The Story Behind “It’s Pentecost”
True story.
About a week after our “Easter is Coming” video went sort of viral – or perhaps I should say, “viral” for us 🙂 – the President of the seminary said to me, “So what are you going to do next?”
Truth be told, we had no “next” in mind. But prompted by the implicit challenge in the question, Ben Cieslik and I went back to the drawing board and decided to experiment with how we might bring out a new dimension of Pentecost. This time we found inspiration from something Pete Rollins said: “We all have holes we want filled, but more times than not, God doesn’t just fill those holes, God makes them bigger.” (Or something like that. :))
Which got us thinking, particularly with regard to Pentecost: we tend to think that the coming of the Holy Spirit was a good thing. And of course in a lot of ways it was. But to those who first experienced it, it was also a really hard thing. The easy response would have been to retreat from Jesus’ promises, to head back to the lives they knew, or to chalk up their experience to the wildness of youth. But instead, the Spirit comes, convincing them it’s more true than ever and turning their lives upside down.
Before long they’re going places they have no right to go, saying things they shouldn’t be saying, to people they wouldn’t formerly have dreamt of encountering, let alone challenging. All because of the Spirit we call Holy.
Which got us thinking again: are we the same way? That is, I think we often look to the Holy Spirit to solve our problems, when maybe the Spirit wants to create some new ones, some big ones, some better ones. Problems that draw us out of our preoccupation with ourselves and into active concern for the welfare of our neighbor.
The Spirit also equips us, I believe, to live into those problems that we may not just survive but flourish, but before the new life comes struggle and challenge.
Out of these musings came the video, “It’s Pentecost” – I wrote a text; Ben did his amazing work with animation and editing and sound; and then we cut and cut until we had something short enough that people would watch. The result is below. As before, feel free to share it, use it, or whatever.
Have a blessed Pentecost. But, be careful, because you never know quite where the Spirit will take you!
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Wonderful. However, a bit too fast for me. Can you make it available as text to read and reflect at a slower pace? Thanks.
It is a tad frenetic. 🙂
Unfortunately, I can’t find the original text.
It is awesome BECAUSE it is frenetic. This video is so appropriate, so well done and so timely. Jesus didn’t say, “Go into all the world and build churches and form committees and do church business.” He said “Go and make disciples”. When you do that, you can’t stop church growth from happening.
Well done. Just what I needed to see at just the right time. How appropriate. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
That’s brilliant. Great job! I’ll be sharing.
I’d love to have your permission to play this in church on Sunday…
First Lutheran
Temple, Texas
You’ve got it!
….and I’m just sorry I’m not leading worship this week or I’d want to use it too. ..,,,
I hate myself for being “the actually what Pete really said/says guy” but I’m gonna be because I just love the image, and you can find him speaking about it here. http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/200-dollar-conversions
Pete challenges folks who think that people are simply walking around with a God-shaped-hole in their hearts that can only be filled by Jesus. He says, how can we long for God until we’ve truly encountered God. So, it’s the encounter with God that tears a whole in our hearts.
Anyway, sorry to be “that” guy. Fun to revisit this process, thanks as always David.
As you probably know, I’m fairly notorious at getting “close but not quite” when it comes to quotations, so it’s good to have one of “those guys” around. Again, thanks for the fantastic partnership. I hope we can find ways to continue that.
After reading your blog mentioning your Greek Orthodox friend, I believe with whom you grew up, I was even more intrigued by the many pictures you post of icons. My neighbor is Greek, semi-practicing Greek Orthodox – E & C, I’d say. I was telling him about all the pictures you post of the icons. His brother and Mother each went to school to be certified to create(?)/paint icons. He has MANY in his home, but mostly from the “Art appreciation” aspect. He was very interested as to why you post pictures of icons. He found this interesting coming from a “non-Orthodox” (!!!) – is it your love for Art or love for the icons – and do you own any? Thank you.
My friend Luke actually gave me an icon for my ordination. I don’t know nearly as much about the art form as I should, but I find them beautiful and arresting in a way that almost always throws me into a moment of contemplation…which is what I think they’re supposed to do. 🙂 Thanks for asking.
Commencing on Pentecost Sunday – wonderful and terrifying 🙂
I just might use this for my Meet and Greet (pending Council recommendation) next month. What do you think?
Why not? 🙂
I would like to show this in church this Sunday, however, we do not have internet access. Is there a way I could download this to a CD or DVD to play on the TV? We have no other video capabilities.
You can download the file here and if need be transfer to any other medium you wish.
http://cbpstore.luthersem.edu/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=40
Thank you.
Hi, Mary.
We put a link to it at the home page of http://www.workingpreacher.org.
I tried both sites suggested, had to sign up to “purchase” (no cost)to download at the store which I did, downloaded it, but cannot open it. One file appear to be empty, the second is a .zip.part file, whatever that is. Winzip will not open it. Any thoughts?
Fantastic! Thanks David and Ben (and Pete). As a pastor who always feels like someone wants me to “fix” their problems, I get so frustrated. You’ve given me alternate language to respond and I thank you! And I greatly appreciate the follow up post about Pete Rollins and the wonderful way he challenges us and inverts our common thinking about theology. You rock David.
Definitely sharing. Thanks for giving us a new way to look at things.
Hello David,
Just a short note to say thanks, for your talks in Nashville last week. We are exhausted and looking forward to next year.
I am sharing this on Trinity Sunday at Faith Lutheran, next week the Bishop will visit and the discussion will be on next steps to grow or close. I hope the choice is to grow, alas I may be out of a regular part time ministry Sunday mornings.
Take Care,
Tom
Best wishes and prayers to you and your congregation during this important time of discernment, Tom!
Hello David,
This is fantastic. Definitely will share with my congregation on Sunday. Will sure give you credit for this awesome piece of work. Sure wish we had a video. Alicia