“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.