(organ music) (organ music) 

- Grace and peace to you on this Pentecost Sunday. We welcome each of you to our service of worship here at Duke University Chapel, where in the spirit of Pentecost, we can rejoice in the diversity of this gathering. You come to us from near and far, and we extend warm welcome to each of you. We also welcome those of you in our radio and television audiences. Our preacher for this morning is the Reverend, Dr. William Holmes, pastor of Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church in Washington D.C. Dr. Holmes is a renowned preacher, lecturer, and author, who has also been the United Methodist preacher for the Protestant Hour. We welcome Dr. Holmes and his wife, Nancy, to our service today. We are indeed grateful to members of the Duke Chapel Summer Choir, their director, Dr. Rodney Wynkoop, and organists, Shayne Doty and Tom Clark, for their leadership in our service today. We look forward to hearing the Summer Choir throughout the coming months, and we invite all interested singers to join the choir. Please call the Chapel Music Office for further information. Please note the remaining announcements, as they are printed in your bulletins. And, now hear these words of Scripture: "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, which has been given to us." (choir singing) ("Come Down, O Love Divine") ♪ Come down, O Love divine ♪ ♪ Seek thou this soul of mine ♪ ♪ And visit it with thine own ardor glowing ♪ ♪ O Comforter, draw near ♪ ♪ Within my heart appear ♪ ♪ And kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing ♪ ♪ O let it freely burn ♪ ♪ Till earthly passions turn ♪ ♪ To dust and ashes in its heat consuming ♪ ♪ And let thy glorious light ♪ ♪ Shine ever on my sight ♪ ♪ And clothe me round, the while my path illuming ♪ ("Come Down, O Love Divine") ♪ And so the yearning strong ♪ ♪ With which the soul will long ♪ ♪ Shall far surpass the power of human telling ♪ ♪ For none can guess its grace ♪ ♪ Till we become the place ♪ ♪ Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling ♪ 

- Grant, we beseech Thee, merciful God, that thy church, being gathered together this day in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy power among all peoples to the glory of thy name. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. 

- Let us pray. Open our hearts and minds, O God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, so that as the Word is read and proclaimed, we might hear with joy what you say to us this day. Amen. The first lesson is taken from Acts. When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And, suddenly a sound came from heaven, like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And, there appeared to them tongues, as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now, there were living in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven, and at this sound, the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And, they were amazed and wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And, how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and all parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in their own tongues the mighty works of God. And, all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But, others mocking, said, "They are filled with new wine." But, Peter, standing with the 11, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea, and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give ear to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day, but this was what was spoken by the prophet Joel: '"And in the last days it shall be," God declares, "that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Ye, and on my men servants, and my maid servants, in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And, I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath. Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. And, and it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."' This ends the reading of the first lesson. 

- Let's join together in reading the psalter responsively. Praise the Lord, I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. 

Congregation: In the company of the upright, in the congregation. 

- Great are the works of the Lord, 

Congregation: Studied by all who delight in them. 

- Full of honor and majesty is His work, 

Congregation: And His righteousness endures forever. 

- He has caused His wonderful works to be remembered. 

Congregation: The Lord is gracious and merciful. 

- He provides food for those who fear Him; 

Congregation: He is ever mindful of His covenant. 

- He has shown His people the power of His works, 

Congregation: In giving them the heritage of the nations. 

- The works of His hands are faithful and just; 

Congregation: All His precepts are trustworthy. 

- They are established forever and ever, 

Congregation: To be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 

- He sent redemption to His people; 

Congregation: He has commanded His covenant forever. (organ music) (congregation singing) 

- The second lesson is taken from Paul's letter to the Romans. "We know that the whole creation has been groaning in prevail together until now, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit. Grown inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope, we were saved. Now, hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But, if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words, and He, who searches the hearts of men, knows what is in the mind of the spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." This ends the reading of the second lesson. (choir singing) 

- I must begin this morning with the observation that to be standing in the pulpit of the Duke Chapel is to experience at least two ranges of emotion. On the one hand, a sense of awe and wonder, tinged with a little fear and trembling, and, on the other hand, a feeling of hospitality, and warmth, and being among friends. And, I'm grateful this morning for the gift of both of those experiences. Not long ago, I was talking with a young couple who had come to me asking if I would perform their marriage ceremony, but they wanted me to change one thing. They asked if I would change the words, "From death us do part," to "Until we fall out of love." And, I said I couldn't. I wouldn't, because I believe that how you begin something is an important factor in how it ends. There's all the difference in the world. Between a marriage ceremony, which begins with a half-hearted, tentative, experimental agreement, depending on immediate feelings. And, a marriage ceremony which begins with a radical, primal, unconditional covenant for life, where two people say to one another, "Regardless of how I feel at the moment, beyond my immediate emotions, in the deepest sense, in the long run, for the duration, regardless of what happens, my beloved, you can count on me." How you begin something makes all the difference in the world in terms of how it ends. The late Harrell Beck of Boston School of Theology used to love to tell the story of how, as a boy, on early mornings in a cold winter, he would-- before he went to school, put on a big, thick, red sweater that buttoned down the middle. And, he loved to recall how often he heard his mother say, "Harrell, if you want to get" "that last button" "in the last button hole," "you better get that first button in the first button hole", because how you end depends on how you begin. Dear friends of the Duke Chapel, that's why this day is so important, Pentecost, the birthday of the church. If we can only get it right. If we can only get this button in the right button hole, everything else will follow. Now, let me tell you what I mean. In our New Testament text this morning from the second chapter of the book of Acts, we're told that one of the distinctive features of that first Pentecost was mystery. The church was born in mystery. The mystery of tongues of fire that danced above their heads. The mystery of the rushing of a mighty wind. The mystery of a Spirit that moved in, and with, and through them. And, the spectators who were looking on that day, watching that first Christian community come into being, they didn't know what to make of it. They couldn't see the mystery. They didn't see the fire. They didn't hear the wind. They didn't feel the Spirit, and so they did what spectators of events are often inclined to do when they don't understand them. They laid a rational explanation on that event. They said, "Those folks are drunk. They're in their cups. They're looped with new wine." And, ever since then, spectators have been giving rational explanations for events they don't understand. Not necessarily irrational events, but super rational events, as in loving, and birthing, and dying, and a lot that's in between, including the unique identities of persons. Nancy and I have two grown sons who have families of their own. We're fortunate that both families live in the greater Washington area, and so we get to spend a lot of time with them, and our boys have always been close to one another and close to us, but elsewhere, (laughs) while they were growing up, they were just as different as they could be. And, we could never understand it. I mean, we loved both of them the same. We nurtured both of them the same. We surrounded both of them with the same environment, but one of them was a straight arrow. (laughs) And, the other was a holy terror. The straight arrow turned out to be in management with the Marriott Corporation, and the holy terror turned out to be a minister in the United Methodist Church, (laughs) 
(congregation laughs) serving a congregation in Baltimore. And, when I say, "A holy terror," I exaggerate. There was never any real, big problem, but it's just that they were so different, and we never understood it. And, I know that there're all kinds of rational explanations, psychological, sociological, that the sequence of birth makes a difference, that parents may think, consciously, that they're relating to their children in a way that's even handed while, unconsciously, we relate to them in different ways, or maybe the difference is to be accounted for in terms of chromosomes or genes. I just don't know, but I'll tell you what my hunch is. My hunch is that I never came closer to explaining the individualization and uniqueness of our two sons than at that moment long ago, when I held, for the first time, my first born son in my arms. And, looking down on that pink-skinned, blue-eyed, dimpled protoplasm, with reverend exclamation, cried, "My God." The church, like a babe, was born in mystery. And, we've been in mystery ever since. The mystery of grace, the mystery of the sacraments, the mystery of song, the mystery of silence, the mystery of prayer, the mystery of preaching, and above all else, the mystery of covenant, broken and repaired. Community, and life together. The church was born in mystery, and we've been in mystery ever since, and friends, if we can ever get that right, if we can ever get button in that button hole, everything else will follow. Furthermore, according to our New Testament text this morning, another feature of that day was its apparent flaw, or imperfection. If you consider diversity, if you consider a hodge-podge, polyglot, bunch of different races, different cultures, different languages all grouped together, just an extraordinary diversity on that first day. In fact, listen again to the constituency of that first birthday party: "Parthians, and Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Libya, (laughs) Cyrene, visitors from Rome, Jews, and Proselytes, Cretans, and Arabians," you talk about a united nations, and each speaking her or his own tongue. What a polyglot, hodge-podge configuration. There were probably some folks, even then, who wondered if anything could come of such a mix. Even as there are today, I have some friends in the church growth movement, who believe that the first principle of church growth is sameness, that like attracts like, that folks really wanna be, you know quote, "with their own kind" their own race, their own color, their own culture, their own socio-economic class, that people are only comfortable when they are with lookalike, think-a-like, talk-a-like people in a kind hall of mirrors where each mirror simply reflects the image of the other mirrors. And, I can understand that as the charger for a country club, but for the Church of Jesus Christ, come on. That's not only unbiblical, that's barren and infertile, and nonproductive, and noncreative. That's now how things grow in an ecclesiastical sense or in any other sense. I don't know a whole lot about the DNA molecule, but I'm told that from it, we drive everything from horseshoe chestnuts to the city of Paris. And, one scientist has said that in his judgment, the DNA molecule is the-- it's one of the few phenomena in all creation that human intelligence could not invent, because, he says, "If we had invented it, it would be perfect." "It would be predictable." "It would be repetitious," and the unique quality of the DNA molecule is that it appears to be programmed to make mistakes, to break out of patterns, to move toward diversity and growth, and to bring into being a wondrous and infinite variety of new creations. A think-a-like, talk-a-like, lookalike people I can understand as the charger for a country club, but for the great commission to go into all the world and baptize, and preach, and teach in my name, and make disciples of all nations, that great commission is predicated on the DNA. A wild diversity, a wondrous inclusiveness, that has to do with black, and brown, and red, and white, and yellow. Parthians and Medes, male and female, young and old, Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, all touched by fire, and wind, and grace. The church was born in diversity, and if we can ever get that right, if we can ever get that button in its button hole, then from our inclusiveness, all else will follow. Third, and finally, according to our text this morning, one of the unique features of that first Pentecost was what Frederick Niche referred to in another context as, "Amor fati," "love what is." That spectrum of people, that cacophony of sounds, began suddenly to see each other, as though for the first time, as human beings. They began to hear each other, as though for the first time, in such a way that each continued to speak her or his own language while concomitantly understanding and being understood by all the others. Amor fati, love what is, they did, and a community came into being. As they began to love as they had been loved in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Have you noticed how often we say, "I see," when we don't? Or, "I hear," when we don't really hear at all? Annie Dillard says, "The only time we really ever see is the first time." That lovers in covenant, live out that vision for the rest of their lives together, but the only time we ever really hear is the first time, and thereafter, everything is elaboration. Dear friends of the Duke Chapel, Pentecost is our first time experience. It is our alpha. It is the primal, pre-determinative event in the history of the strange community of possibility that we call the church, and if we can ever get it right, then everything else will follow. And, the love of which I speak this morning, by which we love each other, is also a love by which we love ourselves, and with this I close. A long time ago, during the first church that I served on my own in Dallas, Texas, we lived in a house that out in the front yard, just beyond the bedroom window, an old Bodark tree. And, I mean, it was gnarled and twisted. The wind and lightening had ripped away some limbs, and you could just tell that the termites had gotten in it. One of our neighbors used to say, "If those termites ever stopped holding hands," "the tree will fall." You could just tell it wasn't long for this world, even though there was some green. The church that I was serving was a small, struggling congregation, and we had a lot of problems: financial, theological, pastoral, and we had a lot of late night meetings, and often I would come home late at night and bring a lot of those problems with me. I would just be churning on the inside. The bedroom was dark. Nancy was asleep on her side of the bed. When I was ready, I climbed in on my side by the window, near the old Bodark tree, and on summer evenings when the window was up, sometimes I'd just look out at that old tree and say, "Hello, tree," and sometimes, the tree would say to me, "Hello, William." And, I'd say, "How are ya, tree?" And, the tree would say, "William," "I am sustained in being" "just as I am." And, I'd look out there, and sure enough, that old, gnarled, twisted Bodark tree was sustained in being just as it was. And then, sometimes he would turn it on me, and this is why I think Bodark trees have more sense than we usually give them credit for. Sometimes, he would say to me, "William," "you're sustained in being, too." And, I'd look down at my own gnarled, twisted inner being, churning with the problems of the night, and discover, by God, literally, I'm sustained in being, too. Now, I'm not sustained the way I'd like to be, you understand. I can think of a thousand other ways I'd like to be sustained, but I'm sustained just as I am. And, I'm not sustained the way a lot of other people would like for me to be. I'm just amazed at all the people who think they know what I ought to be. I'm sustained just as I am. And, dear friends, if you and I can ever get that right, if we can ever get that button in that button hole, then we can live in the Pentecost of God for the rest of our lives with mystery, and diversity, and community, and that old Bodark word, "You're sustained in being," "too," "just as you are." ("Come Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire") ♪ Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire ♪ ♪ And lighten with celestial fire ♪ ♪ Thou the anointing Spirit art ♪ ♪ Who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart ♪ ♪ Thy blessed unction from above ♪ ♪ Is comfort, life, and fire of love ♪ ♪ Enable with perpetual light ♪ ♪ The dullness of our mortal sight ♪ ♪ Anoint and cheer our soiled face ♪ ♪ With the abundance of thy grace ♪ ♪ Keep far from foes, give peace at home ♪ ♪ Where thou art guide, no ill can come ♪ ♪ Teach us to know the Father, Son ♪ ♪ And thee, of both, to be but One ♪ ♪ That through the ages all along ♪ ♪ This may be our endless song ♪ ♪ Praise to thy eternal merit ♪ ♪ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ 

Leader: The Lord be with you. 

Congregation: And also with you. 

- Let us pray. Gracious God, who at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending the light of thy Holy Spirit, we come to thy house to give thee thanks and praise from a world whose people know thee not and serve thee not become, from a nation whose people have forgotten their purpose and destiny, we come from homes where we profess to love thee, but do not show it in our dealings with others become, and here, who would be thy church, strength us, show us the path that is ours to walk, and work that is ours to do. Forgive us, that not memories of past failures limit our vision for the future. Give us such an awareness of thine all-encompassing love, that in all times, and in all seasons, and all circumstances, we may know that thou art our God. Hear now, O Lord, the prayers of all thy children everywhere, for healing, for courage, for faith, for hope in times of despair, for endurance in the midst of trial. Hear our prayers for the needs of others this day, for the homeless, the destitute, the sick and the dying, for the hungry and for those who seek to battle the causes of hunger, for victims of violence everywhere, and for those who seek to perpetrate it, for those who govern the nations of the world, especially those future conflict torn, for women and men who suffer for the sake of conscience, for the entire human family, that the walls which separate us may be broken down, that in thy good time, all nations and races may serve thee in harmony around thy heavenly throne. Deep beneath all our asking, O God, hear the secret song of every human heart of this Pentecost day, lauding and magnifying thy name for being what thou art. Make strong and clear this song of praise within each of us, until it bursts forth at last to thy glory and our salvation, through Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. In thanksgiving for the mighty acts of God, let us offer our gifts and ourselves unto our creed. (organ music) (organ music) (choir singing) ("Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow") ♪ Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ♪ ♪ Praise him, all creatures here below ♪ ♪ Alleluia, Alleluia ♪ ♪ Praise God above, ye heavenly hosts ♪ ♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪ ♪ Alleluia, Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love. We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care that surrounds us on every side. Above all, we thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, and for the example of His life. Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Him and make Him known, and through Him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray with confidence. 

Together: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. ("See How Great a Flame Aspires") ♪ See how great a flame aspires ♪ ♪ Kindled by a spark of grace ♪ ♪ Jesus' love the nations fires ♪ ♪ Sets the kingdoms on a blaze ♪ ♪ To bring fire on earth He came ♪ ♪ Kindled in some hearts it is ♪ ♪ O that all might catch the flame ♪ ♪ All partake the glorious bliss ♪ ♪ When He first the work begun ♪ ♪ Small and feeble was His day ♪ ♪ Now the Word doth swiftly run ♪ ♪ Now it wins its widening way ♪ ♪ More and more it spreads and grows ♪ ♪ Ever mighty to prevail ♪ ♪ Sin's strongholds it now o'erthrows ♪ ♪ Shakes the trembling gates of hell ♪ ♪ Sons of God, your Savior praise ♪ ♪ He the door hath opened wide ♪ ♪ He hath given the word of grace ♪ ♪ Jesus' word is glorified ♪ ♪ Jesus, mighty to redeem ♪ ♪ He alone the work hath wrought ♪ ♪ Worthy is the work of Him ♪ ♪ Him who spake a world from naught ♪ ♪ Saw ye not the cloud arise ♪ ♪ Little as a human hand ♪ ♪ Now it spreads along the skies ♪ ♪ Hangs o'er all the thirsty land ♪ ♪ Lo! the promise of a shower ♪ ♪ Drops already from above ♪ ♪ But the Lord will shortly pour ♪ ♪ All the spirit of His love ♪ Now, go forth in peace, and be of good courage. Hold fast to that which is good, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit, and may the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with you all, now and forevermore. (choir singing) (organ music)