In their book Resident Aliens, Stanley Hauerwaas and William Willimon tell of an incident that took place in a small town in the southern United States during the time of school desegregation:

"In a packed auditorium, speaker after speaker condemned the court's order and urged people to resist. Then, sometime well into the tension-filled evening, the pastor of the local Baptist church came in. With great dignity and presence, he walked to the front of the auditorium and took a seat. He listened for awhile. Then he rose to speak. When the presider saw him rise, he immediately yielded the microphone and invited him to speak."

The pastor, who had served in that congregation in that community for decades, spoke in deliberate, grave tones. 'I am ashamed. I have labored here for many years. I have baptized, preached to, and counseled with many in this room. I might have thought that my preaching of the gospel had done some good. But tonight I think differently. I cannot speak to those of you who are not of my congregation, but to those who are, I can only say that I am hurt and ashamed of you and might have expected more.'

He then left the podium and walked out of the auditorium. The meeting resumed awkwardly, but one by one, most of the members of the Baptist church quietly left the room until the auditorium was half empty and the meeting dribbled off into adjournment and no action taken. The schools integrated the next month without incident.

Here was a pastor, an ordinary person, who had labored for decades doing ordinary things like baptism and marriages among ordinary people, for the privilege of bearing witness one night in August."

They were ordinary people: Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James, Simon the Canaanite, Matthias, Thaddaeus. Ordinary people doing ordinary things. They were working class of their society. Of the men that are named we know that one was a tax collector; and several fished for their livelihood. We can assume that the others held similar job rankings in their society. None are known to have held any great ranking in their society. Yet, we read about the extraordinary feats they accomplish throughout the stories of the Christian writings. No where is their extraordinary-ness more vividly portrayed than in the story of Pentecost.

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability."

Pentecost is the day when the church gains its voice by speaking in the language of the Holy Spirit. In Genesis the story of the tower of Babel is told … the scattering of the nations. At first glance the Pentecost story seems to be just as chaotic … winds blowing, flames flying … but this chaos is different. Scientists know that sometimes in order to bring stability to an unstable system you need to add just a bit more chaos or instability to bring order. So it is with the day of Pentecost … the fear and uncertainty of post-resurrection life receives the chaos of the Holy Spirit and the disciples are granted the extra-ordinary.

They are given the language of the Good News. The church came alive on the long ago Pentecost day. A birth brought about by ordinary people, once huddled in fear; now empowered to do the extraordinary. We see it in Peter. Peter, who had denied Jesus in the courtyard of his sentencing, Peter, who had said he would follow Jesus anywhere, but was not where to be found at the crucifixion, Peter who had to be asked three times if he loved Jesus … on this day Peter finds his voice and is the first one to stand up and speak the language of the Spirit.

In the act of creating the world, God's spirit moved through the void and breathed life. God declared all of creation good. On this Pentecost Day we might have our doubts about goodness and possibility given the chaos that seems to run rampant through the world. Our temptation might be to find our safe, "Upper Rooms," batten down the hatches and retreat from the world. For really, what can we hope to accomplish … we are just ordinary people. Who are we against the powers that be?

Yet, the Spirit works even still. We follow in the example of Jesus Christ. An ordinary peasant, with ordinary parents, living in an ordinary town … he became the extraordinary presence of God in the world. He lived and died and rose again to witness to the saving power of God's love. He overthrew repression and exclusion and made a place for all. In that power we can never underestimate the presence of God's people together and the work that we can do.

At Pentecost some people received the Holy Spirit … the same is true of us today. In Pentecost we receive our voice … the voice of God's Spirit. We are sent out and empowered to proclaim the goodness God birthed in creation. A long time ago, a friend of mine gave me a pin that said: "Always settle for more." I have taken it to mean that we, ordinary people that we may be, are always called to live in the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit that breathes life and power into us. In that power we are sent forth to witness the extravagant love of God that has called us into being. Just like that ordinary, everyday Baptist preacher, our times and moments will come as we live in God's love and power. Ordinary people … going about ordinary lives … called to the extraordinary.

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