This is what I had to say in Edinburgh on Sunday afternoon at the Affirmation Scotland service:

Thank you for inviting me here. It is wonderful to discover that God seems to be raising up people in denomination after denomination the world over to proclaim that the time has come to proclaim publicly and proudly that God’s promises are for everyone, and specifically at this time to say clearly and confidently that God’s promises are for gay and straight people alike.

As an Episcopalian, I’m delighted to be here with a mostly Presbyterian crowd singing God’s praises on this special day. Today is special because it is Pentecost. And its special because it is General Assembly Week. A good day to gather to pray and to praise together.

Pentecost is a day about coming together and hearing the good news as one people, and discovering as we hear that news, that we can each hear it in unity and express it in our diversity. The same good news gives us confidence to proclaim it in diverse ways, with diverse stories and amongst diverse peoples. Pentecost is the great Feast of Creativity in Diversity and that is something to celebrate in itself.

On the front of the service sheet, there are a few verses of the Pentecost story. Just a few verses about the coming of the Spirit.

But they don’t include the best bit of the story. We’ve missed out the great tongue twister. [Read more...]