During my sermon this morning I used portions of the following poem by William Loader to describe the working of the Holy Spirit. I find it to be a powerful poem and thought you might want to read it in it's entirety!

Wind, wind - a reflection on the Spirit
By William Loader

Wind, wind,
you come from nothingness and go to nothingness,
and when you are still,
there is nothing we see, nothing we hear,
and you surround us in our not seeing and not knowing.

Wild, wild wind,
you whip the seas, whirling great water spouts and fountains,
crashing on the foamed edges of the shore,
sweeping the unsuspecting fisherman from the slippery rocks,
terrifying force, uncontrollable, beyond our power.

O wind, piercing wind,
driving the blizzard, the sleet, the rain,
trampling earth with wild tempests and tantrums
that uproot trees, unroof houses and wreak devastation in your path.

Wind, wind, wondrous wind,
hovering at the birth of creation,
whisking secretly among the wonders of new life,
bearing the seed, lifting high the heads of mighty trees,
swirling among the grasses, celebrating life.

Wind, wind, we know your ways,
we trace your web on the map of highs and lows,
today’s weather, tomorrow’s predictions,
depressions and sea breezes,
we harness your power,
our weather cocks point to you,
a cross shows where you have been
and we do not know.

O wind, O silent wind,
where do you go?
Do you go away and play,
in outback gorges or bare mountains of the desert,
stirring small clouds of red dust among the bushes,
kissing the rippled smile of the billabong,
running down the slopes, exulting at the rock face,
passing by the mountain with none to see
and none to know your trail.

Wind, gentle wind,
wind of our breathing, our life, our hope,
renewing, refreshing,
sighing in our stress,
moaning in our pain,
still in our dying.

O wind, wind,
you breathed upon the clay and there was life,
you danced down to the forehead of a Galilean
and there was hope,
you shook the foundations of community
and there was Pentecost.

Wind of nothingness and awe,
wind of knowing and unknowing,
wind of bearing and begetting,
wind of secrets and mystery,

O wise, wise wind,
whisper to us your grace.

So again I ask the un-ask-able question: How do you experience the Holy Spirit?

The weeks from Advent through Pentecost Sunday are the richest weeks of the Liturgical Year. These weeks include Christmas, Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord, Transfiguration, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension Sunday and Pentecost. We celebrate the most important events of Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection during these six months. The next six months, however, are what we call "Ordinary Time." There are few major festivals during these weeks (All Saints Sunday being one). Instead, the Lectionary offers us a variety of Scriptures based on Jesus' parables, teachings and healings.

Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday and I feel a little sad to soon be entering Ordinary Time. We won't see the variety of colors in our Sanctuary decorations for another six months. The Liturgical color from Pentecost 2 until Advent is green. Green, however, is the color of growth. And growth is exactly what Ordinary Time is all about. Ordinary Time reminds us that life isn't always a party. There are times in our lives ~ and in the church ~ when things are quiet. These quiet times allow us to gently nurture our faith.

Ordinary Time also gives us a chance to do some different things. While the festivals of the first half of the Christian Year demand our attention, the quietness of the second half provide opportunities for creativity. During this time we will depart from the Lectionary for two sermon series, one on Sabbath and one on Spiritual Gifts.

We all need a little variety in our lives. Life is a mixture of celebration and renewal. What can you do during Ordinary Time this year to quietly nurture and grow your faith?

This Sunday is Jazz Sunday and Mother's Day. What a wonderful combination of celebrations! We praise God for the gift of love experienced through mothers as we lift our songs of praise. This will be my first Jazz Sunday and I am very much looking forward to it. I am also looking forward to calling my mother on Sunday afternoon to wish her a Happy Mother's Day.

Psalm 150 is a Psalm known for celebrating music. How will you praise God this week? Through music? Through dance? Through love shared and celebrated?

¹ Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.

² Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.

³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,

⁴ praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,

⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.

Yesterday, during my sermon, I talked about imagination. As a child I had a wonderful time making up stories and creating imaginary friends. As an only child, my imaginings kept me company. As I grew older, though, imagination took a backseat to real life.

Jesus, it seems to me, had a wonderful imagination. Just look at the parables he told! He saw the sacred everywhere. He helps us understand the Kingdom of God through telling stories about land owners and mustard seeds. It was clear that he could envision what it would be like to live the Kingdom life.

How is your imagination? Have you used it lately? Can you imagine what it would be like to live into the Kingdom? How can you imagination enrich your 'real life'?