The Holy Spirit came – in wind and as fire and settled on the disciples. The gift of the Holy Spirit gave to those present the ability to speak in other languages. And all the Jews who were there from all over the Roman territories were able to hear and understand in their native language --- Don’t ya just hate when that happens? Everyone stares – and some of those present even accuse you of being drunk

The Holy Spirit came – in wind and as fire and settled on the disciples.  The gift of the Holy Spirit gave to those present the ability to speak in other languages.  And all the Jews who were there from all over the Roman territories were able to hear and understand in their native language ---

Don’t ya just hate when that happens? 

Everyone stares – and some of those present even accuse you of being drunk – like getting drunk could give you the ability to speak another language.  In my experience – drunkenness is more likely to keep you from speaking your own language clearly.

But maybe – just maybe – you are a little envious of this obvious and powerful manifestation of the Holy Spirit that the disciples experienced on this day of Pentecost.  When we read stories in the Bible like this one it can make our own spiritual and religious lives seem so pale – lukewarm in comparison. 

It reminds me of the time that I heard once again the story of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus.  Since I cannot recall a time in my life that I did not have a faith in God such a sudden, powerful experience of Jesus speaking to me from heaven seemed like such a positive event – one that would mean I could never doubt God – or Jesus – or the Holy Spirit – ever again.  Several weeks later I was on retreat.  I heard God speaking to me clearly.  There was no doubt what I was supposed to do.  The next morning I was still in awe – amazed at the occurrence.  But by mid-afternoon I was questioning the incident – perhaps I’d imagined the whole thing – or just managed to tell myself something that I’d really wanted – even though the desire had been hidden so deep in my psyche that even I had not realized that it was my own desire.  Perhaps the episode had been a delusion and not from God at all – or I had dreamed it.  Certainly God had better things to do than to talk to me directly, I thought.

Here I had been granted my secret, intense wish – and now I was using every bit of rationality that I could muster to explain it away.  I’ve learned since that this is the reaction that most people have to encounters with the Holy.  Just because these experiences are so out of the ordinary – we try desperately to explain them away – to make such encounters make sense by earthly and human standards.  It is not easy to accept encounters with the Holy.

At this Pentecost when the Holy Spirit swooped down on the assembled disciples everyone was able to hear – to understand – in whatever way that they were able – in other words in their own language.  God still uses the Holy Spirit to speak to us – to begin working with and on us – in a language that we can understand.  But we have to be prepared to listen.  As shocking as it must have been to find themselves speaking a language that they did not know  – the disciples were willing to act as instruments of God’s work.  Compared to all the amazing things that they had witnessed over the 3 years of the ministry of Jesus Christ in his life – and especially all that they had witnessed over the last 50 days – this was a small miracle.  Compared to resurrection and ascension – suddenly speaking a strange dialect is of little consequence. 

One of the more truly astonishing miracles here was the change in Peter.  It had only been a few weeks that he had denied Christ – too fearful for his own skin to risk it by being identified with the man who was being judged.  Peter had denied Christ – not once, but three times – and then run away to hide with his shame.  Now Peter – confronted by the crowd who is jeering and accusing Peter and his fellow disciples of being drunk – or crazy – Peter doesn’t shrink, but stands up to them.  Peter uses the attention that they have received to create a preaching moment.  Peter doesn’t deny his discipleship, but rather exalts it and invites those present to join with him and his fellow disciples as followers of Jesus Christ.  Peter speaks so powerfully on this day that 3,000 are baptized – 3,000.  THAT must have been one, powerful sermon!!

This change in Peter is one example of the kind of miracles that you and I experience when we encounter and receive the Holy Spirit.  We may not call 3,000 to baptism, but we can be a powerful witness to a friend – a coworker – someone in our family – who we see crying out for a relationship with God – someone who desperately needs to know that they are a beloved child of God. 

Today we read of the Holy Spirit as wind and as fire.  Jesus spoke of himself as the living water.  All are life giving elements.  In the 1^st C these elements – fire, wind, water -- were both mystical and powerful. 

Fire, wind, water -- these were intimately present within and among their lives.  These are beautiful images of God within us and God among us – God as powerful and other and at the same time intimate and close and life giving.

God as the Holy Spirit – not only to comfort us, but to change us – to change us into the remarkable humans that God created us to be.  The Holy Spirit speaks to us in ways that we are able to hear.  Sometimes that may present itself as a booming voice calling to us from heaven, but if you are like me, more often it is as a still, small voice – prodding me to move in the direction that is productive and helpful for me as I walk my ever gradual path of faith. 

The Holy Spirit continues to speak to us in a language that we can understand.  Sometimes we do hear her in a dream, sometimes it is in the voice of a child – or someone near and dear to us – saying words that we need to hear to prod us along in our faith journey.  Sometimes we need to recognize that our imaginations are one of our greatest gifts from God – so it should be no surprise if God chooses to use our imaginations to speak to us about God’s great desires for us.  However God speaks to you – be prepared to listen.  God continues to send the Holy Spirit to you – to us all. 

Halleluia.

Happy Birthday.