I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff

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Liturgical Seasons

With the wonderful Valley of Dry Bones I just felt I had to do it.  Do what you might well ask, well retell the story of the Three Little Pigs with an Ezekiel and Pentecost spin.  So the Holy Spirit huffed and puffed around the three Christians threatening to bring them alive, and despite their insistence that there weren’t dead, they soon found out that there was a difference between living and being truly alive.

It was also the first year I was able to get out my new liturgical icon a wonderful glass flame.

At St Andrew’s it was surrounded by candles each signifying a member of the congregation.

While at All Saints there was plenty of other stuff going on so it sat on the altar.  By the end of the service however the sun streaming through the stained glass windows had added extra flame effects.

Pentecost Chaos

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St Andrews Milngavie

It has always struck me that the Day of Pentecost must have been pretty chaotic.  Suddenly there was wind and flames and people speaking a vast array of languages as the Holy Spirit came down.  Yesterday at St Andrew’s we got a glimpse at such chaos.  It all started not long after I arrived.

Clare heard something and after a brief investigation we discovered a bird in between the curtain and as chance would have it the only window that doesn’t actually open in the hall.  So the task began of trying to catch a scared bird who was determined to keep out of reach and not fly down low enough to fly out of the now open windows but kept making its way back to the closed one and hiding behind the radiator.  Eventually the service had to begin with the bird left to find its own way out.

The service continued, until, a hymn wasn’t in the hymn book, or in fact the other hymn book that was sitting in the book rests, eventually a hymn was found and sung.

Then just as the Eucharist the fire alarm, which has been playing up for weeks now, decided it would go off and deafen us.  People rushed out to try to sort it as it’s wailing tried to drown out the blessing.

So this year the Holy Spirit descended like a sparrow rather than a dove, the wind fluffed leaves of hymn books as they were flicked through at great speed, and the tongues of fire where the screams of the fire alarm.

I am slightly anxious as to what might happen next week for Trinity Sunday!

Pentecost

A birthday wouldn’t be complete without a cake and with Pentecost often being referred to as the Church’s birthday we had a cake thanks *J* a talented member of the congregation (I forgot my camera so thanks to *E* and her mobile phone for the picture below) .  Tulips of yellow turning into red, looking like tongues of fire, decorated the church while congregation, freinds and family sat down to lunch together.  What with the Mock Auction on Friday and the fun during the Spring Clean of the church on Saturday a fun filled but busy weekend was rounded off in style.

Pentecost

O IGNIS SPIRITUS PARACLITI

O comforting fire of Spirit,
Life, within the very Life of all Creation.
Holy you are in giving life to All.

Holy you are in anointing
those who are not whole;
Holy you are in cleansing
a festering wound.

O sacred breath,
O fire of love,
O sweetest taste in my breast
which fills my heart
with a fine aroma of virtues.
O most pure fountain
through whom it is known
that God has united strangers
and inquired after the lost.

O breastplate of life
and hope of uniting
all members as One,
O sword-belt of honor,
enfold those who offer blessing.

Care for those
who are imprisoned by the enemy
and dissolve the bonds of those
whom Divinity wishes to save.

O mightiest path which penetrates All,
from the height to every Earthly abyss,
you compose All, you unite All.

Through you clouds stream, ether flies,
stones gain moisture,
waters become streams,
and the earth exudes Life.

You always draw out knowledge,
bringing joy through Wisdom’s inspiration.

Therefore, praise be to you
who are the sound of praise
and the greatest prize of Life,
who are hope and richest honor
bequeathing the reward of Light.

Hildegard of Bingen