{"id":3158,"date":"2021-05-23T11:00:44","date_gmt":"2021-05-23T15:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/?p=3158"},"modified":"2021-05-20T15:07:39","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T19:07:39","slug":"spirit-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/2021\/05\/23\/spirit-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Spirit Days"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click here to hear the full service<\/a><\/p>\n

John 16: 4-15<\/a><\/p>\n

Click here to hear just the sermon<\/a><\/p>\n

When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the Truth.<\/em><\/p>\n

Spirit Days at Commencement <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Pentecost, today, is the day of the Spirit.\u00a0 Yet they are all spirit days are they not?\u00a0 All our days, all, are spirit days. Especially, listening caringly to the Gospel of John, we are empowered and emboldened to proclaim that all days, each day, every day, they are all spirit days.\u00a0 The Bible tells us so, as does Shakespeare, Scripture and the Bard being the two best sources for learning in college, and out of college:<\/p>\n

All the world’s a stage,<\/em><\/p>\n

And all the men and women merely players:<\/em><\/p>\n

They have their exits and their entrances;<\/em><\/p>\n

And one man in his time plays many parts,<\/em><\/p>\n

His acts being seven ages.<\/em><\/p>\n

On arrival in Boston, some years ago, we had no grandchildren. Then they came, one by beautiful, blessed one, beginning at the end of our first year.\u00a0 As she grew, she spoke, one of her first words, beneath the great CITGO logo, was, \u2018sign\u2019.\u00a0 Then she walked, and walked up and down every outside staircase on Bay State Road, one by one, counting the steps.\u00a0 Looking for her grandfather, off at work, she later asked, \u2018Where is\u2026somebody?\u00a0 Is\u2026somebody\u2026coming home?\u2019\u00a0 For once, her granddad was really \u2018somebody\u2019.\u00a0 Now she is 13.\u00a0 You will hear from her in a spirited moment, as so fully we did hear the spirit through Commencement at Boston University this last week.<\/p>\n

One Club launched a free laundry demonstration, on a recent Friday noon, on Marsh Plaza.\u00a0 Our staff made playful comments about\u2026a rising tide<\/em> lifts all boats\u2026whisk <\/em>them away\u2026what do they have to gain<\/em> by it \u2026Yes, it was Ajax<\/em>\u2026a whole laundry list<\/em>\u2026Reap the bounty<\/em>\u2026We were going a little stir crazy, fifty four weeks later\u2026but at the table next to them the Sojourners Campus Ministry was writing thank you notes to social workers, and encouraging others to do the same.<\/p>\n

Spirit Days.<\/p>\n

Maria Erb now leads a new department at Boston University, named the Newbury Center, which is devoted to supporting first generation students, those who are first in their families to attend college.\u00a0 It is a center so in keeping with the heart, spirit, tradition, history and soul of BU.\u00a0 She said a few days ago: \u00a0This is my vocation, my work with first generation students.\u00a0 This is my calling.\u00a0 This is my ministry.\u00a0 I view it as a form and type of ministry, whereby I live out my faith.\u00a0 <\/em>Could someone say \u2018amen\u2019 to that?<\/p>\n

Spirit Days.<\/p>\n

After a stirring peroration offered to Seniors, of the best ways to live and thrive into the future, a fine faculty member added, as a post script, with humor:\u00a0 And also\u2026get a cat.\u00a0 <\/em>At that same Senior Breakfast, our friend and colleague Dean Elmore said, \u2018My mentor, George Houston Bass, in \u201cBreer Rabbit Whole\u201d had this closing thought that has stayed with me:<\/p>\n

May joy, beauty and kindness be with you,<\/em><\/p>\n

Day after day. Night after night.<\/em><\/p>\n

May joy walk beside you,<\/em><\/p>\n

Let kindness guide you,<\/em><\/p>\n

May beauty surround you,<\/em><\/p>\n

May you always want to say,<\/em><\/p>\n

To friends, kinfolk and strangers you meet along life\u2019s way,<\/em><\/p>\n

May God bless and keep you each and every day.<\/em>
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Spirit Days.<\/p>\n

Graduate Soren Hessler, in his fine remarks for THIS I BELIEVE, said\u2026 I believe that the modern American research university, so often built upon the educational foundation of training Christian clergy, does well to remember its roots in cultivating personal character and equipping graduates to care for the needs of the world. I believe a quality professional education, regardless of discipline must \u201cUnite the pair so long disjoined, knowledge and vital piety: learning and holiness combined.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>Graduate Afsha Kasham, said, \u2026 Being a woman has taught me a lot. But it\u2019s mostly taught me to speak up, even if my voice shakes. Maybe they won\u2019t believe you, but at least you\u2019ll know that you tried. <\/em><\/p>\n

Spirit Days.<\/p>\n

And for Sunday\u2019s Commencement itself:\u00a0\u00a0 our pioneering neighbor, the creator of the Moderna vaccine, urging us to be comfortable being uncomfortable; to learn to weather rejection; and to stay curious, always thinking \u2018what if?; the head of the Boston Food Bank bluntly asking us, \u2018what are you willing to really work for?\u2019; a congresswoman bringing back to this University the voice, the voice both in content and in calling, of Coretta Scott King.<\/p>\n

Then Monday, to hear first with the Army near Faneuil<\/em> Hall, then with Navy on The USS Constitution\u2014to be so located for commissioning!…it is like being ordained a priest at the Vatican or a preacher on John Wesley\u2019s porch\u2014the repeated solemn vow, taken by such young courageous women and men\u2014to support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.\u00a0 <\/em>Can you hear that America, in May of 2021? To support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.<\/em><\/p>\n

Spirit Days in John<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

These are spirited voices, Johannine voices.\u00a0 And John is so different, so radically inspired, so different and new and spirited.\u00a0 Spirit abounds especially, even perhaps in full measure, only in John.\u00a0 Only John places Jesus in Jerusalem thrice.\u00a0 Only in John does Jesus raise the dead at mid Gospel\u2014\u201cLazarus, come out!\u201d\u00a0 Only in John does Jesus preach for five chapters on the last evening, washing feet rather than celebrating mass.\u00a0 Only in John does Jesus make the Jerusalem road fully and only a road of glory, from Palm Sunday to Easter.\u00a0 Only in John does Jesus say, \u201cIn my Father\u2019s House there are many rooms\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He is going home, home.\u00a0 And somehow, again strangely, we know the way where he is going.\u00a0 For it is our way, too.\u00a0 Only in John does Jesus walk serenely to Golgotha.\u00a0 Only in John does Jesus walk to death like God striding upon the earth.\u00a0 Only in John does Jesus pronounce GLORY from the jaws of death.\u00a0 Remember his dying word.\u00a0 Not \u201celi, eli\u201d as in Matthew and Mark.\u00a0 Not \u201cFather forgive them\u201d as in Luke.\u00a0 Simply, serenely, powerful, triumphantly, yes, gloriously, he says, in John, \u201cIt is finished.\u201d\u00a0 It is done, completed, perfected\u2014finished.\u00a0 He dies to rise, and go home, making a place a space for the whole human race.\u00a0 Spirit fully flourishes only in John<\/p>\n

\u2018(Those who composed John) had a burning conviction that they had been given the truth (led into all truth) and that through this truth they would come to enjoy a freedom that would release them from the constraints to which they were subjected: \u2018the truth will set you free\u2019\u2019<\/em>(John Ashton, 95)<\/p>\n

Conscious as they were of the continuing presence in their midst of the Glorified One, no wonder the community, or rather the evangelist who was its chief spokesman, smoothed out the rough edges of the traditions of the historical Jesus\u2026(They) realized that the truth that they prized as the source of their new life was to be identified not with the Jesus of history but with the risen and glorious Christ, and that this was a Christ free from all human weakness.\u00a0 The claims they made for him were at the heart of the new religion that soon came to be called Christianity. (199)\u00a0 The difference between John\u2019s portrait of Christ and that of (the other gospels) is best accounted for by the experience of the glorious Christ constantly present to him and his community (204)<\/em><\/p>\n

The stark strangeness, the utter difference of John from the rest of the Bible we have yet fully to admit. \u00a0But when we get to the summit, John 14 and following, we see chiseled there in ice and covered fully with wind snow, an enigmatic, mysterious riddle: \u00a0Spirit, sweet Spirit, Paraclete. \u00a0The endless enemy of conformity. \u00a0The lasting foe of the nearly lived life. \u00a0The champion of the quixotic. \u00a0The standard bearer of liberty. \u00a0The one true spirit of spirited truth. \u00a0Yet we cannot even give the history of the term, nor fully define its meaning, nor aptly place it in context, nor finally determine its translation. \u00a0Paraclete eludes us. \u00a0Paraclete evades us. \u00a0Paraclete outpaces us. \u00a0Paraclete escapes us.<\/p>\n

Notice that the Spirit is given to all, not just to a few or to the twelve, definitely not. \u00a0Notice that it is Spirit not structure on which John relies. \u00a0Notice it is Spirit not memory which we shall trust (good news for those whose memory may slip a little). \u00a0Notice that Spirit stands over against what John calls \u2018world\u2019 here\u2014another dark mystery in meaning. \u00a0Notice that the community around John\u2019s Jesus is amply conveyed a powerful trust in Spirit.<\/p>\n

Spirit Days in Life<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Now the granddaughter, with whom we began at the first of life\u2019s stages is 13 and crossing into another, and mid-Covid her local news media picked up her spirit, as she honored a retiring crossing guard:<\/p>\n

I am writing to you because my friend\u2026and I learned that the Crossing Guard on Monroe, Vicky, by CVS is retiring soon and this Tuesday\u2026 is her last day. Vicky has been the crossing guard for 40 years here at Brighton. She was there on our first day of sixth grade and she has always been so kind to us.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Every morning, she greets by name on our walk to school and asks us if we have anything exciting happening. She wishes us good luck on any tests that we have, and gives us advice about school and life. When we come home, she asks us about our tests, or wishes us a happy weekend. She is almost a grandmother to all of the kids she keeps safe each and every day. Vicky has been the most amazing crossing guard to us, and we will be very sad to see her go.<\/em><\/p>\n

You will take your nourishment as you find it, day by day.\u00a0 As that quintessential romantic Alexander Herzen wrote, \u201cArt and the summer lightning of individual happiness\u2014these are the real goods\u201d.<\/p>\n

Spirit Days.\u00a0 Spirit Days.\u00a0 Spirit Days!<\/p>\n

Speaking of art and of the summer lightening of individual happiness, we close with a little song.\u00a0 Our own daughter, a generation ago, afforded us on stage the tune, the lyrics, and the inspiration. \u00a0Our children teach us, as she has taught us, on stage.\u00a0 She has taught us the power of the spoken, live spoken word, to intervene, and alter, and make new.\u00a0 It takes a while to raise parents right, but over time, we sometimes learn, learning that all days of life in every one of the seven stages are spirit days.\u00a0 No one says such lightly, after the last fourteen months.\u00a0 After more than a year of loss, we may be able to hear something of spirit from those who have known loss too.\u00a0 After this last year, those who have suffered loss, those of us who have suffered the loss of loved ones, may yet await spirit days to come.<\/p>\n

This week I remembered our daughter\u2019s stage voice and presence, from some years ago, in a play about love and marriage and death and spirit.\u00a0 After a lifetime of loss and disappointment, and the recent deaths of their spouses, two very elderly folks fall in love at the end of musical (I Love You.\u00a0 You\u2019re Perfect.\u00a0 Now Change<\/em>.)\u00a0 Where is life there is hope, and where there is hope there is life and where there is spirit there is life and hope together. In the song, SHE SPEAKS first, and he answers second:<\/p>\n

I\u2019VE GOT SOME PROBLEMS, MY HEALTH\u2019S NOT GOOD.<\/em><\/p>\n

Well at our age that\u2019s understood
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019VE GOT ARTHRITS<\/em><\/p>\n

Flairs up in June<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019VE GOT BRONCHITIS<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll get that soon.\u00a0 No matter.\u00a0\u00a0 I can live with that.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019VE HAD A BYPASS<\/em><\/p>\n

Well I\u2019ve had two<\/em><\/p>\n

I DIE MY HAIR<\/em><\/p>\n

It looks nice blue<\/em><\/p>\n

MY WAYS ARE SET<\/em><\/p>\n

Well, people change.\u00a0 I find you sexy<\/em><\/p>\n

I FIND YOU STRANGE<\/em><\/p>\n

No matter.\u00a0 I can live with that.<\/em><\/p>\n

I OFTEN THINK OF THOSE I MISS<\/em><\/p>\n

Sometimes I have to reminisce<\/em><\/p>\n

FRIENDS KEEP DYING BUT I\u2019M STILL STRONG<\/em><\/p>\n

It still does hurt, but not as long<\/em><\/p>\n

MY KIDS DON\u2019T VISIT
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Mine never leave<\/em><\/p>\n

I MAKE A MEATLOAF YOU WON\u2019T BELIEVE<\/em><\/p>\n

I tell tall tales<\/em><\/p>\n

I TELL THE TRUTH<\/em><\/p>\n

I drink skim milk<\/em><\/p>\n

I DRINK VERMOUTH<\/em><\/p>\n

No matter.\u00a0 I can live with that.<\/em><\/p>\n

I LIKE THINGS CLEAN.\u00a0 I SCRUB AND WASH<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got a garden, I grow some squash<\/em><\/p>\n

I KEEP IN SHAPE I MOW THE LAWN<\/em><\/p>\n

I wake up late<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019M UP AT DAWN<\/em><\/p>\n

No matter.\u00a0 I can live with that.<\/em><\/p>\n

I WILL BE BURIED AT MY JIM\u2019S RIGHT.<\/em><\/p>\n

Next to my Sue is my gravesite<\/em><\/p>\n

BUT I\u2019M STILL HERE WITH MUCH TO GIVE<\/em><\/p>\n

Someday I\u2019ll die<\/em><\/p>\n

FOR NOW I\u2019LL LIVE<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll ALWAYS LOVE JIM<\/em><\/p>\n

And I my Sue<\/em><\/p>\n

I JUST DON\u2019T KNOW<\/em><\/p>\n

You think I do?<\/em><\/p>\n

(Together): No matter. I can live with you. No matter. I can live with you.<\/em><\/p>\n

All the world’s a stage,<\/em><\/p>\n

And all the men and women merely players:<\/em><\/p>\n

They have their exits and their entrances;<\/em><\/p>\n

And one man in his time plays many parts,<\/em><\/p>\n

His acts being seven ages<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Pentecost, today, is the day of the Spirit.\u00a0 Yet they are all spirit days are they not?\u00a0 All our days, all, are spirit days. Hear good news: When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the Truth.<\/em><\/p>\n

-The Rev. Dr. Robert Allan Hill, Dean of Marsh Chapel<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Click here to hear the full service John 16: 4-15 Click here to hear just the sermon When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all the Truth. Spirit Days at Commencement Pentecost, today, is the day of the Spirit.\u00a0 Yet they are all spirit days are they not?\u00a0 All our days, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2679,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3158"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2679"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3158"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3159,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3158\/revisions\/3159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}