Our key verse for today may seem a little obscure.  “But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd.”  (Acts 2:14a) On that surface, that might not seem all that remarkable.  But think about where Peter was 52 days ago, back on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.  When Jesus got arrested, the disciples scattered!  And Peter, well, he found himself three times, denying he even knew Jesus.  The disciples didn’t exactly stand firm in their faith.  And Peter certainly didn’t stand up for his friend and teacher.

But on Pentecost, it is a completely different story.  They disciples are together, committed to each other.  And they are committed to Christ.  They follow Jesus’ instructions exactly, and on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came, they were together for the experience.  It was so powerful and dramatic, people were scratching their heads. What is going on?  Why are these people acting so weird?  Maybe they are drunk!  This time, Peter is not afraid of anyone’s accusations.  He has been empowered by the Holy Spirit.  He stands up and proclaims what he knows about Jesus.  And as a result of that standing up, the Church was born.

It is that willingness to stand up for what we believe in, that brings about all good change in the world.  Believe it or not, it took someone standing up in order to get us to even wash our hands!  Yup, it’s true.  His name was Ignaz Semmelweiss.  He was a physician in Austria, and in 1847, he instituted a strict rule at the General Hospital in Vienna, that all medical staff were required to wash their hands in chlorinated lime water before entering the maternity ward.  He wanted to do something to address the terrible problem of so many new mothers dying after childbirth.

Dr. Semmelweiss began requiring hand washing with an antiseptic solution, and guess what?  The mortality rate in his ward diminished drastically!  The handwashing rule was a huge success.  But.  As one of my mentors used to say, no good deed goes unpunished.  Ignaz’s colleagues were angry, because they thought he was blaming them, and their unwashed hands, for so many women dying in the maternity ward.  So they ran Semmelweiss out of Austria.

Dr. Semmelweiss traveled other countries, trying to convince people of the importance of handwashing.  He could tell them anecdotally that the mortality rate dropped had in Vienna after the handwashing protocols were implemented.  But he was not able to scientifically prove his theory, and he was unable to convince people of his beliefs.  He died in 1865, at the age of 47, ironically, of an infection he contracted in an insane asylum.

You may be wondering, Pastor Dorry, why are you telling such a sad story on a happy day like today?  If you’re trying to encourage us to stand up for our beliefs, this isn’t a very comforting example!  I know, right!  And that’s the point.  Christians need to be reminded, just because you stand up for your beliefs does not mean you will always be “successful”.  In our scripture lesson today, Peter stood up for his beliefs, and three thousand people converted to Christianity on the spot.  That’s pretty darn good!  But eventually, Peter would be martyred for his faith.  Standing firm in his faith led to his demise.  It would be great if standing up for your beliefs were as easy as it sounds like it was for Peter on the first Pentecost.  But that’s not realistic for us.  It wasn’t even Peter’s experience all the time.

I would like to point out that Ignaz was not even thirty years old when he instituted the hand-washing rule.  Encouragement to stand up for what you believe is important for all of us, but it might be even more important for young people.  As we recognize our graduates today, let’s remember:  young people have a fresh perspective.  Young people see things differently.  Everyone else is so entrenched in the way things have always been done, that we don’t see what young people see.  I want to encourage our graduates today, and all young people, when you point things out to older adults, don’t be surprised if they balk!  And don’t get discouraged when you hear the inevitable chorus of, “We’ve never done it that way before!”

But, people of all ages, we have it on good authority that if we will have the courage to stand up for what we believe, eventually, new life will come through our witness.  That is the promise of the resurrection.  We may or may not ever see these results.  But even if we don’t get to see dramatic results like Peter did that first Pentecost doesn’t mean change isn’t happening.  Every time you tell the truth, or forgive someone who hurt you, or stick up for someone who is being treated unfairly, or refuse to participate in activities you know wouldn’t be okay with God—you bring new life.  You are stopping the spread of “germs”, and helping instead to spread justice and peace.  Every time you befriend someone who is lonely, or share with someone who doesn’t have enough, or recycle instead of throwing away, or make ethical choices about what you purchase—every time you do these things, you bring new life.  You are stopping the spread of germs, and helping to instead spread mercy and love.

On this Pentecost Sunday, I find Peter’s experience encouraging.  It is not always easy to stand up for what is right.  It doesn’t always make you popular.  But it does always (eventually!) make a difference.

Not long after Ignaz Semmelweiss died, his ideas became widely accepted.  Louis Pasteur, from whom we get the word pasteurization, and Joseph Lister, from whom we get the name Listerine, were able to build on Semmelweiss’ work and show scientifically why handwashing and antiseptic were so important.  It’s not always popular in our culture to be a Christian. But you know what?  Maybe we are just ahead of our time, in the same way Ignaz Semmelweiss was ahead of his.  Some day Jesus will come again, and the Christian beliefs that seem so crazy to our culture today will be as widely accepted as hand washing.  So hang in there!  Our faith connects us to truth that may be a little hard to explain or prove right now.  But some day we will see completely, face to face with God, and we will filled with gratitude and praise for the way our faith served us.

It is a tradition in the Church that whenever we recite an affirmation of faith, we stand.  In a few minutes, we will all STAND UP for what they believe in.  But our charge today is not just to stand up, but to stand firm.  Because God needs us to stand up for what’s right, not just in church, but everywhere.  God wants it to be Pentecost again!  And we want it to be Pentecost again, too.  We yearn for the winds of the Spirit to blow, and bring about justice for all people, renewal of creation, peace on earth, and joy in the living of our days.  That is why the traditional greeting for Pentecost is “Come, Holy Spirit.”  Christians all around the world are praying this prayer together today.  Renewal is a partnership, between our open hearts, and the movement of the Spirit.

That is why the traditional prayer on Pentecost is, “Come, Holy Spirit!”  And if the idea of the Holy Spirit coming and shaking things up makes you nervous, Jesus gave us another traditional prayer, “Peace by with you.”  These words are needed by people of faith all over the world, because the whole world is in need of renewal.

So let’s hear how they sound in other languages:

Komm, Heiliger Geist! (“Come, Holy Spirit” in German)

Viens, Esprit Saint! (“Come, Holy Spirit” in French)

Ven, Espiritu Santo! (“Come, Holy Spirit” in Spanish)

Sooner or later, every one of us is called to be like Peter:  to stand up for what is right.  To proclaim our faith, if not with words, with deeds.  This is how God’s kingdom comes!  Through the faithfulness of people like us, who are open to the leading of the Spirit.  But people who stand up and speak out also sometimes stick out.  If you ever feel called upon to stand up for what is right, and that makes you a little nervous, I have some ancient words for you:  Peace be with you!  Come, Holy Spirit.  These are Pentecost words.  These are Pentecost people words!  In whatever language you speak, may they be your words.  Amen.

 

Benediction:  On this day of Pentecost, we give thanks for the generations of faithful people who made our faith and freedom possible.  We give thanks for new generations who will work for justice and peace.  We pray the Holy Spirit will inspire us and strengthen us to STAND UP, and STAND FIRM, for eternity.  Go in peace, and serve your Lord. Amen.