When I awakened early this morning to “put the finishing touches” on this homily (ahem), and while I was taking those first sips of coffee I decided to first update my status on Facebook by quoting one line from the homily on love which is today’s second reading. I quoted verse 11 from 1 John 4: Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. And then I simply added the words, “end of sermon.” Within a minute or two of posting that update, two seasoned church musician friends of mine instantly indicated their pleasure. “Larry likes this.” “Mark likes this.”  And I know of at least one other inhabitor-of-the-bench who, if she had the opportunity to register her approval to such brevity, would indeed do so!

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Jesus did not seem very friendly this week in Long Beach. At least not at the convention on worship facilities and technology I attended for one of the very longest mornings of my life in recent memory. All I wanted out of this little excursion down to the Long Beach Convention Center was to possibly get a little information on wireless lapel microphones for our sanctuary, but instead what I ended up getting was a load of theologically-offensive rhetoric which was so shocking to my ears that I could hardly see straight. (but then again, seeing “straight” has never been a real forte.)

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Dear St Paul’s Community,

Welcome to this season of the Spirit in the life of our community. On Sunday, May 31, we celebrate the Day of Pentecost and remember how the Holy Spirit of the risen Christ infused and empowered the disciples to be witnesses not only in Jerusalem, but also beyond there into Judea; and not only in Judea but also beyond there and beyond their comfort zones into Samaria (where the dirty, rotten scoundrels lived); and not only in Samara but beyond their wildest imagination to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

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“Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them (the disciples), and a tongue rested on each of them.”

In the words of American Idol judge Randy Jackson, “Dawg, check it out!” Check out this worship space today, lovingly bedecked by a caring Altar Guild in the fiery flames of Pentecost. Check it out: they are above our collective heads in this grand arch (and that would be thanks — more accurately – to a caring custodian!).

Check it out: they are just over your shoulder and above your head in the flickering flames — and don’t worry — there’s earthquake putty under those votive candles just in case — or perhaps I should say “violent windstorm” putty — should the gale of God whip up a whirling wind among us here this morning!

And check it out: the illustration on the cover of the bulletin: flaming tongues not unlike those floating around in this mighty mobile above my head. And if that weren’t enough, check it out: even the pew cushions and the carpet in this room assist in reminding us today that we are indeed immersed, deluged, baptized, surrounded, overrun, overwhelmed, completely inundated, and absolutely filled to overflowing in and by the Holy Spirit.

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