Pentecost

We are summoned today by the prophets’ cry:
by Ezekiel and Jeremiah
by Isaiah and Amos
called to that place
of unbearable holiness
summoned to an apocalypse
of holy presence
a blood-red sky
a fiery inferno

a collision of love and judgement
at the limit of God’s mercy
turning body to bone
flesh to ash

today we come to the time and place
where God’s patience grows thin
sweeping away injustice and oppression
exposing hypocrisy and deceit
uprooting powers that exploit and destroy
around us and within us

a place where the weave of creation
seems unravelled by the Creator herself

a Spirit-dance of chaos
of ecstasy and exorcism
returning dust to dust
leaving only the elemental -
earth, wind and fire

We are called today to a funeral -
a burial of those things
that we place above and before God
today we incinerate
any easy way to goodness and holiness
any safe way to security and peace
any cheap way to nourishment and fullness
and we are returned to the place where,
without trust in the One who creates and saves us,
all indeed might as well be ashes and dust
so that perhaps,
just perhaps
a new creation might be born

You are invited to enter the prophet’s story
to hear Ezekiel’s call and remember your own
to see Ezekiel’s visions and seek your own

And then to walk along the labyrinth towards the Pentecost fire
that faith, hope and call might be rekindled
and that each of us might be inflamed by the Spirit’s presence.

May this Pentecost fire
first be for us
an apocalypse
a refining
a burial
so that it can become for us
and for our world
an annunciation of joy
a revival of faith
a birthing of hope

God of yesterday, today and tomorrow
Circle us with fire this day
Circle us with fire

Pentecost Stations here.