Eruption of the Kingdom
By Travis Bott, Ph.D.
On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in the Cascade Range of Washington state. At about nine in the morning, an earthquake under the mountain produced the largest landslide in recorded history. Over one thousand feet of the mountain blew off, leaving a mile-wide crater. The blast leveled 200 square miles of forest. The eruption sent volcanic ash 15 miles into the atmosphere. It deposited ash in 11 states and five Canadian provinces. The jet streams carried ash from Mount St. Helens around the globe in two weeks. I lived about 40 miles from the mountain when it erupted. I was a small boy at the time, but I remember the sky filled with the huge, dark ash plume. I remember we had to wear masks to keep from choking on the ash in the air. I remember my parents using snow shovels to shovel the ash into piles on the ground.
In the book of Acts, Luke describes the kingdom of God as an eruption—an eruption of the Holy Spirit with universal impact. After our Lord rises from the dead and just before he ascends to heaven, the apostles ask him when the kingdom will come. He avoids answering the question directly (as he likes to do), but then he says this: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (1:8 ESV). Through the rest of the book, Luke describes this powerful work of the Spirit in ways that are analogous to a volcanic eruption.
On the day of Pentecost, a small group of Christ-followers gathers in Jerusalem minding their own business—and then, at about nine in the morning, there is an eruption of the Holy Spirit. They hear mighty rushing wind and see tongues of fire (2:2, 3). Later, there are blinding lights (9:3) and earthquakes (4:31; 16:26). People speak in foreign languages and prophesy; they heal diseases and cast out demons. Thousands of people repent of their sins, believe in Jesus Christ, and are baptized. These converts also receive the Holy Spirit, the magma of the kingdom of God. And the Spirit drives them out from Jerusalem like a great volcanic blast—to Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. At the end of the book (28:31), St. Paul testifies that Jesus is the Christ and boldly proclaims the kingdom of God in Rome, the very center of the Gentile world. The lava flow continues unhindered.
Acts 19 is a small-scale example of the volcanic movement of book of Acts. It’s an eruption in miniature. When Paul first comes to Ephesus, he finds there a group of about 12 disciples and asks them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they say, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit” (v. 2). When Paul lays his hands on them, there is an eruption: the Holy Spirit comes upon them, and they start speaking in different tongues and prophesying. Like a good seminary professor, he sets up an extension site and teaches them for three years. They heal diseases and cast out demons. Jews and Geeks throughout Asia hear about Jesus Christ. The sorcerers start burning their magic books. The idol-makers get nervous that the Christian movement will cut into their business, and they incite a riot. With a sense of English understatement, Luke describes this eruption as “no little disturbance” (v. 23). Then Paul moves on to Macedonia and Achaia on his way (eventually) to proclaim God’s kingdom in Rome.
During our first year of marriage, I found out that my wife had never seen Mount St. Helens up close. So we drove to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, which is the closest viewpoint to the crater. We saw scale models of the mountain and displays showing its development over time. In the auditorium, we watched a moving documentary about the many lives profoundly affected by the eruption. Then the projection screen slid up, and the curtains parted, and we beheld a breathtaking view of—a fog bank. The entire mountain and its crater were hidden behind a wall of clouds. Also, during our first year of marriage, we lived in Portland, Oregon, on the slopes of Mount Tabor. Our apartment was comfortable; we had a beautiful view; we went for long walks in the park on the summit of the mountain; we saw kids playing on strange-looking rock formations. Just before we moved, I discovered that Mount Tabor is a dormant volcano. We were living on top of a dormant volcano the whole time, and we didn’t even know it!
Let me ask you a question. When you think of the Church today, do you think of an eruption? Or do you think of a museum full of fascinating historical exhibits and information about volcanic activity in the past? Perhaps we’re more interested in talking about the eruption than experiencing it. Or is there a fog that envelops us and keeps us from seeing the eruption? We know it’s there, but we can’t see it anymore. Or are we living in comfortable homes on the slopes of a dormant volcano? Have we forgotten the power that is just below our feet? In the West today, we’re now living in a post-Christian—post-eruption—culture. Volcanic ash is scattered all around us, but people a busily sweeping it up and disposing of it. We’ve heard of the Holy Spirit (It’s in the creed). But perhaps we haven’t heard that the Holy Spirit is the living God, who gives us explosive power for witnessing to Jesus Christ in countercultural ways.
Anglican worship isn’t often described as “volcanic” or “pyroclastic” (and that’s a good thing!). I’m talking about the kind of lives that flow out of our common worship. I’m not talking about a church growth strategy. How can one plan for and manage an eruption? I’m talking about a church obedience strategy. I’m not talking about an attempt to return to “the New Testament church.” We can’t get in a time machine and travel back to the first Pentecost; we can’t turn back history. I’m talking about being the Church of Jesus Christ in our own day. Are the sorcerers and idol-makers getting nervous? Or are they enjoying business as usual and counting on us as some of their most loyal customers?
Brothers and sisters, our risen Lord addresses us today: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). And when that happens, there will be an eruption.
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This preceding article was adapted from a sermon delivered at the Chapel of St. Mary the Virgin at Nashotah House Theological Seminary. Travis Bott, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Nashotah House.