Text: Acts 1:8, I Corinthians 12:4-12

The last thing the risen Christ said to his disciples was: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." A few days later, on the day of Pentecost, they became aware of this gift, the gift of God's Holy Spirit, empowering their lives so that they began the journey of sharing the Gospel, the good news of God's amazing grace, with the whole world.

That is the way it was, and it is also the way it is. God's Holy Spirit, somehow, works on us and in us, and we find ourselves doing what we never thought we would do, and saying what never thought we would say and in situations we never expected to be in.

Some years ago, Ted Spellman, a pastor whose ministry was similar to what Ann Beaty does for our congregation, discovered he had cancer. He was one of my role models, not just as a clergyperson, but as a human being. Ted did all he could do to defeat the disease, but it became clear, Ted was going to die at a much younger age than he or any of us wanted.

In that terrible situation, God's Holy Spirit empowered Ted to be a witness to the grace of God for all who knew him. I remember my last visit with him in which he teased me saying: "You're just what a dying man needs -- someone else I have to comfort and pastor." And he did.

It was God's Holy Spirit that put Ted to serving in ways he never thought he would serve, and through a situation he had never thought he would be in. Whether we are aware of it or not, this is what the Holy Spirit does: empowers us to serve in ways we never imagined in the midst of our daily routines and sometimes in situations we never thought we would be in.

One of our mentors, was working with a little girl in Barbara Jordan Elementary School. The child had a painful home life. She dealt with it by withdrawing, placing herself in a shell. During the year, the child began to blossom and come out of her shell as she responded to the affection expressed by her mentor. As the end of the school year approached, the little girl began to withdraw again. The mentor asked if anything was wrong. The little girl started to cry saying, "School will end. You will go away. And no one will love me the way you do." Tears came to the eyes of that mentor. "School will be out. But I will stay in touch. I will send you a postcard each week, so you will know I am thinking of you, and it will give you something to continue practicing your reading. And next fall, I will be back."

It is the empowerment of God's Holy Spirit at work within us whether we are aware of it or not that puts us to serving in ways we never thought we would serve and in places we never thought we would be.

In the video about the last Russia mission trip, Susan Cline tells about her relationship a young woman who had been assigned as her translator. Her name was Vera. Vera knew little about Christianity, and nothing about what the church really is. In fact, early in the week, in a conversation with Christine Bailie, Vera said she did not believe in God, only in herself. But the more Vera was around Christine and Susan and others in the group, the more questions she asked about Christianity and the church, what we Christians believe. Susan confessed to being made somewhat nervous by all of Vera's questions because Susan wanted to give the right response, but was not confident she knew the right words to say. Toward the end of their time in Russia, Vera went with Susan to a worship service at Good News United Methodist Church in Volagda. As the sacrament of Holy Communion was about to be served, Ron said what we say here: "This is the Lord's table and therefore all who seek to know and follow Christ are welcome here. Susan went to receive the sacrament; when she returned to her seat, Vera shyly asked if it was okay for her to participate. Arm in arm, Susan and Vera went to the altar, with Susan whispering in Vera's ear what this sacrament is all about, and the meaning of the bread and wine. They returned to their seats, with tears flowing -- the kind of tears we humans shed when we are profoundly moved by realities too deep for words. Before Susan came home, she gave Vera a cross. Since then, Susan has received a letter from Vera not merely thanking Susan for the gift but confessing that this cross is now her most important possession.

In the video Susan says she never saw herself as someone who would ever be involved in introducing someone else to the Gospel. It is the empowerment of God's Holy Spirit at work within us whether we are aware of it or not that puts us to serving in ways we never thought we would serve and in places we never thought we would be.

Because these stories are somewhat dramatic, we are sometimes seduced into believing the Holy Spirit only works through situations that are dramatic and loaded with emotion. Without thinking, we are tempted to assume the only real ministry we do is when we serve as mentors or repair the house of a widow in poverty, or go on a mission trip. This is distorted thinking; it is even destructive thinking because these special ministries are merely what we do with a few hours or a few days of our life. When we view these experiences as the times we are "really in ministry," we fail to recognize our daily routine as the primary venue for the work of the Holy Spirit. It is in the midst of our everyday routine that we are find our primary ministry.

Just think about the salesperson who day after day is more than a friend to colleagues at work and when waiting on a customer does more than write up the sales, but genuinely serve that customer, so the customer's needs are met. Is this not ministry? What of the parent whose daily living in the midst of the ordinary joys and tribulations of parenting demonstrates faith, hope and love to his or her child? What of the employer, whose daily treatment of employees reflects both the tough and tender love revealed in Christ?

And what about tests of faith and courage that come in the midst of our daily routine, such as when one of our members faced a crisis of conscience. His employer was asking him to do something that was in conflict with his understanding of what it means to be faithful to Christ. He wrestled with the decision, and finally took the risk of telling his employer he would not do that and why.

Our primary area of ministry, is the world of our daily living, where we live our lives, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

This is not to say the special ministries in which we invest a few hours or a few days are unimportant or do not matter. They do matter, and they are important. As I see it, they are important for at least two reasons. First, in these ministries the Holy Spirit is at work among us and through us so that real needs are addressed; good is done; help is provided. Just ask the child served by that mentor. Just ask the woman who became Susan's friend in Russia.

However, I am convinced that for those of us who are involved in these special ministries there is another reason they are important. Through these special experiences in these special situations, the Holy Spirit is also at work in us and on us, enabling us to grow in faith. Through these special situations, the Holy Spirit is at work in us and on us so that we become more aware of God's grace at work in our lives and in the lives of others.

As our faith deepens and as we become more aware of God's grace at work in life, God's Holy Spirit is able to make better use of us not just in the dramatic special situations but most especially in the ordinary experiences, challenges and crises of our daily living. Come Holy Spirit, transform and empower our living so that wherever we are in life all we say and do serves you, whether we are aware of it or not. Amen.

Pastoral prayer:

God, thank You for the gift of life-for the love we receive from family and friends, the beauty of nature and the beauty created by human minds and hands. Thank You for the gift of laughter and for the ability to think and speak and act. Thank You for all the wonderful gifts we enjoy in the sunshine and good times of life. And thank You for the resources You offer us in those times when the sun does not shine and we are tossed about like tiny ships in a terrible storm. Thank You for the gift of that special peace that keeps us calm and steady even in the midst of turmoil, for the ability in bad times to laugh as well as cry, for the capacity to find moments of joy even as we struggle with our problems, for the freedom to move on with our lives-freedom that comes through the gifts of forgiveness and the ability to forgive. For all the resources You offer us as we move through the storms of our lives, we give You thanks. God, in good times do not let us be seduced by insensitive arrogance, and in bad times do not let us fall into the pit of resentment and self-pity. Enable us to be aware of the resources You are offering and help us put them to good use. All this we pray remembering the one who taught us how to live when he taught us to pray: "Our Father …"