2026.05.24 | ALL FLESH
“All Flesh”
Acts 2:1-21
Rev. Ashley Wai'olu Moore
Eden United Church of Christ
Cherryland, CA
24 May 2024
Good morning, Beloved!
Today we celebrate the day of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Christian church. Happy birthday!
Now I wasn’t raised in the church, so when I gave my life over to God and was reborn, there were a lot of traditions that I knew nothing about. Sure, I knew about Christmas and Easter, but the seasons of Epiphany, Lent, Eastertide, and Advent were a complete mystery. Pentecost was another. But Pentecost would become one of my favorites - because I really love the Holy Spirit. In two of the churches in which I served, an entire “season of Pentecost” was observed that lasted until the end of June. During those seasons, we had a chance to engage more deeply considering the person of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, and the fruits of the Spirit. I have missed that.
I took great interest in any teachings about this mysterious Holy Spirit while I was in seminary. Of course, this was driven by various experiences I’d had during my faith journey; experiences I had only just begun to understand were the work of the Spirit. And yet in many of the churches I served in during my internships, the Holy Spirit was primarily mentioned only during prayers: “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” And when I asked parishioners about the Spirit, they didn’t seem to have an understanding of the person of the Holy Spirit, only that the Holy Spirit was the third part of the Trinity – “whatever that meant.” They often added that it was spooky or mysterious.
So, as we celebrate Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit today, I wanted to take some time to explore the wonderous gift of the Spirit.
Will you pray with me:
Holy Spirit, You are God.
I praise you because you are holy, and I thank you for dwelling in my heart. You guided me into salvation, renewed my dead spirit, and opened my eyes to the Truth. Thank you for working in my life.
Help your people to see you more clearly –
Let us become more aware of your presence and your goodness.
Make us more sensitive to you so that we can follow you more closely.
Help us to discern the ways in which you call and lead us.
Help us to recognize your movement in our lives.
Amen.
The Jewish Festival of Weeks occurs seven weeks after Passover, commemorating the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. It is one of the three major pilgrimage festivals in Judaism. That is why Jerusalem was teaming with people on the day we now call Pentecost.
Every year, Christendom celebrates this day as the birth of the church. This is because of the events that take place in Acts 2 immediately following the reading that Aisha just read. You see, the crowds were amazed at what they were witnessing, so the Apostle Peter rose and spoke to them, testifying about the man that they had allowed to be crucified, how he had risen from the grave and was now seated at the right hand of YHWH. Mortified by their complicity, they asked what they could do to make amends? Peter told them, “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 And the scripture says that three thousand people received his message were baptized. Moreover, 42 “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings, fellowship, and to the breaking of bread…” Thus the church was born.
On Pentecost, we also talk about the Holy Spirit as if it were something new. Even our biblical headings proclaim it as the “coming of the Holy Spirit.” So many believe that Pentecost was Spirit’s big debut. But the person of the Holy Spirit is part of the triune God: a different expression, manifestation, person, but still - GOD. But this was not the day the Spirit first made an appearance.
For that we have to go all the way back to Genesis chapter 1.
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…And the Spirit of God (the Ruach Elohim) was hovering over the face of the waters.
So, analogous to John chapter 1, “in the beginning was the Spirit and the Spirit was God.”
“Ruach” is the Hebrew word that means wind, spirit, breath or life force. We find throughout the Hebrew Testament. Whenever you read about wind or breath in the Hebrew bible, the word is usually “Ruach.” Like in Genesis 8 after the great flood, when Noah and the animals were sitting on the ark when “God made a wind (or “ruach”) blow over the earth, the waters subsided.”
In Genesis 2, we read that God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Or in Job 33:4 where Elihu says, “The Spirit of God (or “Ruach El“) has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life
Psalm 109:29 reads “when you take away their ruach, they expire, and return to the dust.”
The breath of life, the Ruach Elohim, not only gives each of us life, but life to every creature on this planet. God’s Spirit sustains all life! That means we encounter the Ruach Elohim every day, taking the Ruach into our bodies in order to stay alive. So we are never without the presence of the Spirit. This is why the Nicene creed includes the statement: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life.”
As a brief aside, the word Ruach is grammatically feminine and there a number of references to God’s spirit using feminine pronouns in biblical literature. For example, “Wisdom” is often personified as a righteous woman and is alternatively known as Sophia (which means wisdom). In the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches, the feminine personification of divine wisdom can refer…to the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit (was) also seen as feminine in the Syriac-speaking church until around 400 CE. Several early theologians referred to the Holy Spirit in their writings as “she” and even as “Mother.” Egyptian Coptic Christianity also referred to the Spirit as Mother.
But it was during a prayerful mediation when I first started down this path that the Holy Spirit revealed herself to me as having a feminine essence. So, you will always hear me refer to the Holy Spirit with feminine pronouns.
With that out of the way, let us ask what is unique about the appearance of the Ruach Elohim in the New Testament? In Acts 2 specifically? If the Spirit of God has been present since the beginning of creation, why do we describe Pentecost as the coming of the Holy Spirit?
To answer this, we have to go back to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth, to the moment of his baptism. As recounted in the book of Matthew, Jesus travelled from Galilee to the Jordan river, stepped into the waters and asked John the Baptist to baptized him. When he came up from the water, the heavens were suddenly opened and God’s Spirit descended and rested on him like a dove. 17 Then a voice from the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” In some Syriac texts, Jesus was then said to thank his Mother, the Holy Spirit.
This story is communicating to us that God’s spirit was empowering Jesus to begin the New Creation. And we witness that creation unfolding as Jesus begins to heal and forgive people, creating life where there once had been death. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to carry out the will of God, and it is the Spirit who manifests the miracles and the healings. The disciples later proclaimed that it was God’s Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. This is the beginning of a new creation where death has been defeated!
But before the crucifixion, Jesus had promised the disciples that God would send an Advocate who would stay forever. He said “(This) Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom God will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees her nor knows her. (But) You know her because she abides with you, and will be in you.”
On the day of his resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples in a locked room and showed them his wounds. They rejoiced in seeing that he was alive. Then he said to them, “As God has sent me, so I send you.” 22 (Then) he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” 4
Jesus remained with them for just forty days. Before his ascension, he told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift that God has promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Before this, only special people had been able to communicate with God’s Spirit; the Spirit empowered them for specific assignments. These included Joseph, King David, King Solomon and, of course, all the prophets. Now, Jesus had bestowed the Spirit upon the disciples. But they did not really understand what that meant or what they were to do with it. All of which brings us to today’s reading.
Fifty days after the resurrection, during the Festival of Weeks, the Holy Spirit makes a dramatic entrance to proclaim her acceleration of the new creation! Whereas the presence of the Spirit had appeared as a pillar of fire while the Hebrew people followed the prophet Moses through the desert toward a new beginning, now the Holy Spirit lighted on each of them appearing as a fiery tongue that did not burn. As people’s languages had morphed and been confused at the Tower of Babel, now they spoke in different languages but understood one another. And it didn’t matter who they were or where they were from, everyone present was blessed with these gifts. God’s spirit was poured out on all flesh, just as the prophet Joel foretold. THESE were the signs of the New Creation manifesting! And thus, the Holy Spirit became the active presence of God in all of our lives, empowering and transforming believers to love God, love others and work toward co-creating a world full of God’s shalom and life-giving Spirit.
So where do we see the Holy Spirit today? What does the Spirit do exactly? What are roles does she play in our lives?
First, the Holy Spirit dwells with us and within us.
Second, as we studied last year, the Holy Spirit manifests the 'Fruits of the Spirit' within us, with traits such as "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." The Spirit is also believed to be able to bestow unique gifts on some, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, and more.
Third, the Holy Spirit has a number of active roles and serves various functions in the lives of believers, including:
As Comforter/Advocate/Helper: The Holy Spirit is seen as a source of comfort and assistance to believers. In times of trouble or need, the Holy Spirit is believed to come alongside believers to provide guidance, strength, and support. In Greek, she is called the Paraclete which means “the one who answers the call.” She is the still, small voice we hear.
As Teacher/Guide: The Holy Spirit is believed to teach and guide believers in understanding and living out the teachings of Jesus. This includes helping believers interpret and apply the Scriptures to their lives. In seminary, we were taught that the Holy Spirit is present with us in worship: She moves among us and is responsible for how each of us receives the word.
For the Conviction of Sin: The Holy Spirit is often seen as convicting individuals of their sinfulness, leading them to repentance and a turning towards God.
As Empowerer: The Holy Spirit is considered to empower believers for Christian living, equipping them with spiritual gifts for service and enabling them to live according to God's will.
As the apostle Paul wrote, “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
The Spirit cannot be seen, only felt and/or heard. So over time, Christians have developed a number of metaphors that we use to represent the Holy Spirit in our songs and liturgies, including
the dove,
wind,
fire,
breath
and rain.
While each of these symbols are ephemeral and fleeting, the enduring work of the Holy Spirit is so important that the Gospels of Matthew and Mark admonish us to never profane Her at all. In Mark,
28 Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit became available to everyone regardless of race, gender, citizenship or theology. God poured out the Spirit on all flesh, available for anyone seeking or called by God. Jesus’ resurrection and the day of Pentecost were the birthing of God’s new creation where all are beloved, all are forgiven and death has been defeated. The Holy Spirit is all the help, comfort and advocacy we need. She is the Ruach Elohim keeping us alive. She is the teacher who will help us to unlock and understand the living word. She gives us counsel and guidance during our journeys. She comes alongside and comforts us in our time of grief or sorrow, and She helps us to understand God’s calling on our lives. She is the still small voice that is present and available to us whenever we seek Her.
Beloved, I hope you gained a new appreciation for the Holy Spirit today. It is my testimony that she utterly transformed my heart and gave me a new life - which is why I love celebrating her goodness! May you be so blessed by her presence, drawn ever closer into her nurturing guidance and covered by her love and light.
Amen.