When you open up the Book of Acts, or the Book of the Holy Spirit, you read about a diverse group of people living inside its pages: Fisherfolks, Eunuchs, Roman Soliders, Weavers, Scarf Makers, Tent Makers, Tanners, preachers and prophets. Some of these folks have names, some of them don’Äôt. Some come out winners, some come out as losers. Some of them get saved, some, well; we don’Äôt know the outcome of their story.

Then one day, the day of Pentecost, the wind came to blow away the cobwebs of already established understanding of community. The wind came to awaken the followers to the challenges of their day. The wind came to send the followers on a voyage of self-discovery. Pentecost connected this incredible group of people so they would be born again and create the birthday of the church of Jesus Christ. Not only have they been connected by the Holy but they’Äôve been charged with an endeavor: to witness. Prior to this Pentecost moment, one of the last things Jesus said to his followers before his ascension to heaven was ’Äúyou are witnesses of these things.’Äù  In so many words, Jesus said you have see and experienced events that will change the course of the world. You have seen the hand of God at work, you have witnessed the power of God, and you have eye-witness experience of a new creation breaking in upon the world.1 You are called to give testimony to these things. You should be so moved, said Jesus, to give a public declaration of the transformative power of God.

Peter believed in the power of testimony, of giving witness to the love and grace of God. Our Pentecost story proclaims that the church itself started with the apostle Peter’Äôs testimony, or sermon, on the day of Pentecost: ’ÄúThis Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.’Äù From this point on in the New Testament, disciples like Peter and Paul, and their companions of the Way spread the goods news of the faith across the Roman Empire through their testimony. These disciples were so empowered by their experiences of God, so passionate about their connection to Jesus, believed so deeply that their lives were transformed by the Holy, that many were willing to die rather than recant their testimony.2

Pentecost is a day of connections and clarity---our two themes that have formed our liturgical and spiritual life here at Pilgrims while Jeff is taking his own sabbatical. Connections: how we are connected to one another, the city and the world. Clarity: what those connections help us realize about our faith. One of our primary acts during this sabbatical time has been storytelling’ÄîPilgrims sharing, or giving witness, to a story of connections and clarity. Alice Walker, a Womanist African-American writer, calls the sharing of interior work "being witnessed.’Äù  Each Pilgrim who has shared a story has done some interior work, or self-reflection, to get to the point of sharing a particular moment or series of experience that have shaped their connection to Pilgrims and beyond. The role of the one doing the witnessing, or the rest of us according to Alice Walker, is simply to listen - no judgment, no solutions, no advice ... just listening, receiving, holding respectfully. I believe we’Äôve done this so far. These stories have been thoughtful and profound, revealing that if take time to step back and take a good look at our life of faith together, we can catch of glimpse of God at work in our lives.

As we enter the mid-point of the sabbatical, it is important to step back and get a sense of where we are in our interior work and in our witnessing. Here is a quick re-cap of our stories:

Karen Garrett: Karen’Äôs testimony came from timeshe was an usher during worship and a woman who had been kicked out of her house by her husband came into church. Karen and others offered this abused woman sanctuary and transportation to a local shelter. Shera Jenne: Shera’Äôs testimony came from the time she went gleaning with several church members, one of her first experiences at Pilgrims and one of her first church experiences since leaving the Southern Baptist church. Jean Stewart: Jean’Äôs testimony came from her experiences with the Washington Interfaith Network, a connection of DC churches that are organizing to put neighborhoods first in D.C politics. Calva Leonard: Calva’Äôs testimony was a collection of memories at Pilgrims---connections she’Äôs had over the years in this congregation that aren’Äôt just based on friendship but on companionship and longevity. Bart Oosterveld. Bart’Äôs testimony came from his experience with our Easter 2006 protestors---three men who held large signs protesting our rainbow flag status of welcoming g/l/b/t into the life of the congregation. Stan Lou. Stan’Äôs testimony came from his experience of living and teaching in China’Äîwitnessing to the power of God’Äôs love to his Chinese students and companions and naming the self-growth that comes from living in the land of his ancestors. Gerry Hendershot. Gerry’Äôs testimony came from an experience ofbeing an usher and coming into contact with then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and a mentally ill homeless man right outside the doors of the church. Mitch Fulton and Anne Womeldorf: Mitch and Anne’Äôs testimonies were from their experience of being on a delegation from Pilgrims to Cuba and witnessing the Christian church alive and thriving in Havana. Betty Rudolph: Betty’Äôs testimony came from her experience as a life long introvert living into roles and responsibilities at Pilgrims that she never quite imagined. Stacy Pervall: Stacy’Äôs testimony came from her experienceof hearing of the suicide of her dear friend, Norm, and how unbeknown to the Pilgrims choir, she was ministered by her choir companions and the music they made together at the choir rehearsal right after Stacy received the devastating news. Joanne Leong. Joanne’Äôs testimony came from the experience of witnessing the baptism of Phoebe Noonan. Previously Joanne had only seen private baptisms, done outside the bounds of public worship. After witnessing the sacrament with Phoebe, Joanne felt connected to Pilgrims.  Finally, Jeff Francisco, when he realized in a sermon that he wasn’Äôt the only one that might feel like he wasn’Äôt living up to some standard of thoughts, feelings or actions that would cement him as a good and faithful Christian. He released himself from unrealistic expectations. That moment of clarity moved him to reach out with suggestions of how we could connect with the community around us.

There are more stories to come. But the stories we’Äôve heard so far are connected to our Pentecost story this morning. We’Äôve lived out the drama of a mighty wind surging from heaven, pushing the followers of Jesus out of the house where they had been hiding, and into the streets. Each Pilgrim story seems to share a push, or surge, from the Spirit, getting our storytellers out of a place of comfort and out into the world.

   ✞

1. Jim Schmitmeyer, Blue Collar Preacher Blogspot.

2. Bass, Dana Butler. Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. ’ÄúTestimony: Taking the Walk.’Äù

© 2007 Ashley Goff