A small sermon spoken at St. Andrew Orthodox Church, Delta, CO on the West Slope of the Rockies

Greetings and Blessed Feast on this Day of Pentecost. As we luxuriate in this rich blessing of the coming of the Holy Spirit, some of us here might be tempted by thoughts of unworthiness. “How can such a loser like me, such an insignificant person have a place at such a wonderful feast?” We might even have imposters syndrome, thinking at any time someone may tap us on the shoulder and say, “We don’t serve your kind here.”

Well, brothers and sisters, I have good news for you! Take a second look at the kind of people already present at this feast. St. Apostle Paul, the same who called himself “untimely born” writes to the Church of Corinth, “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called . Not many were wise by human standards, not many were influential, not many of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of this world to shame wise, the weak things of this world to shame the strong, the despised things…. so they no one may boast before Him.” And that is exactly the rag tag kind of gathering that came to Pentecost from places as far flung and exotic as China, the Bronx, and Timbuktu, and yet the Homy Spirit empowered them to be one.

And what is more, each heard the Gospel in His own native tongue! Imagine the hospitality and condescension of our God who desires that all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. So wherever we happen to live in self important places like Boston or the wild west where you all have gathered, let us luxuriate in this equipotent Spirit who can unite disparate peoples and overcome the separations of far flung cultures.