Have you noticed? Have you noticed the mobiles hanging from the ceiling in the sanctuary since Pentecost Sunday? When I first caught a glimpse of them and they drew my attention upward toward the upper reaches of the Sanctuary and my mouth fell open in wonder all I could say was "Wow!". The streams of doves hanging from them, the transition of colors from white to yellow to orange to red, with colored strips woven in between, adds to the effect of blending the doves with a sense of fire or flame; the perfect combination to represent the presence of the Holy Spirit.  

  When Janell Reich first suggested this project and showed me a picture of something similar I thought it was a terrific idea. But seeing something in a picture and having the idea come to life in such a dramatic way are two totally different experiences. My sincere thanks to Janell for coming up with the idea and for doing most of the work of putting the mobiles together, especially folding all those origami doves. I have it on good authority that Erin and Kris Gordon and Liz Brandon contributed some of their time to the effort so my thanks to them as well. Isn't it amazing what one little idea, one little bit of inspiration for a special occasion in the church, and a willingness to follow it through, can do for all of us as we once again celebrate the day and the season of Pentecost.

  In the Gospel lesson for last weekend, Trinity weekend, we heard from Jesus about this very same Spirit, the Spirit that surrounds us and fills us: John 3:7-8 "So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit." In a very real way, the Spirit alive in Janell and her helpers inspired something new and creative and uplifting for all of us; the very same Spirit given as a free gift to all of us to inspire faith and new life.

  So the next time you're in church during this season after Pentecost - LOOK UP! Allow your attention to be drawn upward, toward the beautiful paper doves that grace the open space above all of us as we gather for worship. Allow the Spirit to lift you up, to remind you what it feels like to be held in the palm of God's hand, to renew your spirit for life, a life in Christ, a life of faith that continues into eternity.

Peace! = )