Entering through an open door, the pilgrims hear the babel of many languages — French and Italian, German and Greek, Korean and Russian, Spanish and Swedish.

Bibles in hand, pastors from many nations read Scripture; gathered around them, small groups respond by singing hymns. Suddenly the Swedes begin "O Store Gud," and one by one each of the other groups joins in, singing to the same melody verses in their own tongues. As the sound resounds around the pilgrims, someone asks, "Are not all those who are singing Christians? — we hear the message in our own native language!" And they, too, join in singing "How Great Thou Art."

Bewildered, amazed and astonished, a handful of tourists whisper among themselves, "What does this mean? Are these people drunk? Are they dipping that bread into genuine wine?"

And then a voice is heard with a timeless reply. If we close our eyes and open our imaginations we, too, can hear the apostle Peter say, "These are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning."

As the sun streams through a high window in the upper room, Peter's hair seems to glow like fire as he shares an Old Testament prophecy: "Listen to what I say," he begins. "This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy' " (Acts 2:14-18 and Joel 2:28-29).

Then this man who had once denied he ever knew Jesus begins to witness to the risen Christ, seen with his very own eyes in this very room.

Aware of their own duplicity, their own denial of Christ from time to time, the gathered pilgrims are cut to the heart by Peter's testimony. "What should we do?" they ask.

"Repent, and be baptized," Peter replies, "that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him."

With this the pilgrims understand that it is not the spirit of wine but the Spirit Divine that has descended upon them this day. Although they had renewed their individual baptisms by water at the Jordan just days before, now they have been baptized together — with many, many others! — by the Holy Spirit, and are fired up to proclaim the birth of the universal church.

Blown away by the Spirit, they begin a prophet-sharing plan to proclaim at John Calvin Pres Joel's vision, proclaimed by Peter, of the Spirit coming to all flesh, all people of all nations and languages, all women and men, old and young.

This Pentecost, ask yourself if all God's people are welcome at your church.

Don't close the door, lest you shut out the wind.