A Surprise Visitor

On Pentecost Sunday I stood to preach at eleven o’clock and their was an audible buzz around the sanctuary. Several people looked at the choir, pointed, and talked to seatmates. In the split-second I had to consider their rudeness, I could not imagine what was going on.

I knew that I was in the right place in the service, nothing had been skipped, I was prepared to preach and I was dressed appropriately. If I weren’t, I was hidden behind the pulpit and wearing a long robe – yes, my nightmare is to appear in public without all my clothes.

Why were people whispering as I began to preach on the Holy Spirit?
I’ve trained myself to ignore distractions among the congregation during worship, so I ploughed ahead. I was only slightly distracted in the middle of the sermon as someone walked to the back to make sure his friend saw the sight everyone else had noticed.

What the choir and I could not see, during this sermon on the Holy Spirit’s power at Pentecost, were the two doves who landed on the big, round window behind me and the choir.

I learned after worship that a dove perched on the window during the middle of “Wind that Makes All Winds to Blow” and watched me and the congregation for the rest of the service. If only we had been singing that other Spirit song, “The Lone, Wild Bird.”
So there was a dove, then two doves -- symbols of the Holy Spirit -- patiently watching the congregation over my shoulder during the sermon. And I was oblivious to it all. No, I was annoyed by the church’s reaction to the birds and my ignorance.

There are several lessons we could take from this experience.
1) Like these birds, God’s spirit is surprising, beautiful, unexpected and real.
2) The Spirit defies human description.
3) Not everyone saw the doves: some members can not see that far, some never looked, others (including the preacher and worship leaders) faced the wrong way.
4) When the church is abuzz, I should stop and ask why.
5) When one misses a Sunday at Northminster, one misses a lot.

God is amazing! Birds never perch on that windowsill. Occasionally squirrels or birds peer in from the oak tree. Yet there were two symbols of God’s Spirit watching over my shoulder. It was a humbling Sunday, and one that taught me at least five lessons.

This was origionally published in the newsletter of Northminster Presbyterian Church in Pensacola. The web site is here.