Preparing For Worship – Doug Haney, associate pastor.
One summer I flew to Texas Tech University in Lubbock for a conducting seminar. Looking down from the airplane I was fascinated to see scores of wind turbines, the long blades rotating, converting the kinetic energy of the wind to electricity. Here the wind is a creative force, helping us light and cool our homes and doing so while reducing our carbon footprint.
However, the wind can also be a disruptive force. Think back to the awful tornadoes that passed through Dallas on October 20, 2019. That night nine separate tornadoes touched down in North Texas, including an EF3 tornado that stayed on the ground for 32 minutes in Northeast Dallas. They did an estimated $1.5 billion in damage, making it the costliest tornado event in Texas history. Several Wilshire members had homes severely damaged or destroyed by this ferocious wind.
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, and we hear again a story that might be better captured in film. Our opening hymn begins with lines borrowed from the Acts story: A rushing, mighty wind roars through a crowded room, and tongues of fire upon their heads disperse the people’s gloom.
The wind is a sign of the presence of the Spirit of God. Creating. Disrupting. What would God create anew in us in this hour of worship? What would God disrupt?
Better hold on to your hat.