Thank God for the Holy Spirit, for the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart could never be acceptable. And if that weren’t enough, Lois Weber assured me that everyone has one good sermon in them.
Today is May 23, fifty days after Easter, or ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven—leading us to the great festival that marks the birth of the Christian church by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Either way, the twelve apostles, Jesus' mother and family, and many other of His disciples gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival that was celebrated on the fiftieth day of Passover. While they were indoors praying, a sound like that of a rushing wind filled the house and tongues of fire descended and rested over each of their heads. This was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on human flesh promised by God through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-29).
28 And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
With this picture in mind….the disciples were suddenly empowered to proclaim the gospel of the risen Christ. They went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began preaching to the crowds gathered for the festival.
Not only did the disciples preach with drama, but by a miracle of the Holy Spirit they spoke in the native languages of the people present, which fed the frenzy. The apostle Peter seized the moment and addressed the crowd, preaching to them about Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. These actions resulted in three thousand converts being baptized that day.
For those of us liking milestones, the day of Pentecost is a good one, marking the beginning of the Christian Church. Red is the liturgical color for this day, recalling the tongues of flame in which the Holy Spirit descended. Red also reminds us of the blood of the martyrs—those believers of every generation who by the power of the Holy Spirit hold firm to the true faith even at the cost of their lives.
So at this point, the history lesson is over and I have to thank Pastor Scott for this opportunity. I think, “Oh yes, Mark, where are you buddy? This was supposed to be your Sunday to preach; I’m just the fill in.”
I could discuss the importance of celebrations. . . and beginnings, which is something we all can relate to; or I could go down a path far less concrete, but much more critical. To further prove to you that I am not a scholar—just someone with internet access—the Hebrew word for “Spirit” is ruwach (roo’-akh), broadly meaning wind; by resemblance breath, a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions).
The Holy Spirit is the common thread woven throughout the Old and New Testaments. King David laments in Psalm 51 after a certain personal crisis: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
God provides reassurance to Jacob in Isaiah 44:3: For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring and My blessing on your descendants.
The Spirit’s role continues in the New Testament as it becomes interrelated with the Father and the Son in the mission of salvation. In John 1:29-34 John testified, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.
Paul writes in Romans 8:14-17, For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. And in I John 4:13, we read, We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
I grew up in Montevideo, Minnesota, attending Trinity Lutheran Church. We did not have Power Point back then, but I do remember Pastor Christopherson pounding the pulpit about the Holy Trinity org chart, with the Holy Spirit being the third leg to the stool. Every Sunday we sang Holy, Holy, Holy….God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
What I got from this time was that God was the father…more or less created and governed the whole thing; Jesus, God’s son, came to earth to provide man, among many things, forgiveness, clarity, and a human face to God’s plan….I get legs one and two.
The Nicene Creed states truths about the Persons of the Trinity saying they are equal, yet there is a hierarchy because the Son is born of the Father and the Holy Spirit proceeds from Him. While the word proceed as an intransitive verbmeans to “come forth from a source,” it does not help much in understanding the Holy Spirit? And while it is impossible for me and likely anyone else to adequately explain the Holy Spirit, it is an unavoidable and unending discussion and is a desired and required ingredient to any Christian walk.
I can relate to Martin Luther’s expressed futility and ultimate reliance on the Holy Spirit expressed in the small catechism…I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.
I wonder if God’s personality can be a bit dry and stoic…..so God must have known he needed a “management team” with different qualities and personalities made up of the Son and the Holy Spirit. My sense is that the Holy Spirit is God’s earthly connection to his people and introduces a catalyst, an accelerant, and perhaps an addictive intoxicant to our Christian walk. It is the relationship thing.
OK, I can’t resist this one: how about looking at the Holy Spirit from the perspective of the cellular industry. The Holy Spirit is the RF highway God uses to get to us. Through prayer, meditation, or whatever, we can use his spectrum to connect, react, and communicate with God. And probably, the up and down link signal is allowed some enhancement before reaching its destination. And unlike the our cellular networks, God’s network is perfect.
While I believe all people stumble through the presence and realities of the Holy Spirit, some are better wired to express the spirit’s license than others. I’m from Minnesota; I’m Norwegian and Lutheran, and just a little proud of it, but not too much. We find dignity in guilt and hardship. We also don’t get excited about things. I may have some wind, but not like that described in Acts. However, I’m not saying the more charismatic reaction is wrong. In fact, it may drag out of us a more thorough surrender to God’s will in our lives, trusting him to take risks and make sacrifices that a more “rational” human being would not consider. Blair Anderson, my family’s pastor in Anoka, Minnesota, often mentioned in his sermons that taking reasonable risks in life was essential, which I absolutely believe.
Think about some of the more Pentecostal churches, with arms up in the air, and maybe some yelling and things. Their personal space is physically and spiritually completely vulnerable. So if in the right context, this could be a good thing and open up something new—maybe something humorous. My family and I have participated in a variety of worship styles, including those which are more active than others. I won’t forget one Sunday, when our youngest daughter Megan found herself responding to another worshiper and waved back “hello.”
In 2002, I attended a Promise Keepers convention in Minneapolis with some friends. I loved the event and it was a faith-building experience for me. At a point in the program, all men—with a special invitation to Lutheran men—were invited to perform the simple act of raising our hands and arms in an evangelical wave. While I did participate, this exercise was not comfortable…..but probably not bad for me…..going back to my thoughts of surrendering my pride, my life, and my desires over to God.
To wrap this up for now, I can’t believe the Holy Spirit will pass you by for not utilizing its license for enthusiasm, but maybe this is something for us to consider down the road. We all have to march to our own drummer and find ways to be open to the Spirit’s presence in our life…..and “listen.”
A couple weeks ago, I was listening to a TV evangelist preaching on listening to God.
“We just have to listen to what God has to say through the Holy Spirit and act accordingly.”
“We just have to listen to what God has to say through the Holy Spirit and act accordingly.”
“We just have to listen to what God has to say through the Holy Spirit and act accordingly.”
“We just have to listen to what God has to say through the Holy Spirit and act accordingly.”
This makes me crazy. I’m not a good listener, just ask Connie; but especially when it comes to dealing with GOD. Is the Holy Spirit the thought that comes to mind while on ones knees pleading for clarity? Is it that gentle nudge that never goes away? Is it the gut feeling? Is it that spontaneous license of courage, similar to what the disciples experienced on Pentecost?
Maybe all of the above.
I am a little jealous of those who confidently “get the spirit” and react accordingly. While I sense the Spirit’s presence in my life, I need to be cautious and, more often than not, unannounced regarding my interpretation of his will for me. When I begin to publically announce God’s will, my interpretation inevitably veers away from the actual result. I need to relax and trust in God’s love and ingenuity, and know that the Holy Spirit will figure out how best to get into my heart and impact my role on this planet.
Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit, for the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart could never be adequate without it.
So now that I’ve cleared the air, “if you will,” with Holy Spirit clarity, I’m switching gears… just a little.
As many of you know, this past year has been an adventure for my family…I know what you are thinking, “suck it up, and welcome to the planet, Chris” …but you see, today I have the pulpit.
We came to Alaska as a result of one of those prayers, on our knees, trying to discern where we were supposed to be. After leaving our home of over 40 years in Minnesota, we were afraid; yet we ventured way out of our comfortable box to the last frontier and pursued the idea that a little revolution and adventure would be good “no matter what.” Some would call it brave…..others would use a different word. While the job did not turn out as we had hoped (please refer to my prior comment regarding public announcements of God’s will), our Alaskan sludge test . . .
expanded our world comfort zone (Russia just doesn’t seem so far away anymore);
allowed us to develop new relationships;
offered adversity, humility, and clarity;
forced us to toughen up;
allowed us to reexamine our interests, passions, and gifts;
forced us to rely on God when confronted with uncertainty; and
when feeling our most vulnerable and alone, we saw and experienced miracles.
When things are “normal” and “under control,” God’s real cool stuff doesn’t get noticed.
We found Gloria Dei in the strangest way…Kris, Scott, Mark and Molly, Block Buster Video, who would have thought….
If any of you are not clear regarding what the Boraas family saw at Gloria Dei…let me provide some context. You reminded and reintroduced our family to the beauty of traditional worship. You were and are a constant source of friendship and care. You knew when to ask, when to nudge, and when to hug. You brought clarity to our faith journey and you are a product of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for exercising your license to sew with the thread of our father. AMEN.
Chris Boraas