Pentecost is a touch enigmatic for today's typical churchgoer. Most of us know Pentecost has something to do with the Holy Spirit, but after that the details pixilate into a blurry image, slow to load. Non-denominational churches tend not even to observe Pentecost as it's just not practical and doesn't fall into easily defined categories. Even for those of us who have long found a home in the Presbyterian church it's hard to fathom that back in the halcyon years of the church of Scotland, Pentecost was so popular, they celebrated with a public parade around the streets of Edinburgh. I thought about doing the same around Dilworth this Sunday.

Simply put, for Christians, Pentecost is the birthday of the church. It takes place in Jerusalem. About 120 of them were moping around wondering what they were going to do without Jesus, when they heard a holy hurricane headed their way. Before any of them could defend themselves, that mighty wind blew through the entire house, striking sparks that burst into flames above their heads. They were filled up with it, every one of them filled to the gills, with God's own breath.

Then something clamped down on them and the air came out of them in language they didn't even know they knew. It must have sounded like a room full of bagpipes all going at once, and the racket was so loud they drew a crowd -- going on and on about God like a bunch of Ph.Ds. in middle eastern languages. Before the day was over, the church had grown from one hundred and twenty to more than three thousand, which, I would propose, is not a bad day for any church.

But it wasn't a church as you and I think of it. There was no sanctuary. No session. They definitely did not do things decently and in order, but people gathered together to worship God, they prayed, they tried to do God's will.

What's deeply striking about this story is that if it were more akin to other religious traditions, it would have made the crowds understand Aramaic, because everyone knows religion thrives on uniformity and homogeneity. The Jewish tradition holds to Hebrew, Muslim worship insists on Arabic, but Christian faith inverts the narrative. Christians are defined by God's boundary breaking spirit that recognizes beauty in difference, richness in diversity, and God's image in the people and traditions outside the ethnic tradition of Jesus. Two thousand years hence, it's an important - and I would propose, defining - narrative for followers of Jesus.

Grace Lindvall will share her considerable preaching talent at both services this week while I have the privilege of preaching at Jessica Patchett's installation service at Central Presbyterian in Atlanta. We'll also recognize our high school graduates, hear about Freedom School, and enjoy other Pentecost offerings.

Come, and bring a friend.