reminder

from my sermon on Mother's Day, May 9, 2010, from John 14:23-29

When I was growing up, the only bike I wanted was a Schwinn, 10 speed Continental. It was on the back cover of Boy's Life magazine. I begged, I pleaded, I prayed to get one, and so of course, I got a used, 1 speed bike with fat tires (which are all the rage now, but that's another story). I was disappointed, and I longed for the day when I might get my own Continental bike. It took me till I was 26 years old, married, living in Austin. I went to a garage sale, and there was a used Contintental for $62, which I bought. I loved that bike. I rode it around Austin. When we moved to San Saba, that county seat town, I often rode to my intown visits on that bike. People thought I was a Mormon missionary! One day I rode my bike to my bank on the corner of Hwy 190 and Hwy 16 where the one stop light is in San Saba. I parked it in front of the plate glass windows and walked inside. There was one of my church members, Sanoma. She said, "you like to ride your bike." "Yes, I do. It's get great gas mileage...ha, ha, ha." She said, "Nip used to like to ride his bike." Nip had been her husband before he died. I asked, "What kind of bike did he have?" She replied, "Nip had only the best of everything. I believe it was a Schwinn, a Paramount I think." I said, "I'd like to see that bike." She said, "You can have it." "No, Sonoma, I said I would like to see it." She answered, "You can have it."

And so the next week, I went to the storage shed behind their house, and Sonoma gave me this 15 speed, Schwinn Paramount bike. This is the kind of bike you could get on starting on one coast and ride to the other coast. It was about the best bike in the world when it came out, and still isn't too shabby. After that time, Sonoma kept giving me gifts. On my birthday or Christmas or just any old time, she would let me come over and pick out some of Nip's tools. I got this near 8 way wrench, c-clamps, rubber mallet, and mini-sledge, and this whole tool box.

And here's the point. I never knew Nip, but I know Nip. I know Nip by the things he left behind, the things that Sonoma gave me. I know Nip because of the stories that Sonoma told. Sonoma would remind me, would bring Nip to my mind, by the good gifts she gave and by what she said.

Jesus said that he was going away, but that he would send the Holy Spirit to remind his followers of all that he said and did. If you get my analogy, Sonoma plays the role of the Holy Spirit to Nip's Jesus.

It has long been a deep theological question: How can we possibly know Jesus? He lived and died and was raised from the dead a long time ago. The witness from our scripture this morning is that every believer can have access to Jesus through the Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised to send, to remind us of what he taught and lived.

And what gender is this Holy Spirit? We say Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Spirit cannot be an "it", must be a person, so what gender? On this Mother's Day, I would like to make the case for the Holy Spirit to be feminine. Now in Greek, the word for spirit is pneuma, and it is neuter. But in Hebrew, the word is ruah, and it is feminine. I think we could say that the Holy Spirit could be "she." Moreover, the word used here with Holy Spirit is Advocate. Do moms advocate for their children? The word in Greek is paraclete. It can also be traslated as counselor, comforter, helper. Do these sound like things moms might do? The literal translation of paraclete is one along side. Moms are on our side, aren't they? Moms are also "reminder-ers". I made that word up, but that's what the Holy Spirit does in this passage, remind us for all time who Jesus is.

We need to be reminded because life gets tough sometimes. One more gift from the Holy Spirit, one more tool I bring out is a coping saw. I am not making this name up. This instument of carpentry is a coping saw. Do you need help coping today? It is hard to cope sometimes. This past week we had someone try to set off a car bomb in Times Square. Thankfully, he was inept in his bomb-making, but it raises our fears. That kind of thing is only supposes to happen over there, not here. There was another bomb in New York City this past week. A trader on Wall street typed in "billion" instead of "million" in a sell order which set off a panic, the Dow Jones going down a thousand points in 16 minutes. We have an oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico and a volcano in Iceland. On and on the litany of woes goes on. Do you need help coping today?

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come to remind us of what he taught. Here's what he taught to help us cope: Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Neither let them be afraid.

These reminders are not just for us as individuals but for the community that gathers in Jesus's name. When our Jewish friends greet one another, they say....shalom. When they bless each other, they say...shalom. When they leave each other, they say...shalom. When Jesus was leaving, he said....shalom. We need to say that to each other now...shalom.

I remind you that we are not alone. The Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised is with us to remind us: Peace I leave with you. That is the good news I have to share.