor Susan Barnes

It is fitting that we read the story of Pentecost today. It is a special day in the life of the church; Pentecost was an ancient Jewish celebration marking the first harvest, fifty days after Passover. But at this first Christian Pentecost, the spirit of God moved among crowds of people, from different regions and languages, and they all heard Peter speak about God's good news, that sons and daughters shall prophecy, the youth shall see visions and the elders dream dreams, and everyone who calls on God will be saved. It is a day of tradition, and a day of firsts. Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the church. Listen for the word of God as it is found in Acts 2:1-21.

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 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.   3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.   4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

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

14 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. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, 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.  

18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.  

19 And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.  

20 The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.

21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

This ends our reading from God's word. Pentecost was about communicating the word of God, recognizing that the spirit of God can move among people of different countries, faiths, and ethnicities. Let's listen to the choir sing of the spirit.

Anthem “I Feel the Spirit”

The youth we celebrate today have communicated the word of God to us. And we listened. I think one of the reasons it is so important for the adults in the congregation to say congratulations to you six is that they remember their high school graduations, or that they didn't graduate; they remember what people did for them or what they wish people had done for them. They would like to do that for you.

I asked the congregation a few questions about you. My sermon is taken from all their responses.

What has the church learned from these youth?

“Worship can be fun. You're never too young (or old) to do God's work.”

“There is plenty of room for humor, enthusiasm, and youthful energy in the Presbyterian church! We will miss these wonderful contributions.”

“That young people can show kindness, love and gratitude.”

“Joy.”

“That there are kind and capable [people] in their generation.”

“These young people have taught us what it is like to be an ‘ involved Christian,' not just an Easter/Christmas Christian. They have been so active in this church – many times showing us “oldsters” a new exciting way to acknowledge and worship God. To see their enthusiasm and spirit is so refreshing – we will miss them and their bright smiles.”

“That the world can be changed for the better by the good works done locally.”

What do you want them to know about the church?

“It's a good place to be – keep going.”

“You are and always will be a part of this church. We've watched you grow and want to continue being a part of your lives even though our paths will not cross as often now. Keep in touch!”

“That God is there for them everywhere wherever they travel.”

“Faith endures.'

“That it is a place where a person can be accepted and appreciated.”

“This church is their extended family. We are there for them.”

“We'd hope they understand that the church isn't just a building – it is the people within the church that makes it what it is and they have the opportunity to make their church – wherever they are – a warm friendly positive place. A place where people come to reinforce their belief and a place they can come to for peace and comfort. It is the Christ-like goodness of individual members that shapes the church as a whole. We want them to know it is a place they can always come to and find they are welcomed and valued as the wondrous person God created.”

What blessings do you want them to have?

“Respect for themselves .”

“Respect for others – old, young, rich, poor, smart, etc.”

“Resourcefulness, positive outlook on life, conviction/inner strength; open-mindedness, and good health.”

“A listening heart to all who need it in times of trouble.”

“No challenge too great for them to face and overcome.'

“Good health and the capacity to care. Moral fiber to distinguish what is right and the courage to do it.”

“Good health, peaceful and loving relationships and a faith to hold onto through life.”

“We'd pray that the Lord will bless them with happiness, good health, and success in whatever they do. Most of all, may they continue to be blessed with a close personal relationship with God. Without that relationship the challenges that life has for them will seem insurmountable.”

If you could give them a gift, what would it be?

“Memories of people and things and words and works to carry them through the rest of their lives.”

“A guardian angel with a strong sense of right and wrong based on the teachings and life of Jesus.”

“Blessed assurance or acceptance in their faith and in their walk with God.”

“Discernment. A study Bible, time to read it and places to share it.”

“A world in which the various people get along   much better than they do at present.” --Joan

“That gift would be that the hope, enthusiasm, and idealism of youth would continue throughout their lives.”

“The gift of faith. Faith in themselves, in their loved ones, and most importantly, faith in their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May their faith never falter. In the long run, it is their faith that will sustain them their whole life through.”

“The most special memory we have of these young people is the time that we went with them and their parents on the float trip down Hell's Canyon. The man that was in charge of the boat was not at all happy to see so many young children on the boat and he made that known. What he didn't know was the caliber of the parents and children. We had an absolutely glorious day and when he returned to dock that evening he complimented them on what a good group they had been – no surprise to us!

This type of behavior has carried through and they have been such a joy to be around all these years. Their participation as members of the congregation, the deacons and elders is a lesson many of us adults can learn from. May God Bless them REAL GOOD!!!” -- Gary and LaVonne

“I remember Luke's fast grin and the easy way he spoke, and all his hair changes.”

“Luke has always been outgoing and confident and self-assured even when speaking in public.”

“I remember Tyler's intelligent eyes, and that he always spoke to me.”

“I remember Tyler working very hard on youth projects and being a great goalie on the soccer team.”

“I remember Andy on the guitar and his shyness.”

“Andy can be great fun and has a very strong character and thinks deeply about many issues.”

“ I remember Andrea being willing to help out, and how her voice kept getting stronger and better.”  

“Andrea has always been comfortable talking with adults, even when she was young.”

“I remember Kirsten's shyness and the serious look.”

“ I remember her hard-working and competitive attitude attitude she takes to life.”

“ I remember Tawny's caring heart under all that black and somber exterior, and her hair changes.”

“I remember the wonderful conversation we had about racism.”

“These youth were interested in all age groups – not just their own cohort. They spent hours trying to get Annika to acknowledge their existence, shared their experiences and thoughts with the congregation from the lectern and expressed their heartfelt sorrow in tears at Jim's funeral. They serve as role models for the young /future PYGs and inspire old/past PYGs. They challenge us to see the world differently and examine our comfortable "church-as-usual" routines. They are actively involved in this church with their time and talents, and it is because they want to, not because their parents make them. I'm proud of them all.”   --Shelli

“What can we say to these wonderful graduating seniors?! One thing we know—the years flow by too quickly and we can hardly believe this time in their lives has arrived.

Three of the six – Luke, Tyler, and Andrea—we have known since their birth. [And they mean from birth – this is from Dr. Bob] Then Kirsten and Tawny arrived as adorable toddlers. (How could we forget Tawny in her pretty dresses and cowboy boots! ) Then to round out this group Andy joined them in sixth grade. It has been our joy to watch them grow and mature into the young adults they are today—such an important and inspiring part of our congregation. For this we can thank the parents who, with the grace of God, led the way.

Though it is a bit difficult to watch them spread their wings we know that they have been raised to move on to take their place in the world. We have confidence in them all.

Our wishes for them are love, peace, joy, courage, happiness, and a good sense of humor. We pray they find the passion in their lives and embrace that passion. We hope they keep their minds open to those new beginnings all around them.   Most of all remember God loves you no matter what—and so does the whole congregation of First Presbyterian Church in Baker City!” --Love and hugs to you all – Dr. Bob and Sharon. (They apologized for not being here; they're attending their granddaughter Kyra's graduation)

“Floyd and I would both like to congratulate all of our 2005 graduates. We have been continually impressed with this truly outstanding class. We look forward to hearing about their future accomplishments. We are sure they will find many opportunities to demonstrate their leadership abilities. We would also like to recognize the outstanding parents whose efforts have contributed to the quality of these graduates.” --Betty and Floyd

And now here are some “Reflections, ramblings and musings on 6 seniors” by Ginger.

“Luke, Andrea, and Kirsten all started my Sunday School class when they were about 15 months old. I was teaching their siblings, and as long as they were also in the nursery they joined us for many activities. Soon Tawny joined the crowd, and about a year later, Tyler.

When they were 3 or so, we loved to play dress up during Sunday School. We had a cardboard box church in the corner of the nursery and we would color stained glass windows for it. Inside were our “church clothes” – hats and ties, purses, and fancy shoes. We had a great time playing inside our church.

At one point the class grew to around 8 children, and I still have the picture of our lesson on Communion. Eight tiny bodies gathered around the table, questioning what happens in the ‘big church' when ‘everybody gets to eat.' We ate graham crackers and grape juice together.

How this group loved to sing when they were small. Old favorites and new silly songs kept us amused, but we discovered how much you can memorize about the Bible and the Bible stories through song. Ask any one of them to find a book in the Old Testament and they will start humming “These are the books of the Old Testament” to themselves. I don't think I realized how deeply embedded these songs were until the confirmation retreat when due to car problems we had to walk down the mountain from Anthony Lakes to Little Alps. The entire way down they sang the songs they remembered.”

  (The car problems Ginger refers to here is when someone accidentally took my suitcase home early. In the suitcase were my pants with the car keys in the pocket. So all of us had to hike down to where Ginger's van was parked. Way too many of us rode home in the van, some of us sitting on the floor. I remember your graciousness about my missing car keys. I also remember your graciousness as I got your names wrong many many many times. I know all your names now. I will miss you all, and the way you sit in the front of the sanctuary )

Ginger goes on:

“This is a group of youth bonded by faith, friendship, and many hours spent sharing with one another. As our families grew together and played together, their church family simply became an extension of their home. We have lost a few along the way, but gained new friends. Andy arrived in 6 th grade and quickly became ‘one of the gang.'

They have walked CROPwalks from age 5 on, served Mission dinners, raked leaves, and discovered that service is much more fun when done with friends. I have a wonderful image still in my mind of Tawny dancing the Macarena with MaryAlys at our Rice Dinner.

The years are marked by Christmas programs and, Bible schools, animal costumes, angels, Christmas Around the World, Noah's Ark, Son Mountain, Sonward Ho! Island of the Son, and Son Kingdom. Eighteen years worth of props and staging, costumes, and cardboard frames are stored downstairs that can trace the path of these kids through the years. The girls have all been Mary at least once, the boys starring as Joseph or a King. They went from VBS participants to crew leaders to teachers.

They have kept me young. Since the PYGPen was finished downstairs we have spend 5-6 nights a year overnight together. It is one of my well-kept secrets that I truly do enjoy the laughter, the life and the energy that radiates from these kids. Sure at times they have tried my patience, but I feel so privileged to get to hear them share their innermost feelings, hopes, and fears. They can go deep within themselves and express how God is at work in their lives. More than once they have brought me to tears.

They have stretched our horizons and our comfort zones with new ways to worship and praise. They have filled our worship services with their enthusiasm and their promise for a new generation of Christians. I hope they have found a true sense of acceptance among the congregation and support that will help them discover new church homes in the future.

I wish for them all an inner peace and friendship with Christ that will sustain them over the potholes and rough patches on the road ahead of them. Because hard times and challenges will face them—may their faith and friendship be strong enough to carry them through. I hope all of them have discovered the strength and comfort that comes from a church family.” --Ginger.

All these letters were glowing with love and care. If I were one of the six of you, I would feel undeserving. But you don't have to deserve their love. You have it anyway. Just like we have God's love. We don't deserve it. But that love flows out of God because of God's own loving nature.

You don't have to do anything more than you are doing. You can be true to yourselves, and you are learning as we all are how to be true to Jesus.

Why are people making such a big deal over this? Everyone grows up, everyone graduates. You know, not everyone grows up. Some people never mature. Not everyone lives to see their high school graduation. Not everyone has a church that nurtures them and cares for them. Not every church has youth that remain a part of the church life. I haven't heard too many people here say that the youth are the future of the church. The youth are just as much a part of the church as everyone else.

  Thank you Andrea, Andy, Kirsten, Luke, Tawny, and Tyler for sharing your gifts and your lives. I hope you will take a part of this congregation with you wherever you go.

We celebrate the Spirit who moved at the first Pentecost, the same Spirit moving in the lives of these youth, and the Spirit moving in the life of this congregation. And the children of God said loudly and joyfully, AMEN!