“Twisted” (Acts 2:1-21)

Blame it on the wine.  That is what the people were saying as they were making fun of all those moved by the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost . . . “They had too much wine.”  The people were speaking in various languages foreign to them.  They were probably ecstatic . . . jerking and flailing about.  It looked like they were having a good ol’ time to those who were witnessing the whole thing.  It had to be the wine . . . they were drunk . . . they were not acting normal . . . they were “twisted”.

“Twisted” is an adjective that is used to describe something that is forced out of its natural or proper shape . . . something considered abnormal.  The behavior that people were witnessing was definitely “twisted”.  What people were seeing was not normal.  It was something new, something never seen before . . . it was different.  Different scares people . . . and no one wants to admit that he or she is scared.  Ridicule is a good defense against fear.  What we don’t know, or understanding can be deflected away with some good ridicule.  Is that not what we hear in our reading this morning . . . “Some, however, made fun of them . . .” And they blamed it on the wine.

Well, there is no denying that what was happening to the followers of Jesus was new and different.  They were being smacked silly with the Spirit.  The Spirit descended upon them with a flare . . . a howling wind, tongues of fire, and words they had never heard before.  The Spirit embraced them, filled them, and forced them out of their natural shape . . . they were changed . . . they were “twisted”.

Peter recognized what was happening . . . yeah, the people were “twisted”, but they were not “twisted” in a negative way.  Peter addressed the people.  He explained that this was exactly what the prophet Joel had predicted . . . this is what Jesus had told them.  God has gifted the followers with the Spirit . . . they were God’s now.  Jesus had shown the way and God had confirmed it.  For the followers they had entered the “new normal” . . . the “normal” that God had always intended.  In the eyes of the world this new “normal” looked “twisted” . . . it didn’t look right.  So, they blamed it on the wine.

That explains it all . . . doesn’t it?

Jesus did not come to live life the way that the world did.  He came to live life as God intended it to be.  The words that he spoke went against all that the world preached.  The actions that he took shocked those who witnessed them as they were often done to those who were considered expendable and worthless.  The people who Jesus hung out with were not those of high society and power, but those who were on the fringes of society . . . those who were left out.  Jesus was “twisted” if you ask those who were his detractors . . . he was not “normal”.  Not as they saw the world, and yet, in the eyes and heart of God Jesus was “normal” no matter how much the world thought of him being “twisted”.

That blustery, fiery day of Pentecost flipped the world on its head . . . it changed everything.  God had come to confirm and affirm the witness of Jesus as the new way of life . . . life that was filled with love.  Love for God.  Love for others.  The followers of Jesus got the sign . . . they received the mark . . . they “twisted” into the way that life was meant to be . . . God’s way.  There was no denying that they had changed . . . that they were different.  The time had come for them to actually carry the torch Jesus had lit and to bring this new way into the world . . . to “twist” the world into God’s will.

When we came into our faith as the followers of Jesus we were “twisted” . . . we were changed . . . we became a new creation in God through Jesus.  Though we probably did not have as dramatic of a baptism as the followers we are reading about this morning, we know that we were changed.  We know that there was a shift within us that took us out of what we thought was our natural or proper shape.  We saw the world differently.  We were seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus.  And, like Jesus we realized that the world was far from the ideal that God wants.  We were “twisted” because we no longer fit the mold of what the world wanted. 

It seems that it is “twisted” to want to rid the world of hunger . . . especially in a world that produces plenty to feed all of its inhabitants.  It is “twisted” to want to clothe the naked . . . to make sure that every child of God—every person—has what is needed to feel wanted and safe.  It is “twisted” to want fairness and justice for all people, not just a few . . . that all are taken care of.  It is “twisted” to reach out and care for others who are different within the culture . . . to welcome the stranger . . . to set the table for all of God’s children no matter who they are.  It is “twisted” to not walk by the broken and lonely . . . to reach out and care . . . to simply acknowledge another and say, “Hello in there.”

In what the world sees as “twisted” God sees the Kingdom.  God see love in action.  God sees a life centered on the holy . . . on God and others.  God does not see the effects of wine, but instead sees intentional love.  God sees the “mark” of “twisted” . . . God sees the Spirit.

If love is the mark of being “twisted”, then so be it.  As the followers of Jesus, it is better to be seen as “twisted” than to participate in craziness of the world we journey through.  Let the world point its finger and ridicule us and declare that it must be the wine.  We know the truth . . . we know the way.  We are called upon to walk in the footsteps of Jesus . . . to live our lives as Jesus lived his . . . we are to go about the business of love.  It won’t be easy.  We may be ridiculed . . . we may be persecuted . . . and, we might even be threatened with death; but it is still God’s way . . . no matter how “twisted” the world calls us.

Peter reminds us as he is speaking to the crowd on that first Pentecost . . . we are not alone.  God is with us.  God will take care of us.  Peter proclaims, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

What do we have to lose?

We are marked by God through Jesus . . . we are “twisted”.  Let us embrace and live it.  It is the only way that we will ever change the world.  We are special . . . gifted . . . gifted with the Spirit.  One of my favorite Joni Mitchell songs is Twisted.  It is a song about a little girl who is seen as being different from her family . . . different than others . . . as kind of strange and unique and not fit for the world she lives in.  Her parents send to an analyst to become normal because she is unusual.  For example, she refuses to ride on double decker buses because there is no driver on top.  They call her “twisted” because she is not like everyone else.  But that is okay because she sees herself as special, unique, and new.  At the end of the song she proclaims to her analyst and her detractors, “. . . I’ll have the last laugh on you . . . ‘cause instead of one head—I got two.  And you know two heads are better than one.”

As the followers of Jesus, we are called to be “twisted”.  In the end we will have the last laugh on the world . . . instead of one heart, we have two—our own and the Spirit’s.  And, as you know, two hearts are better than one.  Amen. 

Blame it on the wine.  That is what the people were saying as they were making fun of all those moved by the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost . . . “They had too much wine.”  The people were speaking in various languages foreign to them.  They were probably ecstatic . . . jerking and flailing about.  It looked like they were having a good ol’ time to those who were witnessing the whole thing.  It had to be the wine . . . they were drunk . . . they were not acting normal . . . they were “twisted”.

“Twisted” is an adjective that is used to describe something that is forced out of its natural or proper shape . . . something considered abnormal.  The behavior that people were witnessing was definitely “twisted”.  What people were seeing was not normal.  It was something new, something never seen before . . . it was different.  Different scares people . . . and no one wants to admit that he or she is scared.  Ridicule is a good defense against fear.  What we don’t know, or understanding can be deflected away with some good ridicule.  Is that not what we hear in our reading this morning . . . “Some, however, made fun of them . . .” And they blamed it on the wine.

Well, there is no denying that what was happening to the followers of Jesus was new and different.  They were being smacked silly with the Spirit.  The Spirit descended upon them with a flare . . . a howling wind, tongues of fire, and words they had never heard before.  The Spirit embraced them, filled them, and forced them out of their natural shape . . . they were changed . . . they were “twisted”.

Peter recognized what was happening . . . yeah, the people were “twisted”, but they were not “twisted” in a negative way.  Peter addressed the people.  He explained that this was exactly what the prophet Joel had predicted . . . this is what Jesus had told them.  God has gifted the followers with the Spirit . . . they were God’s now.  Jesus had shown the way and God had confirmed it.  For the followers they had entered the “new normal” . . . the “normal” that God had always intended.  In the eyes of the world this new “normal” looked “twisted” . . . it didn’t look right.  So, they blamed it on the wine.

That explains it all . . . doesn’t it?

Jesus did not come to live life the way that the world did.  He came to live life as God intended it to be.  The words that he spoke went against all that the world preached.  The actions that he took shocked those who witnessed them as they were often done to those who were considered expendable and worthless.  The people who Jesus hung out with were not those of high society and power, but those who were on the fringes of society . . . those who were left out.  Jesus was “twisted” if you ask those who were his detractors . . . he was not “normal”.  Not as they saw the world, and yet, in the eyes and heart of God Jesus was “normal” no matter how much the world thought of him being “twisted”.

That blustery, fiery day of Pentecost flipped the world on its head . . . it changed everything.  God had come to confirm and affirm the witness of Jesus as the new way of life . . . life that was filled with love.  Love for God.  Love for others.  The followers of Jesus got the sign . . . they received the mark . . . they “twisted” into the way that life was meant to be . . . God’s way.  There was no denying that they had changed . . . that they were different.  The time had come for them to actually carry the torch Jesus had lit and to bring this new way into the world . . . to “twist” the world into God’s will.

When we came into our faith as the followers of Jesus we were “twisted” . . . we were changed . . . we became a new creation in God through Jesus.  Though we probably did not have as dramatic of a baptism as the followers we are reading about this morning, we know that we were changed.  We know that there was a shift within us that took us out of what we thought was our natural or proper shape.  We saw the world differently.  We were seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus.  And, like Jesus we realized that the world was far from the ideal that God wants.  We were “twisted” because we no longer fit the mold of what the world wanted. 

It seems that it is “twisted” to want to rid the world of hunger . . . especially in a world that produces plenty to feed all of its inhabitants.  It is “twisted” to want to clothe the naked . . . to make sure that every child of God—every person—has what is needed to feel wanted and safe.  It is “twisted” to want fairness and justice for all people, not just a few . . . that all are taken care of.  It is “twisted” to reach out and care for others who are different within the culture . . . to welcome the stranger . . . to set the table for all of God’s children no matter who they are.  It is “twisted” to not walk by the broken and lonely . . . to reach out and care . . . to simply acknowledge another and say, “Hello in there.”

In what the world sees as “twisted” God sees the Kingdom.  God see love in action.  God sees a life centered on the holy . . . on God and others.  God does not see the effects of wine, but instead sees intentional love.  God sees the “mark” of “twisted” . . . God sees the Spirit.

If love is the mark of being “twisted”, then so be it.  As the followers of Jesus, it is better to be seen as “twisted” than to participate in craziness of the world we journey through.  Let the world point its finger and ridicule us and declare that it must be the wine.  We know the truth . . . we know the way.  We are called upon to walk in the footsteps of Jesus . . . to live our lives as Jesus lived his . . . we are to go about the business of love.  It won’t be easy.  We may be ridiculed . . . we may be persecuted . . . and, we might even be threatened with death; but it is still God’s way . . . no matter how “twisted” the world calls us.

Peter reminds us as he is speaking to the crowd on that first Pentecost . . . we are not alone.  God is with us.  God will take care of us.  Peter proclaims, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

What do we have to lose?

We are marked by God through Jesus . . . we are “twisted”.  Let us embrace and live it.  It is the only way that we will ever change the world.  We are special . . . gifted . . . gifted with the Spirit.  One of my favorite Joni Mitchell songs is Twisted.  It is a song about a little girl who is seen as being different from her family . . . different than others . . . as kind of strange and unique and not fit for the world she lives in.  Her parents send to an analyst to become normal because she is unusual.  For example, she refuses to ride on double decker buses because there is no driver on top.  They call her “twisted” because she is not like everyone else.  But that is okay because she sees herself as special, unique, and new.  At the end of the song she proclaims to her analyst and her detractors, “. . . I’ll have the last laugh on you . . . ‘cause instead of one head—I got two.  And you know two heads are better than one.”

As the followers of Jesus, we are called to be “twisted”.  In the end we will have the last laugh on the world . . . instead of one heart, we have two—our own and the Spirit’s.  And, as you know, two hearts are better than one.  Amen. 

“Come On In” (I Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11)

I am a lousy swimmer.  My children are all good swimmers who were on the swim team, life guarded, and taught swimming all the way through their high school years.  It was not thanks to me . . . it was their mother who loved to swim, swam well, and wanted the children to know the joys of swimming.  My idea of swimming is sitting next to the pool, lake, or ocean with a nice cold beverage enjoying the warmth of the sun.  Water is not my thing primarily because I am such a lousy swimmer. 

It probably would have been different if I had been put into swimming lessons or had someone showing me the various strokes when I was a kid.  Unfortunately, it never happened.  What swimming skills I have, I earned them on my own.  It was a matter of survival.  As a kid there was a lake my mom liked to take us kids to while she sunbathed. 

It was a small lake that had a sandy beach, a roped off swimming area, and a platform for people to jump off into the water.  The platform was every kid’s goal.  The water to the platform was about five feet deep . . . just shallow enough for a five-foot two-inch kid to wade out to.  I kind of looked like a miniature shark with my nose sticking up out of the water.  I could wade out to the platform and join my friends without ever having to lift my feet off the bottom of the lake . . . and, so I would.  I’d wade out to the platform and hang out with my friends.  When the time came, I would climb back down the ladder and wade back to the beach . . . that was the only way I could do it without swimming.  Or, I could jump off the other side of the platform, the lake side—where the water was a good twenty feet deep—and swim back like all the others.

Yeah, right!  No matter how sissy I looked, I climbed down the ladder and waded back . . . at least until one day when the beach was packed.  There were people everywhere.  The platform was jammed packed with people and right in the middle of them were my friends . . . calling out for me to come and join them.  And, so I did.  Slowly but surely, I waded out, climbed up the ladder, and elbowed my way to join my friends.

Everything was fine if no moved and we all breathed at the same time.  Then while I was standing there at the edge of the platform one friend jumped in and urged the rest of us to join him . . . “Come on in,” he yelled, “the water is fine!”  That sounded like my call to start heading towards the ladder and wading back . . . if I could get through the crowd.  Then suddenly I was pushed from behind . . . next thing I knew I was out in the air above the lake, flapping my arms, and yelling like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid when they jump their horses off the cliff and into the river below.  What I yelled was not what you expect to hear out of the mouth of a ten-year old kid. 

Then splash!  I sunk into the water all the way to the muddy bottom.  Panic surged through my body.  I was certain that I was going drown.  In what felt like forever, I finally emerged from the watery depths and began splashing and kicking and doing anything to keep myself from drowning.  It wasn’t pretty but it worked . . . I made it to the beach.  I was alive . . . I hadn’t drowned . . . and, surprisingly I convinced myself that I now knew how to swim.  It is amazing how much courage one can get from surviving a drowning.  I didn’t think twice about wading back out to that platform and doing it all over again much to the delight of my friends . . . after all, they kept encouraging me to “come on in . . . the water is fine!”

So, when it comes to swimming, I am not one of those who are apt to jump in with both feet.  No, I am going to be one of those who are going to “test the waters” despite the urging of those around me telling me to “come on in, the water is fine!”  One toe at a time!  That’s my motto . . . and, I think that is the motto for many . . . especially when it comes to fully stepping out and experiencing new thoughts, ideas, and ways of doing things in life.

As the Easter slowly winds down, we need to remember the message of the season as one of being hope . . . the resurrection is a story of promise and hope that things do not have to be the way that the world dictates them to be.  Jesus showed and shows a better way . . . God’s way.  It is a way that cannot be defeated by the world.  Jesus showed us that.  It is also a challenge.  The challenge being that if we are truly the followers of Jesus, we will receive the baton handed to us to continue the race towards the finish of God’s Kingdom.  Jesus started the race, looked like he dropped the baton, but picked it up and hands it to us.  The resurrection gives us hope, Jesus gives us the way.  The rest is up to us.

Once those first followers understood the need to pick up the baton and run with it, they reached out to share that “good news” of Jesus with those around them.  They started to live their lives in love with God . . . to center themselves in God and God’s love.  They went forth to love others and to invite them to come and join in family.  Things went well as there were many searching for such love and relationships within their lives . . . looking for that family that loved, cared, and watched out for one another.  The family was born and grew.  The call of the faithful to others was to “come on in, the water is fine!”

Yet, we must remember that Jesus and his way were not appreciated by those who were powerful and rich.  It went against all that they held onto tightly.  It took away their control and power.  So, when they thought that they had gotten rid of the problem with Jesus’ death they were surprised and concerned to suddenly see it spring up again through those they had thought they had scared off.  Thus, it was back to plan “A” . . . harassment, persecution, and even death.  The goal was to snuff the candle before it could grow into a raging fire.  They would make life miserable for those who were the followers of Jesus.

Yet, the message remained the same from those who were following the ways of Jesus . . . it never changed, “Come on in, the water is fine!”  They continued to invite those they encountered to come and be a part of the family. 

Now I do not know about you . . . but if I was one of those hearing that message and seeing what was going on around this group, I might be a little hesitant in jumping in with both feet.  I would probably start out slowly and stick a toe in the waters to test it out.  After all, I’m a lousy swimmer and I would not want to drown.  With the invitation of the followers of Jesus to join them, I am not to sure I want to endure harassment, persecution, and maybe even death . . . no matter how good the water might be.

Yet, the invitation never changes . . . “come on in,” they urge.  This is no rosy-colored glasses through which these followers are looking at their situation.  They know that it is tough . . . they know that those who follow Jesus will be harassed, persecuted, and possibly killed.  They know because they have endured it for themselves.  And still they remain positive . . . still inviting . . . still welcoming.  That is the message they share in our reading this morning.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange is happening to you.  But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.  If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

The followers of Jesus are realistic.  They understand that if Jesus and what he was doing was unacceptable, then their picking up the baton to finish the race will be too.  If Jesus was harassed, persecuted, and put to death . . . then they should expect nothing less.  The cause is the same whether Jesus is at the forefront or they are . . . the reactions to it all is the same.  The followers know that it is hard.  Yet, they invite . . . “Come on in!”

Come on in, they say, you will not drown.  You will not drown because you are not alone.  The Spirit is with you . . . God is with you . . . Jesus is beside you.  That can never be taken away from you no matter what the world throws at you.  You will be taken care of . . . “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”   God will take care of you . . . so, come on in, the water is fine.

The challenge of following Jesus and living in his ways is that it is not the ways of the world we live in.  To go against the world is to invite a tough time . . . to invite harassment, persecution, and even death into our lives.  And if we choose to call ourselves followers of Jesus, to believe as he believed, then we have no choice except to live as he lived.  It means we need to trust those who are calling us to “come on in” . . . trust that their experiences are evidence enough that we can do it.  It is to move from belief to living . . . to put aside the fear and embrace that Holy presence that never deserts us.  That God is always with us . . . always.

The waters we are called to dive into as the faithful are all new and change to us . . . they are unknown.  We do not know what they hold for us.  And, yet, we are beckoned by those before us to “come on in”.  We may not be good swimmers and thus we are a little apprehensive about jumping in.  We are not the first to feel this way, nor will we be the last.  But we can trust those who came before us.  Remember the encouraging words we are hearing this morning are from the faithful two thousand years ago.  They remind us . . . we are not alone. 

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Jesus calls us . . . “Come on in, the water is fine!”  Let us believe and live . . . we are not alone.  Amen.