Grits and the Gospel - May 24, 2026

Hello friends and welcome to this week's episode of grits in the gospel My name is Reverend Katie Griffiths and it is good to be with you on this busy weekend that is Memorial Day weekend in the life of the country and Pentecost and the life of the church so we celebrate the birth of the church and remember all of those who lost their lives fighting for our freedoms and Fighting for our country We appreciate those that sacrificed for us to be able to worship as we please on This Pentecost Sunday and every Sunday and every day We are thankful for them and for their lives We're also thankful for the early church for the lessons that they learned that we can learn from From the stories that we can share about the birth of this church that we still worship in centuries later It is a different kind of service today. It is a service of breath and prayer it is one of many scriptures and times of meditation and I'm excited to share it with you and with our congregation Prayer take can take many forms It can be introspective as you practice in your own personal prayer time It can be communal like we practice together in worship It can be silent and meditative Prayer can also be a thought of a loved one who is in need of prayer It can be the crying sackcloth prayers of someone in emotional or physical pain Prayer can also be life-giving like the breath as Early as the third century Christians in exile from Egypt called the desert fathers Used the breath prayer as a constant way of prayer and connection to God We also see early usage of breath prayer taken from scripture Based in passages from John and Mark the Jesus prayer We used by Eastern Orthodox Christians an Example of one of their central prayers is Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me You will hear the similarities to what we use every week and our own prayer time together Lord and your mercy Hear our prayer So today we're expanding on that idea of the breath prayer that we already practice I will read the words that are in the order of worship in the show notes and You will breathe in on the first line and breathe out on the second There will also be a time between each segment of the service for you to practice silent meditative prayer So let's practice this breath prayer with the Eastern Orthodox prayer All you have to do is take in a deep breath on the first line and breathe out on the second as I read it Take in a breath Lord Jesus Christ and exhale have mercy on me Let's try that one more time breathe in Lord Jesus Christ Breathe out have mercy on me Let us now come together in a time of worship Hear now the words of the gospel of John the 20th chapter verses 19 through 32 When it was evening on that day the first day of the week and the doors were locked where the disciples Had Where the disciples were for fear of the Jews Jesus came and stood among them and said Peace be with you after he said this he showed them his hands and his side and then the disciples rejoice when they saw the Lord and Jesus said to them again peace be with you as The Father has sent me so I send you When he had said this he breathed on them and said to them receive the Holy Spirit If you forgive the sins of any They are forgiven them if you retain the sins of any they are retained Thus ends the first reading Let us pray as Jesus gave his disciples the blessing of peace Let us receive the peace that comes from the spirit Breathe in receive the Holy Spirit Breathe out peace and blessings Our callings come from the presence of the Holy Spirit Help us to live out the blessings and gifts that we receive to help reveal presence The presence of the spirit to those around us breathe in receive the Holy Spirit Breathe out peace and blessings Help those who are living in chaos find peace and sanctuary with us here in this place Draw them to us through the spirit. We carry into the world Breathe in receive the Holy Spirit Breathe out peace and blessings amen Breathing is such a unique function of the body most of the time our nervous system Automatically expands and collapses our lungs to bring oxygen in and release carbon dioxide back out It takes in the life-giving air we need for our survival and releases the toxins that can harm our bodies Where it is unique from other bodily functions is that we can also control our breathing We can hold our breath We can slow our breathing we can increase the intensity of our breath. I Don't know about you But I usually don't notice my breathing until I have a sinus issue or I'm sneezing a lot from all the yellow dust in the spring Until I have a problem My breath is something that is just there without much thought. I I also notice my breath in times of joy Diving into the pool to cool off in the summer playing hide-and-seek in the dark lake water with friends Being able to hold my breath means I can swim and play and laugh with friends We see this reflected in the gospel lesson today There are two important lessons in the gospel text Jesus twice blesses the disciples with the presence of peace and Then he breathes the Holy Spirit onto them This breath is life-giving in a way far greater than our physical breath By breathing the spirit into them. He gives them the gift of part of God Becoming a part of each of them It is a gift that we still carry today and The blessing of peace that he gave them does not just mean serenity Peace can also be the absence of chaos and hurt and anger peace can bring joy Just like our breath can bring joy The joy of running and jumping into the ocean the joy of wading in the creek the joy of swimming and splashing And relaxing in the water holding our breath to enjoy the serenity that can be found just under the surface of the water our breath the Holy Spirit The peace blessing given by Jesus all of these things reflect the involuntary and voluntary practice of breathing that we do in our bodies What a blessing the disciples were given that day What a blessing each of us is given in every breath we take To remind us of the spirit that lives within each of us and the peace and joy that God the creator gave us Today as we continue to practice breath prayers, and when you leave this place anytime you notice your breath Make it a prayer When you were sick and suffering and struggling to breathe use it as a prayer for healing all of the things that are broken When you're holding your breath and jumping in the pool this summer make it an involuntary time of gratitude prayer Use these practices To follow the example of constant prayer that the desert fathers first practiced all of those centuries ago That way of small almost reflective and involuntary prayers Can happen that can happen all the time as you walk through life Breathing in the Holy Spirit and breathing out peace and blessings The second reading today starts our look at the second chapter of Acts We will read the second chapter of Acts We'll start with the first two verses When the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven And filled the whole house Where they were sitting Thus ends the second reading Let us pray God of the dove and the fire Bring both into our lives to remind us of your unfailing and undying love for us breathe in And feel the rushing wind Breathe out feel the space with God's presence With peace comes healing help us find both in our times of need Through your faith in you Through our faith in you and the presence of the Holy Spirit Breathe in Feel the rushing wind Breathe out fill the space with God's presence Reveal yourself through our senses Help us to see examples of your love all around us Help us to hear the cries of the needy help us to smell the sense of your creation Help us to touch the hearts of those who are looking for connection And help us to breathe the breath of an abundant life To all of those we meet Breathe in Feel the rushing wind Breathe out Fill the space with God's presence every time I read this passage. I can't help but think of the movie a mighty wind The late great Catherine O'Hara Eugene Levy and Christopher Guest are just part of an amazing cast of characters That make me laugh until I can't breathe It is a mockumentary movie about a folk band reuniting Together as they sing they whip up a mighty wind I am sure that God has a sense of humor I am sure that he doesn't mind the correlation I am sure it was a little humorous to him when to get the attention of the people in that room he whipped A mighty and violent wind around them What a way for the church to be born Not just with the gentle breeze of the peace-giving love that Jesus bestowed on the disciples but a violent and mighty wind The gentleness of the spirit that Jesus blessed them with in contrast To the mighty rush of air that God used on the day of Pentecost But extremes are often a reflection of our faith When Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit onto the disciples he gives them the involuntary part of the spirit The part that is always there even when we are not conscious of it The part that lives in us always But this mighty rushing wind is a reflective of the conscious part of our breathing The part that we cannot help but notice The part that rushes in with strength and power when we need to be healed or helped The part that brings us joy when it blows around us and makes us laugh the Holy Spirit is in part Like the breaths that we take We don't notice it until something goes wrong and we get stuffed up Or we need to hold our breath to find joy and peace It is the thing that helps us slow our hearts when they are beating fast When we are worried or anxious or in trouble and our hearts are racing it is our breath That can bring us peace that we are so desperate for The slowing of the breath can slow the heart The deep inhales and exhales can calm us and bring us peace Like our breath the Holy Spirit is always there Helping sustain us and give us life The Holy Spirit is the part of God that never leaves us physically Even though Jesus ascended to heaven, he left this part of himself and of God to be a presence with us always And when we feel the rushing wind of the presence of God, we can then remind those around us That God is with them as well We can become that vessel of life-giving breath that others need to remember that their breath Others need to remember that their breath is always present as well Let us take a moment of silent reflection As we remember our breath We continue our journey through acts as we look at the second chapter verses 3 through 11 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak In other tongues as the Spirit enabled them Now they were staying in Jerusalem God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven When they heard this sound a crowd came together in bewilderment Because each one heard their own language being spoken Spoken utterly amazed they ask Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia and Judea and Cappadocia Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene visitors from Rome both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues Thus ends The third reading Let us pray The Holy Spirit gave the gift of language to the world and tongues of fire Help us to speak the language of love to our neighbors Breathe in the fire of the Holy Spirit Breathe out the wonders of God The miracle that was the day of Pentecost Was an inspiration to all who witnessed it Help us to see the miracles of your spirit today and the mission and ministry of the church Breathe in the fire of the Holy Spirit Breathe out the wonders of God God's deeds and power are miraculous in every language Help us to see the heart of our neighbors and the Holy Spirit dwelling in them No matter what language they speak Breathe in the fire of the Holy Spirit Breathe out the wonders of God Amen I do not have the gift of understanding and speaking other languages I wish my brain worked that way, but it simply does not This passage for me as someone who struggles with learning other languages is really powerful For all of these people, all of these Galileans to begin speaking and understanding in their own native language is a true example of the miraculous power of God It would be like me all of a sudden being able to speak Spanish and French and Dutch all at the same time to an international group of people It would take an act of the Holy Spirit to get me to start speaking in their native tongues That or some kind of stroke But in this passage It is God who gives them the ability After the mysterious tongues of fire burn on top of each of the head their head scripture tells us that the people will people were filled with the Holy Spirit And began to speak in other languages as the spirit gave them ability The tongues of fire were the beginning of the spreading like fire of the church The birth of the church was out of the flames Seems about right The birth of this church seemed to come out of a fire that burned down the old way Of church life that you all came from The burning desire to become a place of love and light and acceptance is a language that a lot of people do not speak It is a language that a lot of churches do not speak Even though we all mostly speak English in this area the words we use the language of our hearts Is very different than a lot of people around here The spirit has given us the ability to speak a new language It has given us the ability to love in a different way It makes this place full of people on fire for the love of God in a new way The things we breathe into this community are being seen and heard as different than before But there is more to this idea than the newly formed church Each of us has a calling and a set of skills that is unique to us We each as a child of God have our own language to speak Verse 11 may be speaking about actual languages when it tells the story of the day of pentecost And says in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power But for us today it can have a much deeper meaning People can not only speak their own language of love and kindness, but those around us Can understand what we are saying in their own way The children that receive the books and our bins can learn the language of knowledge The people who go to the food bank can hear the language of fullness and care The people in uganda who speak another language than we do can hear the same language of growth and shelter and care that we send them Without uttering a word Language is more than just the words we speak It is the common language of love and acceptance That people can sometimes be just as astonished by As the ones that stood with fire over their heads and were given the gift of communication This is a wondrous thing to behold When the fire of the holy spirit gives us the ability to speak From the heart Let us take a moment of silent reflection of those things That we can give the world Through the language of love in our last section of the axe chapter two passage We hear what peter is preaching about And then we hear the reflection of the crowd Verse 14 says then peter stood up with the 11 Raised his voice and addressed the crowd fellow jews and all of you who live in jerusalem Let me explain this to you listen carefully to what I say And their reaction is this When the people heard this they were cut to the heart and said to peter and the other apostles Brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied repent and be baptized Every one of you in the name of jesus christ for the forgiveness of your sins And you will receive the gift of the holy spirit The promise is for you and your children for and for all who are far off For all whom the lord our god will call With many other words he warned them and he pleaded with them save yourselves from this corrupt generation Those who accepted his message were baptized and about 3 000 were added to their number that day They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching into fellowship to the bringing of bread into prayer Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles All the believers were together and had everything in common They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts praising god and enjoying the favor Of all the people and the lord added to their number daily those who are being saved The timeless story of the holy spirit spoken for us this day with the breath of life Thanks be to god Let us pray We give thanks for the birth of the church For the day of fire and peace that brought forth the idea of gathering together and worshiping the risen lord in our own ways Breathe in the gift of the holy spirit Breathe out generations of believers We give thanks for the saints of this church For the foundation of faith that each one of us brings for the generations that came that come that came before us That have taught us and been an example Of the love and light through faith Breathe in the gift of the holy spirit Breathe out generations of believers We pray for the future of the church For the people yet to come through our doors and the people who will find faith around the world through the work of the holy spirit We pray for the generations that are to come that they can look to us for inspiration and hope Breathe in the gift of the holy spirit Breathe out generations of believers Amen Now what? It is the heart of the question that people ask peter once they heard his words Scripture tells us that they were cut to the heart I see that happening right here in this church and in this newly revived united methodist church We have heard all of these wonderful things and been blessed with peace and receive the holy spirit And just like the people at the start of the church formed by the very first group of believers asked What shall we do? We need to continue to ask ourselves the same question Question what do we need to do? I think the answer is right there in the end of the text of acts two first They did the hard work They were baptized into this new church They saved themselves from the corrupt generation Then they began to fellowship meet together and worship and break bread together And they did it with glad and sincere hearts Praising god and enjoying the favor of all the people Friends, we're doing that And if we keep doing that if we keep worshiping in a way that is accepting and loving to all people If we keep growing in faith and having glad and sincere hearts and worship If we keep breaking the delicious bread that so many of my members are so good at making together To build friendship and trust and love then others will join us God will add to our numbers people will see the fire We have burning within our hearts. They will see the peace that is this kind of love language And what that can bring they will see the love we have for each other and for god They will see the holy spirit a work in us radiating out like a wildfire and a mighty wind They won't be able to help but to be a part of this amazing thing that is burning brightly God will do that All we have to do is keep being the gifted and talented and courageous and called people that we are We are planting seeds here that generations after we have long gone on to glory Will be eating the fruits of the fruits of the spirit the fruits of peace and blessing What a beautiful generational legacy that god is building here. What a joy and a peace we find together May the gift of the holy spirit fill our souls to overflowing So that everyone around you can see the love of god burning brightly in your heart And over your head amen If you want to be a member of a place that is filled with the holy spirit and blessed with peace You should seek out and find that We would love to have you at our little church, but I know That god will lead you to the right place in your own area Because his fire is burning brightly for you to find it amen As you go throughout this week Be blessed with the peace Be blessed with the love Be blessed with the joy That is the love and fire and holy spirit of god Because in life and death in life beyond death god is with us We are not alone Thanks be to god amen