The Power to Connect to Others!

Acts 2:1-21

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs–we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine. ” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

In the Fall of 1984 I left Japan to return to the U.S. in order to enter seminary. My travels took me from Japan, to Hong Kong, to mainland China, to Thailand, and then to Nepal. In all, I was on the road from the beginning of September to around the middle of December. During most of that time, I never spoke much English with anybody. I had many days where I was actually traveling alone. I was constantly in a sea of other languages: Chinese, Thai, Nepalese. Sign language…and something close to Pictionary – was how I communicated.

My final trip was between Kathmandu and London, via stops in New Delhi, Tashkent, and Moscow. I can remember clearly –  landing at Heathrow Airport and going through customs. The British customs agent greeted me with a smile, inquired about my intended stay, and after looking at my passport…sent me off with a cheery “have a wonderful visit!”  I can remember be startled. I had NEVER been in England, yet I understood everything this man said to me. True, he spoke in English – the shared language of our countries – but nevertheless England and the United States had had separate histories for 3-4 centuries. And I had just spent 90 days surrounded by languages that weren’t my own, understanding very little of what was said. So when I heard this British man speak to me in my own language – I honestly felt like I had just returned home!

In the Pentecost story that we just read together, we see this same phenomenon played out. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we see the gathered disciples receive the power to speak in over 15 different languages. But not just ANY languages – the specific languages of the devout Jews from every nation who were in Jerusalem, either as immigrants, or as travelers to the festival. (verse 5)

What would it have felt like for these Jews from all over the world, to hear their mother tongues spoken clearly…maybe for the first time in years! Do you think they might have felt a little bit like I did, dropping down in London, and feeling at home…..though I had never been there before. All because I heard my own mother tongue / language so clearly spoken and so easy for me to understand!!

This gift of the Holy Spirit that marks the birth of the church is a gift expressly for those outside the Jesus movement, those who had lived displaced in a language-world not their own. We cannot miss this! It is a spiritual gift given not for the disciples themselves, but for the outsiders listening. God’s gift reaches outward to those outside of this immediate circle of Jesus followers.

But this language gift of the Spirit seemed crazy. Some people in the crowd sneered. (verse 13) But Peter tells them “No! we aren’t drunk…. This miracle is the fulfillment of the OT prophet Joel, who said: “God’s spirit will be poured out on ALL flesh – that means young and old, women and men, slave and free, everyone! And “it’s happening NOW!”

This was very challenging to the religious tradition at that time….and it’s a challenge and discomfort for many churches today as well! The indwelling of the  Holy Spirit caused an outpouring of proclamation. Again, this gift was NOT primarily for the disciples, for the Jesus Community – it was for those OUTSIDE the community. It was so that those who had NEVER heard this good news, could hear it clearly in their own language.

It seems that one mark of the Holy Spirit’s gifting is that it empowers us to connect to others. That’s our sermon title for today. “The power to connect to others.”

Hear Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8   “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

So how about right here at JCC? What language would you speak in your neighborhood? In this community?, if you were filled with the Holy Spirit? How might those outside your congregation hear their mother tongue and be welcomed home?

I want you to think about that. What is the mother-tongue of those outside our congregation? It could be a specific language like Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Ethiopian, etc. Or it might be a form of communication – like emojis, or texting, or digital images…or maybe it’s the language of science or music? Can we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to gift us with these necessary languages in order that we may connect with others??!!

The gift of the Holy Spirit is to fill us with power, in order to connect with others. In order to speak their languages so that they will feel heard, and loved….and so that they, too, can feel at home in the church, in Christ’s body. May it be so at JCC!

(credit for this main sermon point goes to Professor Amy Oden, a teacher in Oklahoma City; the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on June 8, 2025)