Chosen Friends -- A Message for June 14, 2026

 This morning, we are turning to a passage that is part of the conversation Jesus had with his disciples at his last supper. Jesus knew he was about to be crucified, so he was sharing his final message with his followers, his final words of wisdom, his final instructions. He wanted his friends to embody his message to the world by how they treated each other and how they lived out their faith. So, Jesus gave them a new commandment: that they should love each other as Jesus loved them.

This passage was lifted up by our own Phyllis Schlotterback…four verses from God that command all of us to love each other. 

Listen now to the word of God as we read John Chapter Fifteen, starting at verse 9:

The Scripture Lesson John 15:9-17

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 

 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 

 You are my friends if you do what I command. 

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 

This is my command: Love each other. 

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen

Let us pray…

The Message Chosen Friends

When we are children in elementary school, we don’t have a choice about who is in our classes…we have very few choices, period. The teachers often assign our seats – sometimes we sit in alphabetical order by our last names; sometimes we sit in alphabetical order by our first names; sometimes the teachers decide based on putting the trouble-makers close to their seats and the good kids further away. Our classrooms may have kids from different neighborhoods, kids whose parents have very different types of jobs, kids from a variety of ethnic groups, kids with different religions, kids who are only children or kids with lots of brothers and sisters. It all seems pretty random – yet, I recall, I often became friends with the kids who sat closest to my seat.

As we grow older, we have more control. The kids who want to be in band may be in classes with other band kids. The kids who are taking a lot of advanced placement classes may end up together. The kids who are into school sports may all be placed in classes together so that they can leave early for meets and matches. We may end up in classes with kids who are more like us because of the things we share in common.

And, then, after high school, some students go to college, and some go to trade school, and some start working right away. Some kids join the military, some go on long-term missionary trips for their faiths, and some stay in their basements and play video games. 

We end up spending most of our time with people who are like us….people with the same type of job training, people with a similar education, people who live in our neighborhoods, people from our families. As our life moves forward, we have fewer and fewer opportunities to mix with lots of different types of people.

Our worship centers, our churches, are one of the few places we spend time with people who may be very different than us….we may have different types of jobs; we may live in different kinds of  neighborhoods and housing; we may have different ethnic backgrounds; some of us earn a lot of money and some of us are barely getting by; we are married or divorced or widowed or single; some of us were born in Sellersville and some of us were born thousands of miles away; some of us are young and some of us are old…..yet here we sit, side by side, every week. 

And, not only do we sit side by side and worship together, we also work together to practice our faith, to put our faith into action. We have committed to loving God, following Jesus,and….strangely…loving each other. We love each other despite our differences.

This doesn’t always come easy for us. It is easier to love people who are just like us. It is more work to love people who are different. But, we are called by our God, and commanded by Jesus, to love each other. So, that is what we endeavor to do….to love each other. 

We live in a period of human history when people are more and more isolated. People work from home, so they don’t mingle with co-workers at the water cooler. Most of us have air-conditioning, so people stay behind the closed doors and windows of their homes….not really getting to know their neighbors. People watch screens all day long – and sometimes all night long – feeling lonely yet watching other people doing things 24-7. People are more and more isolated. 

 

Yet, we are here, choosing to sit alongside each other. We are here, working together to serve God. We are here, accepting and loving each other despite our differences. We are here, working to love each other.

This is a message other people need to hear. This is a welcome other people need to hear. We don’t expect people to become part of our church because they are just like us. We don’t expect people to become part of our church because they are perfect and don’t have any problems. We don’t expect people to come to join in our work on Christ’s behalf because we think we have the perfect solution to address every one in the world’s needs.

Instead, we are all people who are working on ourselves, working to do each day a little better than the next. We are learning from each other, and learning from our God, how to serve the people in our world who are suffering and learning how to support each other as we suffer. We are working to love each other despite our imperfections…despite our differences….despite our flaws.

And, we are bolstered by our belief that our God loves us, and loves all the people of the world, no matter what. We are loved. Other people need to hear this message, that God loves them. And we will endeavor to love them too.

May it be so, today and all days. Amen.

The Secret of Contentment -- A Message for June 7, 2026

 

This Summer, we are going to focus on the favorite scriptural texts of our congregation each week in our worship services. I pray that through this process over the summer, we will get to know each other better….and we will also learn more about how we can serve our community more. 

This morning, we will read a portion of St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Gary Gallagher highlighted Philippians 4:14 as his favorite scripture. This passage speaks to Paul’s sense of contentment despite experiencing hardships in his life – he counsels us that we can feel joy even when our lives are not going the way we expected. This is an important message for us – we also can feel contentment, and joy, despite our lives not going the way we always want or expect.

Listen now to the reading of our message from St. Paul, as he wrote it to the people of the Philippian church, starting at chapter 4, verse 10:

The Scripture Lesson Philippians 4:10-20

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 

Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 

for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 

Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. 

I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the Scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear what you are saying to us today. Guide us out of our comfort zones and into your deep peace. Amen. 

The Message The Secret of Contentment

In Sweden, there is a concept called “Lagom (lah-gom). Lagom roughly translates to “Not too little, not too much. Just enough.” It is a societal practice of moderation and sustainability – the goal is to find contentment in equilibrium–having exactly what you need to live well without creating waste or excessive stress – true contentment.

Contentment is happiness and satisfaction….it is accepting our lot in life and fully adjusting to what we have.

Most of us Americans do not feel content. We are experts at the “if only” trap ....”I will be  happy IF ONLY I get the perfect job….” “I will be happy IF ONLY I get the 2.5 children of my dreams…” “ I will be happy IF ONLY I live in my suburban dream home with the white picket fence.”  “I will be happy IF ONLY I finish all of the craft projects I have started.”  “I will be happy IF ONLY I get my basement organized.” Most of us have our own version of the “IF ONLY” trap….we think that happiness will come when we reach a goal, but sometimes that goal is unattainable, and sometimes there are too many of those goals, and sometimes we add steps to the goal and move the goalposts further away. Contentment is unattainable.

Paul wrote his letter to the people of Philippi while he was locked up in jail. He lost his freedom to travel and his freedom to evangelize to the people of the world. He spent his days chained to a Roman soldier who was guarding him. He was imprisoned and was waiting for his trial. Yet, he wrote “...for I have learned to be content with whatever I have.” He wrote that contentment isn’t about getting what you want, it is about realizing what you have in Christ.

Paul’s faith in Jesus, his relationship with Jesus, and his trust in God, helped him experience true contentment….it wasn’t about being full after a hungry spell or having a lot of resources after a time of need….Paul’s relationship with Jesus gave him the strength to endure, and to thrive, despite challenges that would undermine other people.

As Paul was explaining that his relationship with Jesus was the source of his contentment, he made one of his most memorable statements: “ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” This testimony is the scripture Gary highlighted as his favorite, and it is a guiding claim for many Christians.  Our relationship with Jesus is the “spiritual superpower” that helps us endure whatever challenges we face – our relationship with Jesus can become for us a source of our contentment. Our relationship with Jesus helps us to have resilience despite whatever challenges come our way.

In Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of the Bible, The Message, he translated the testimony found in verse 13 as “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”  I can make it through anything because of the God who makes me who I am. We can make it through anything because of the God who makes us who we are.

We know that often, everything in our lives doesn’t go according to plan. We don’t get every job we interview for. Our hearts are broken by failed relationships or family disharmony. People we love die. Friends move away. Our feelings get hurt, and we hurt other people…..everything in our lives doesn’t go according to plan.

But, we can work towards contentment….we can deepen our faith in God and trust that God will give us the strength to endure…the strength to accept. God supports us during our challenges. God loves us when we fail. God helps us figure out “Plan B” when “Plan A” doesn’t happen. We must work to trust God’s plan for us and find joy in God’s presence in our lives. We can do all this through him who gives us strength.

Amen.

Sunshine in My Soul Today -- A Hymn Reflection for May 31, 2026

 

Today is the first day when members of our church tell us about their favorite hymns — or one of their favorite hymns…. Everyone keeps telling me they are having trouble only identifying one hymn because there are so many we love.

I apparently chose a hymn that Denni says no one at Trinity has sung before. 

When I was a little girl, my family was the only “young family” at our church. My parents joined the church when they were pregnant with me, so they were in their late 20s or 30s  – all the other adults at the church were in their 50s and 60s (or older). My brother, sister and I were the only children – so we had lots of honorary grandparents at church – everyone was always happy to see us. 

Whenever we had hymn sings, or special musical Sundays, the older members wanted to brush off the old Sunday School hymnals that were kept in the church’s narthex. They wanted to sing songs they fondly remembered from their youth fellowship days. Most of the dusty hymnals were worn out and their covers were tearing off…I think they were published in 1921 and were the “Elmhurst Hymnal for the Sunday School, Young People’s Meetings, and Church Services.” They were published by Eden Publishing House, the publishers run by the German Evangelical Church of America – a predecessor of the Evangelical and Reformed Church that became part of the United Church of Christ in the 1950s.

The older members of our church always wanted to sing “There is Sunshine In My Soul Today.” Everyone was so peppy and happy when we sang this beloved song – and I always think of how the voices were bright and cheerful when we sang it together. It was their favorite hymn, and it became one of my favorite hymns. 

So, even though it is new to many of us, please join me as we turn to hymn number 499 and sing “Sunshine in MY Soul” together.

Wherever You Go -- A Message for May 31, 2026

 

A few months ago, during our Confirmation Sunday School class, Ned made a jokey statement to Crystal when we were learning about the parts of the worship service. He asked her where she thought we got the scripture readings from – the answer is the Narrative Lectionary – a 4-year cycle of readings developed by the theologians at Lutheran Seminary. But, Ned teased Crystal and asked her if she thought that every week I just randomly picked a scripture from my list of favorite texts?! And, if so, wouldn’t it be boring to only hear my favorite scriptures? 

These questions got me to think that yes, it would be boring to hear a selection of my favorite scriptures every week, but it wouldn’t be boring to hear a selection of your favorite scriptures. So, since the Narrative Lectionary takes a break over the summer, I thought this summer would be the perfect opportunity to hear from you, the people of Trinity Christian UCC, what your favorite scriptures are – so, this summer, we will focus each week on the favorite scriptures of our church family….and we will also invite you to share a little about your favorite hymns – what they are and why you like them.

I have several scriptures and stories from the Bible that I consider favorites. I love the stories in the Bible – stories about real people who faced hard choices and difficult challenges…stories about people who didn’t always do everything right…stories about people like you and me.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is the tale of Naomi and Ruth. My maternal grandmother’s name was Ruth, and at her funeral, my family thought it was important to hear a reading from the book of the Bible that shared a name with her. A portion of the book of Ruth that we read from this morning was read at her funeral….it speaks of Ruth’s loyalty and devotion to her family – and to her mother-in-law – more of a family-in-love than a family by birth or obligation.

Listen now to the first chapter of the Book of Ruth….

 

The Scripture Lesson Ruth 1 

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 

The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 

They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 

both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 

With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 

May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 

and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 

Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 

 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 

Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 

When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

“Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has mad my life very bitter.  

I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us pray….

The Message Wherever You Go

Names are important. We want other people to call us our own names….not just “wife” or “Lucia’s mom” or “hey you.” We want to be called by our names.

My name, Amelie, comes from the Germanic root word “Amal” which means “vigorous, active, and work.”  But, when my name was chosen for me, it was chosen because my parents liked it, and I had a great-great-grandmother named Amalie Mueller Kruse, one of the German variations of the name. My name was not chosen because my parents wanted to add a child into the family who would do lots of housework and be a hard worker.

In the Bible, and especially in the book of Ruth, all of the names of the people and the places have meanings. People in that period were very tuned into what their names meant, and would sometimes choose to be called new names if their name’s meaning did not match their life’s circumstances.

The names in the first chapter of Ruth are descriptive. The husband of Naomi was named Elimelech, which means “My God is King.” Naomi means “Pleasant.” Their sons' names were Mahlon, which means “Sickly,” and Chilion, which means “Vanishing” – and Sickly and Vanishing both fittingly died. Ruth’s name is apparently not a Moabite name but is a Hebrew name that means “Companion.” I wonder if Ruth was renamed Companion because that is what she became – the companion of Naomi.

When Naomi returned to Bethlehem after she left Moab, she told the women of her hometown to call her Mara – “bitter.” She was no longer Pleasant, she was bitter.

And, in the story, Elimelech and Naomi left Bethlem, which means “the house of bread” because, ironically, there was a famine there and no bread was in the house …. Or the town…

When Elimelech and Naomi fled to Moab to escape Bethlemen’s famine, they made a very weird, illogical choice in picking their destination. Moab, and the people of Moab, were at that time the enemies of the people of Israel. The people of Israel believed the Moabites to be their distant relatives – but from unsavory origins….they thought the Moabites were descended from the offspring of Lot and his daughters – after Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt, Lot had some children with his daughters. So, the people of Israel thought the Moabites were their in-bred cousins.

They were also mad at the Moabites because they wouldn’t provide hospitality to the Hebrew people when they were wandering in the desert for 40 years.

And, just before the story of the book of Ruth took place, the land of Israel had been conquered and ruled by the Moabite king for 18 years. 

So, there was bad blood between the people of Israel and the Moabites.

Yet, Elimelech and Naomi, and their sons, moved to Moab during a famine. They were that desperate….

When this story occurred, Naomi was a widow. Her sons had died. She decided to return to the land of her birth. 

Initially, she planned to bring both of her Moabite daughters-in-law with her to Bethlehem. But, while they were walking on the road to Bethlehem, Naomi had second thoughts. She told Orpah and Ruth to return to the homes of their mothers – they could remarry and start over again. And, Orpah made the logical choice – instead of moving to a foreign country full of people who hated her people, she kissed Naomi “goodbye” and went home.

But, Ruth refused to leave Naomi. And she made a beautiful statement as she committed to go with her. Ruth said:

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 

Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death  separates you and me.” 

Ruth was willing to give up everything to be with Naomi – her family…her friends….her homeland…her language….her religion. She was such a good daughter-in-law, such a good friend, such a good companion she gave up everything to go with Naomi to Bethlehem.

There is a word in the Bible used to describe the kind of love Ruth had for Noami – it is called “chesed.” Hesed is found more than 240 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. It doesn’t just refer to a feeling – it is a combination of Love, commitment and action. It is the love that stays when there is no logical reason to stay. Hesed is often translated as “steadfast love” or “mercy” when it is used to describe God’s attitude towards the people of Israel. We traditionally translate it as “loving-kindness.”

God loves the people of the earth in the same way Ruth loved her mother-in-law Naomi – Chesed love. Ruth’s love for Naomi was not logical….she would have been a lot safer if she went home to Moab. God’s love for us is also not always very logical – we do things all the time that break God’s laws and are disappointing for God. Ruth’s love for Naomi led her to move to a foreign environment, where the people hated her kind of people, to a place where the two women had no protection, no place to live, no food to eat. God’s love for us is a little reckless too – God knows we are going to disappoint God by our words, our actions, and our choices again and again, yet God loves us anyway.

Ruth and Naomi were not related to each other by blood – and Naomi released Ruth and Orpah from any obligation they may have felt towards her. She told them they were free to return to their families and their homeland. But, Rut loved Naomi so much that she chose to potentially go to Bethlehem and suffer along with Naomi. Her love was generous, loyal, and unexpected – she chose to return to a foreign country with a sad, bitter, widow woman. 

Our faith encourages us to love like Ruth loved Naomi, to love like God loves us. We are called to be loving and supportive to people the world overlooks and rejects: people who are sad, people who are grieving, people who are poor, people who are refugees, people who are old, people who have disabilities or illnesses or addictions, people who are not like us. Like Ruth, we can make the choice to overlook the things that separate us and love each other in spite of our differences. Like God, we can make the choice to love people who we suspect will disappoint us. We can make the choice to love other people without expecting anything in return. 

The names in the story of Ruth are important – Ruth is a companion, Naomi is Pleasant, Bethlehem again became a house of bread for the little family of Ruth and Naomi. After a few ironic twists and turns, Ruth ends up married to Boaz, whose name means “In Him Is Strength.” Boaz was a faithful man whose spiritual strength called him to marry Ruth because he was distantly related to her former husband. Ruth and Boaz lived happily ever after, and welcomed Naomi to share a household with them. Boaz and Ruth became the great-grandparents of King David – and Jesus was descended from them as well. So, a woman from the hated Moabite people became the ancestor of the greatest king in Israel and became an ancestor of our messiah. A woman who chose to extend chesed love, loving-kindness to others, ended up being a cherished ancestor of all of God’s people.

Let us work to be like Ruth, and embody Hesed-loving kindness is our words and deeds today and forever. Amen. 

Pentecost: Rejoice in the Lord -- A Message for May 24, 2026

 

This morning, in honor of Pentecost Sunday, we read the Pentecost story from the Acts of the Apostles. Today, we celebrate the birth of the Christian Church – when Jesus’ disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit of God and were able to assume leadership in the forming Christian church – out of the Jewish religion a new faith was born. 

Listen to the Pentecost story as we read from the book of the Acts, chapter 2, verses one through twenty-one:

The Scripture Lesson Acts 2:1-21; Philippians 4:4-7

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.

7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?

8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome

11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!

16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ Amen.

And, we have a second reading this morning….over the past few weeks, we have heard from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This morning, we turn to chapter 4 and read verses four through seven:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

Here ends this reading of the Word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Let us pray…

The Message Pentecost: Rejoice in the Lord

Let’s start with an origin myth….

In the days after the world was created, all the people spoke one language. They settled around the Fertile Crescent, in the land that now is part of Iraq. The people began growing things instead of foraging for all of their food. They domesticated animals instead of hunting for their meat. They made cheese, beer and wine. They started to build buildings – not just little huts for dwelling places but strong buildings made of bricks. They started to construct Zigguart’s – spiral towers to reach the heavens.

The Bible tells us a story about how God responded to the people’s building projects – in Genesis 11, it is written that God came down from heaven to check out the grandest, tallest tower….the people were in the midst of building the Zigguart to end all Ziggurats. God was concerned that with the people speaking the same language, and building such grand buildings, that they would soon become too powerful – too proud – too dangerous.

So, God confused their language – they couldn’t understand each other anymore. And, instead of staying in one place and not being able to talk to each other, the people moved away – they scattered across the land. And, they developed different languages and cultures – a diverse tapestry of people spread across the earth.  

The people of the earth were no longer one people – they had different religions, different cultures, different languages, and different laws. 

In the time that we now call the First Century AD, God had had enough. God was tired of people being separated. Instead of a beautiful tapestry of unique people and places, the people endured terrible calamities. Empires fought wars against other empires. People were enslaved and forced to endure inhuman mistreatment. Most of the people were oppressed by wealthy elites who cared more about enriching themselves and enjoying themselves than they cared about their human subjects. Natural disasters struck, and instead of helping each other, the people turned on one another.

God had had enough…. God sent Jesus to earth to teach us that God loves us, God forgives us, and God welcomes all people into the fold – into the family of God. We are called by God to work together to manifest peace and work together to heal our broken world.

After Jesus ascended to Heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit of God, the breath of God, to fill each of us. We are no longer just human beings – a little bit of God is in each of us. That bit of God is the spark we have to encourage us to work on God’s behalf to do good.

On the first Pentecost day, as a sign of the change God wants us to make, God undid the Tower of Babel event. Instead of using different languages and cultures and religions to create separation among the people of the earth, God used the presence of God’s Holy Spirit to teach God’s followers new languages. The spark of God in each person, and the newfound linguistic gifts in Jesus’ followers, enabled God’s vision of a new world, the Good News of Jesus Christ to spread across the globe.

And, when the Holy Spirit came to God’s followers on that first Pentecost day, it didn’t come as a still, small voice….it didn’t subtly enter the room – the Holy Spirit knocked the doors off of their hinges, burst into the room where the Disciples were hiding out, leaped into their bodies so that it looked like a flame appeared over their heads, and shouted out of their mouths in ecstatic new languages. It was inclusive, diverse, and loud. Philippians 4 picks up this same vibe: “Rejoice the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Christian joy is contagious and communal.

This story reminds us, the people in this room (and the people watching on-line) that the story of Pentecost is the opposite of the Tower of Babel. God doesn’t wipe out cultural differences. God doesn’t wipe out language differences. God speaks through them. The Church is best when it is a tapestry of different voices singing the same song…when we work together and yet embrace our unique gifts and contributions and quirky-ness. 

Today is a momentous day in Crystal’s life. Today she has decided for herself to commit to following Jesus and to live life as part of the Christian community. In becoming “officially” one of us, I want to remind you, Crystal, that we value you. We care about you and your unique gifts. The people of this church look forward to supporting you, Crystal, as you mature and grow up and do things that bring you joy. We know there will be many challenges as well, and we will walk alongside you as you face them and overcome them. God has created you as a unique, original, special person – you don’t have to look or sound or act like the people who are sitting around you in order to be a “Good Christian.” Your job, as St. Paul writes in the letter to the Philippians, is to let your “gentleness be evident to all” as you live out your faith.

Today, we remember that God’s Holy Spirit is here with us, working to break down barriers and divisions among us so that we can all contribute to a beautiful tapestry that reflects God’s love to the world. Let us use our differences and unique voices to share God’s love with each other and with the people of our world. Amen.