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May 11, 2008 sermon

A Story About The Spirit
(Joel 2: 21-29; Acts 2: 1-18)

Reverend Minister Sally Harris

Come Great Spirit; come now to this place.
Make your presence known.
Give to us eyes to see your mystery.
Ears to hear your Word. And a heart to follow you. Amen

Once upon a time there was a great land, with many people. This land had many things, like TVs and video games, and in this land you could do many things, like rollerblading and skiing, playing soccer and baseball. Not only that there were many pretty things, like flowers and birds, mountains and ocean. And this land gave many things for people to eat. There was fruit and hamburgers, fish and salads, ice cream and cake anything you liked to eat you could find in this land of plenty. In this land you were never cold. There were plenty of homes with warm furnaces and fireplaces that kept you warm and dry even on cold rainy days. Everyone seemed happy not noticing what or who gave all that made them happy. They seemed to take it all for granted. The sun would greet them, the rain would nourish them, the wind would carry good news and life would be full of good things. Always!

But one day, hardly anyone noticed the silence in the air. It was still and quiet and even cold. The next day some people started to notice the difference, nothing seemed to keep them warm, they still had the same things but some thing was missing. It was like something had left. A few more days went by and people started to gather together to talk about the problem. No one could really say what was missing but they knew something had been lost. They just couldn't describe it but it was like life, joy, love, - all that made life wonderful had escaped and left a very cold and quiet place.

A group of people decided they needed to pray to the Great Spirit about this change in things. (Though nothing seemed to have really changed yet everything had changed.) And so these people, some young, some old and some in between went away from the city. One group went to the ocean and another went to the mountains. Both groups were going to find and listen to the winds that carried the wisdom of the Great Spirit. After many sunsets these people came back and the people gathered to hear what they had to say. It was a little girl that first spoke. "I waited and waited on a rock by the ocean. I saw nothing - there was no ripple on the water, no birds soared in the sky - but I waited and I talked to the Great Spirit. Finally a very gentle breeze touched my left ear and whispered 'People have forgotten me. I have always been there. I wondered if I would be missed.' And then it was gone"

A wise man then spoke: "I climbed to the top of the mountain. It was very cold and very still, nothing seemed to move up there. Like every thing was holding their breath. I climbed till I reached the blue sky and I stood on this great mountain and I started to sing ever so softly. Hoping that somehow in my song the world would begin singing again. Everything was silent until a great gust of wind came and in the wind the Spirit sang back to me: 'I am here. I have always been here but you never returned my song.' And then it was gone." This same story came from many people, moms and dads, grandparents and teens all came back and said: "We have forgotten the spirit and how much we depend upon the spirit to bring to us the gift of life, of joy and love." Some one shouted: "What are we to do? How can we find the Spirit again." Another cried: "It's too cold standing out here. Let's go home and talk about it when it's warmer." But someone said: "No we cannot leave. Let us build a great fire and gather around and hear these stories and maybe sing a song. And so they did. Everyone gathered in a great circle around this huge fire and all were warm and sang and talked. Suddenly a little boy stood up and then a teenage girl and then another and another looking at the flames. The flames seemed to dance in the wind. Yes the wind had returned! It was blowing over the people and the warmth of the fire grew and people began to dance and sing and say thank you to the Great Spirit. The next day, the wind was still there and it was warm. The people gathered again and someone stood and talked to the people. Always remember what happened here. Tell your children and your children's children about the day the spirit left and the wind and fire were no more. Remember all the gifts the spirit brings so that our lives are full of life and joy and love. Don't hold onto the gifts but give them back so they will grow. And the people promised to remember these things. That's why we celebrate Pentecost.

For it was at Pentecost that the Spirit of Jesus came to group of people - like wind and fire it came – like a wild goose breathing conspiracy- bringing gifts to those who had ears to hear and hearts to believe in this power – and in their belief, in their devotion these people became the church. And so we pray as we hear the Spirit song that the Spirit may touch and transform our lives like wind and like fire – like a wild goose breathing conspiracy so that we may be the church growing in the heart of Kitsilano. And all the people said Amen.

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