First Reading: Exodus 19:2-8a

²[The Israelites] had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain.³Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: ⁴You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, ⁶but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”
 ⁷So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ^8aThe people all answered as one: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

Psalm: Psalm 100

We are God’s people and the sheep of God’s pasture. (Ps. 100:3)

 ¹Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!
  ²Serve the Lord with gladness; come into God’s presence with a song.
 ³Know that the Lord is God, our maker to whom we belong;
  we are God’s people and the sheep of God’s pasture. 
 ⁴Enter the gates of the Lord with thanksgiving and the courts with praise;
  give thanks and bless God’s holy name.
 ⁵Good indeed is the Lord, whose steadfast love is everlasting,
  whose faithfulness endures from age to age. 

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-8

¹Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
 ⁶For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. ⁸But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Gospel: Matthew 9:35—10:8 [9-23]

³⁵Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
 ^10:1Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. ²These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
 ⁵These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. [⁹Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, ¹⁰no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. ¹¹Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹²As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
 ¹⁶“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; ¹⁸and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; ²⁰for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; ²²and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³When they persecute you in one town,  towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”]

CHILDREN’S SERMON:

 Aesop wrote a famous fable called: The Lion’s Share

            “A long time ago, the Lion, the Fox, the Jackal, and the Wolf agreed to go hunting together, sharing with each other whatever they found.  One day the Wolf ran down a Stag and immediately called his comrades to divide the spoil. Without being asked, the Lion placed himself at the head of the feast to do the carving, and, with a great show of fairness, began to count the guests.  “One,” he said, counting on his claws, “that is myself the Lion. Two, that’s the Wolf, three, is the Jackal, and the Fox makes four.”  He then very carefully divided the Stag into four equal parts.

         “I am King Lion,” he said, when he had finished, “so of course I get the first part. This next part falls to me because I am the strongest; and this is mine because I am the bravest.”  He now began to glare at the others very savagely. “If any of you have any claim to the part that is left,” he growled, stretching his claws menacingly, “now is the time to speak up.”

The animals of the forest had a problem.  They were hungry.  King Lion in the fable is not like King Jesus, as we shall see in our sermon today.  How are the Lion and Jesus different?

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

         In our Psalm for today, verse 3, sets our theme,  “We are God’s people and the sheep of God’s pasture.”  The first reading from the Old Testament reminds us of God’s promise to the people of Israel,  

         “⁵Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you     shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the       whole earth is mine, ⁶but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a        holy nation.”

God had a plan for his creation, a good plan.  We are his sheep designed to be a priestly kingdom.  And so our text opens with Jesus taking a tour of his “hood.” He’s checking out his flock.  He teaches, proclaims the good news of the kingdom, and cures disease.  True to the character of our triune God, Jesus wants a healthy community, is communicating with his sheep that the “kingdom is near,” and is teaching.  So far King Jesus and King Lion might appear to be similar, both agreeing in the good of everyone.

The Problem

       Jesus, God incarnate, has come to his creation but “Houston, we have a problem!” Jesus sees that his people are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”  The problem is not that the sheep are stupid and need to go to seminary.  The problem is not that the sheep need to be sheared of their heavy wool that causes them to drown if they fall in the river.  The problem is not that the sheep are in Israel and really need to be in America where there are green pastures.  No, the problem is that shepherds are harassing and harming his sheep.  King Jesus focuses on the good of the sheep.  King Lion in the fable is focused on self and not on the good of everyone.  The sheep are not guilty of being sheep. God created them sheep and God loves sheep. 

         Jesus sees that God’s people are like sheep being “harassed and helpless.”  Please note that our text does not open with God being furious at his people’s waywardness.  Our text says Jesus is filled with compassion for his sheep.  I need to hear that today and maybe you do too.  God’s response to my dilemma with life is compassion, not judgment.  Unlike King Lion, God does not pull rank.   Let me say it again.  Jesus’ response to my problems is compassion.  God is love.  God hates sin, anything that destroys his sheep, but God loves his people.  God does not want his sheep to be hungry while he feasts.

The Plan

         Jesus calls his disciples and gives them authority.  Jesus’ solution is sharing.  Jesus’ solution is people, other sheep, not education, not new laws or new rulers, not science and not new discoveries for a better life for the sheep, and not relocation to a better environment.  Jesus calls his disciples and shares with them his authority to help his people.  He sends them out “like sheep among wolves.”  King Jesus shares unlike King Lion.

         Folks, we are God’s plan for the problems of life, not social security, not bank accounts, not government, not doctors and not moving.  Jesus called his disciples together, delegated his authority over the evils of life and sent them out.  It is not God’s will that any should be lost.  Our problem is not the other person.  I’m going to say that again too.  That person, who irritates you or does life different from you, is not the problem.  They are all lost sheep.  Let me remind us of Galatians 6:12,

            ^“12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but      against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers    of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the       heavenly places.”

That other person who gets to me is another sheep, just like me.  I don’t want to excuse abuse but I also think that often I forget that I am God’s plan for helping that other to cope with their problems in life.  I forget that I have my blind spots. 

         I also note that Jesus did not send his disciples out to those “heathens, the Gentiles.”  It is easy to focus on the stranger as a problem because for sure they will do things differently than ourselves.  But Jesus has the disciples focus on the home turf first.  I was deeply touched by an evangelism example that challenged me with a question.  Would I prefer to get $1,000 a day for a month,  total of $,30,000 or would I prefer to get one dollar, $1.00, the first day and let it double everyday for a month?  For the non-mathematically inclined the far bigger return is to take the $1.00 and let it double daily.  By day 15, half way through the month, I will receive $32,768!  We might also call it the ripple effect.  Being nice to one person and sharing your faith with that person can profoundly change the course of history.  Jesus knew this.  His 12 disciples have changed the world.  King Lion keeping all the food does not help build his kingdom.

         The song we warbled in the 70s was “Freely, Freely”.  Freely we have received and freely we are to give.   Jesus says it this way, 

         “⁸Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.         You received without payment; give without payment. “

That sounds like a big order but I would suggest our problem with Jesus’ command is with us–we forget to pray.  It is not we who do the miracles.  God does.  Our role is to pray, share and invite God into the dynamics of the challenges we encounter.  Today we do not acknowledge demons but we do recognize evil.  We do not see leprosy in our neighborhoods but we do have the sick and outcaste.  And raising the dead does seem impossible but praying for the sick and grieving is not.  God has empowered us to share with others as his representatives.  He has given us authority.  As Nike would say, “Just do it.”

         Jesus adds a caveat. Whew!  Not all people are receptive or willing to hear and we are not charged to just share with anyone and everyone.  Jesus encouraged us to be discerning.  Jesus also warns that not everyone will be receptive.  Many disciples died as martyrs.  That is not our story today but it is for many in our world.  Our challenge is not to change the other but to be transparent about our faith and ourselves as the Holy Spirit taps us on the shoulder.

         Jesus also sent his disciples out two by two; having a friend to share the concerns of our heart is good.  We are not Lone Rangers.  We are part of a body and our challenge is to be true to our role in the body.  We are not all preachers but we are all important and we are all God’s representatives.  We are God’s plan for spreading the news that the Kingdom of Heaven is near!

Peace

         “…do not worry…” Being God’s plan for dealing with the problems of life feels like a heavy responsibility.  It is easy for me to ponder whether I should say something or keep my mouth shut.  Jesus teaches us but we still have to obey.  And so I find Jesus closing these instructions by saying, “Do not worry.”  Those are very comforting words.  Let me say them again, “Do not worry.”  He comes full circle from visiting his “hood” and seeing people like sheep that are harassed and helpless, he comes back and says in essence, I am with you.  Don’t worry.  The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say and will be with you.  Obedience is never me out on a limb alone but it is reaching out to grasp the hand of God who is leading me.  It is not God standing behind me saying, do it or else.  It is God pulling me forward for my own good and for the good of the other.

         King Jesus does not show his claws and challenge us with his authority like King Lion.  King Jesus has compassion for his sheep that are harassed and hurt by life.  King Jesus shares his authority.  King Jesus walks with us into the challenges we face.  We are not alone.  We do not need to worry.  The kingdom of heaven is near.

Lord, may the motives of my heart be compassion.

Lord, may I see people as your plan.

Lord, may I play my part in your plan.

Lord, may we be messengers of peace, trusting your presence.

Keep our hearts on you when we are misunderstood.

Let the people of God say “AMEN!”

First Reading: Hosea 5:15–6:6

 ¹⁵I will return again to my place
  until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.
  In their distress they will beg my favor:

 ^6:1“Come, let us return to the Lord;
  for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
  he has struck down, and he will bind us up.
 ²After two days he will revive us;
  on the third day he will raise us up,
  that we may live before him.
 ³Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
  his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
 he will come to us like the showers,
  like the spring rains that water the earth.”

 ⁴What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
  What shall I do with you, O Judah?
 Your love is like a morning cloud,
  like the dew that goes away early.
 ⁵Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
  I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
  and my judgment goes forth as the light.
 ⁶For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
  the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Psalm: Psalm 50:7-15

 ⁷“Listen, my people, and I will speak: Israel, I will bear witness against      you; for I am God, your God.
 ⁸I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices;
  your burnt offerings are always before me.
 ⁹I will not accept a calf from your stalls, nor goats from your pens;
 ¹⁰for all the wild animals of the forest are mine,
  the cattle on a thousand hills. 
 ¹¹I know every bird of the mountains,
  and the creatures of the fields are mine.
 ¹²If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
  for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.
 ¹³Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls,
  or drink the blood of goats?
 ¹⁴Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
  and make good your vows to the Most High.
 ¹⁵Call upon me in the day of trouble;
  I will deliver you, and you shall honor me.

Second Reading: Romans 4:13-25

¹³The promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
 ¹⁶For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, ¹⁷as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. ¹⁸Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. ²²Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” ²³Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, ²⁴but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

⁹As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.
 ¹⁰And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹²But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

 ¹⁸While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. ²⁰Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, ²¹for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” ²²Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. ²³When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. ²⁵But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. ²⁶And the report of this spread throughout that district.

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  Three Little Pigs 

We all know the story of the three little pigs who went out to build their homes.  The first little pig built his house of straw and the wolf blew it down.  The second little pig built his house of wood and the wolf blew it down.  The third little pig built his house of bricks.  It withstood the test of the wolf.  Share with your neighbor what one of the “wolves” are today that might be blowing on your house.

Let us pray.  Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

         Today we are really starting the Pentecost season.  Pentecost is the time after Easter and after the Holy spirit is sent to be with each of us as our counselor, our advocat, the Spirit of Truth leading and guiding us in our daily lives.  We reflected last week on how the Trinity draws us into community, draws us into communication, and teaches us lessons we are challenged to obey.  Today’s text introduces us to three people, three real examples of this.  Matthew is a social outcaste, a tax collector, who is called to follow Jesus.  Jairus, the synagogue leader is not a follower but struggling with the immenent death of his daughter.  The third is a desparate unnamed women, “unclean” from a flow of blood.  She has no name, has no status as a female, and is sick.  All three people are outside Christian community.  All three are not in comfortable communication with Jesus nor ordinary church going people.  All three need Jesus and they must make choices.

Matthew:  “⁹As Jesus was walking along,”

         “As” introduces disciple number 5.  Jesus has called James and John, Peter and Andrew.  “As” Jesus is walking along he notices Matthew.  We don’t know why.  He does not go out of his way but is alert to who is in his way.  We sometimes think evangelism is sharing the Gospel with some “identified sinner” who obviously needs to hear about Jesus because we see the questionable lifestyle.  Jesus is not looking for someone to enlist to his cause but is going about life as normal and notices a man he engages in conversation. 

         We would not classify Matthew as a modern day “seeker.”  As I listen to the news reports I wonder if the workers for the IRS or police or FBI would find a warm welcome in our churches.  On the other hand perhaps we would not think to talk to a bartender or nightclub owner or a political leader from the opposite side of the rails.  We all have our social excuses for not interacting with people that make us uncomfortable.  We are too old, not rich enough, too conservative and so we excuse ourselves from crossing the line between “in” and “out.”  Matthew as a tax collector was an “outsider.”

         Matthew is part of an existing community, not necessarily looking for new friends.  Matthew’s friends come with him to listen to Jesus and those ever watching Pharisees object.  Jesus is clear that building community, caring for the sick and outcaste is a priority for God.  If we were to draw a clock to represent the time we spend talking with God, talking with friends about our faith, and talking with “others” about our faith, we might have to hang our head.  The point I want to make is not numbers of people witnessed to or our assesment of the spiritual condition of people we interact with. Only God knows the heart. But I want to note that Jesus was willing to talk about faith to those who happened to cross his path.

         Pentecost is not focusing on how our God communicates with even the social outcaste but the reality that because Jesus is alive in our lives, we may at anytime feel the tap of the Holy Spirit on our shoulder to share about our faith with someone we would not normally interact with.  That social outcaste is outcaste in the eyes of the world but is someone God wants to be in his community.  Can we say, “Welcome”?  Let’s turn to our neighbor and say, Welcome to Bethany!

         Matthew had to make a choice.   Jesus invited him to “follow.”  Matthew had to choose to obey.  He did and that changed his life from “outsider” to “insider.”  Matthew came with the skills he had honed in the secular world and perhaps with some of the bad habits also that had to be repurposed but when he chose to follow Jesus, he not only became an “insider” but he also became “valuable” and “forgiven.”  Matthew became someone who was part of God’s community, part of God’s story, someone in relationship with God, and under God’s authority – not Rome’s. We might say that Matthew was building his house of straw, on finances, and the wind of finances can blow it down.  He ran to a house built with bricks.

Jairus

         Matthew was a social outcaste, a tax collector.  Jairus on the other hand was a leader in the Synagogue.  Not all problems are “out there with those sinners.”  Jairus knew enough about Jesus to seek him out in his hour of need but he was not a committed follower.  We might call these people CEO Christians.  We might see them at Christmas, Easter and Other times like death.  Or again we might call them 9-1-1 Christians.  They tune in during emergencies hoping for help for their crisis or some crisis they perceive in the world.  Jairus is not without faith even though he goes to that “other” church or denomination.  He knew enough to turn to Jesus.  Turning to Jesus in our hour of need is always a good choice.

         Jesus goes with Jairus but so do the crowds.  I doubt this was some sort of triumphal procession through the streets of Jerusalem.  Community is messy.  The evil one loves to whisper in our ear that probably God will not answer my prayer request as I waited too long – til my daughter died and the mourners are gathered.  Probably the others clamouring for God’s attention will be dealt with before me as I am not a committed devotee of Jesus.  The evil ones loves to throw up all the possible barriers to community that might highjack God’s attention from our place in community.  Like wise all the voices of the crowd and our friends communicate, “Don’t bother the master.”

         Jairus had a crisis though.  His daughter had died.  I was not there and am not medical but whether she died or was in a coma, the girl too was not in community.  We can be outside God’s community because of our doubts and diseases.  That is a different dynamic than Matthew.  The dynamics of Jairus or his daughter does not stop Jesus from engaging with them.   We do not need to be people of faith for Jesus to reach out.  Like Jairus’ daughter we may need someone else interceding for us.  That someone might be you!

         When Jesus arrives at their home, he first silences the crowds and the mockers.  She is not dead.  She is not beyond the ability of God to help.  Jairus’ crisis-faith does not limit God’s power to heal nor his love for the lost.  God is about restoring life and building faith.  He is not about measuring how worthy we are to be part of his community.  God does not love us just because of our faith in Jesus.  God loves us because we are his creation.

         Jesus tells Jairus to clear out the crowd and Jesus tells Jairus’ daughter, arise.  Jairus, a public religious leader must choose if he is going to obey infront of his congregation, infront of his peeps.  That is where the rubber meets the road.  Jesus is communicating and inviting him into community and he must put faith into action.  His obedience affects the atmosphere for his daughter and allows Jesus to “do his thing” for her.  Our obedience impacts the lives of others who may be entrapped in situations beyond their control.  Matthew went from being “an outsider” to “an insider” with his crew of people watching.  Jairus went from “sick with anxiety” to “reporter” of the miracle in his house.  His daughter went from “dead” to “alive.”  Pentecost season is a time when we realize how our status in community is changed, our communication channels are more open with God, and we realize how strategic our obedience is in the lives of others.  Perhaps people who are emergency prayers are like people building their houses of sticks.  It’s better than straw but in an emergency, they are in trouble.

An Unnamed Woman

         Our third character we meet this morning is an unnamed woman in the crowd who is outside community because of her illness and her identity as a woman.  She sees herself as unseen, unworthy and untouchable.  Her desparate hope is that by just touching the edge of Jesus’ robe she can be made well.  I suspect many in our world today are like this woman.  The obvious are those differently challenged who find it physically challenging to come to church because of their physical conditions that make the mechanics of going to church challenging but also embarrassing.  They turn on the TV and are discipled at a distance about the “health, wealth, and prosperity” the gospel offers but which has not come to them.  Then there are those with colorful pasts of being used, abused and rejected.  Most of us carry stories we do not want to share but for many their weight of failure drives them to desparately seek the edge of Jesus’ robe.  Real relationship is beyond their imagination.  Often we don’t see them because they don’t even value themselves.  Sometimes we too are so ashamed about our failures, we, like them, grasp desparately for Jesus.

         The beauty of this woman is that even when she considers herself unacceptable, Jesus knows the power has flowed from him and he knows she is there in the shadows.  She goes from “unseen” and “untouchable” to “seen” and “daughter.”  Jesus calls her “daughter.”  The world rejects her but faith has made her a daughter of the risen Lord.  Jesus communicates with her that she is valuable and whole through him.  Her choice to turn to him changed her life.  I would suggest this is a decision to build a house of bricks.  Straw and wood would not do for this woman.

Matthew, Jairus, a dead daughter, a sick woman

         Our text today takes people who are outside community and we see Jesus pull them into relationship.  We see people who are out of communication with God, enter into communication and who then become part of stories spreading throughout the world and through time.  We see people making choices to obey and follow and realize the huge difference it made in their lives.  Perhaps we are just like one of those people or perhaps we know someone else who is.  The message of Pentecost is that no matter what kind of house we build, of straw, wood or brick, God desires to be our guest and have us as part of his community.  He wants to communicate with us about whatever is on our minds.  He does not want us to call on him just when the big bad wolves are at our door.  And he wants us to let him help build stronger homes that stand firm when the winds of life blow.  Pentecost is a time when we ask ourselves if we are building with straw, wood or brick. Ephesians 2:19-21 challenges us:

^“19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, ²⁰ built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;”

Let the people of God say, “AMEN!”