Come Holy Spirit

If you would rather watch/listen to a video of this blog, click here.

Happy Wednesday, Everyone. 😊 Imagine being one of the disciples. You were following Jesus’ instructions and waiting in Jerusalem for Him to send the Helper that He promised. You are minding your own business, probably talking about Jesus and praying.

And then …

WOW! The sound of a mighty rushing wind is heard but nothing is blowing around. There are tongues of fire on everyone’s heads, but nothing is being consumed by the flames. I wonder how long it took for them to realize that the Holy Spirit had made His not-so-quiet entrance into their lives and hearts. How long would it have taken you?

When we talk about the Third Person of the Trinity, it is easy to minimize His role. God the Father and Jesus seem to get all the press. But the Holy Spirit does not play a bit part in our journey of faith or in the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit, in fact, is the Creator and Sustainer of our faith. It is He who moves in our hearts offering the invitation of grace and mercy. It is He who renews us each and every day as we invite Him into our hearts and lives each morning. It is He who makes Himself known every time I sit down to write. It is the Holy Spirit who inspired a variety of people to write down the words He gave them – words that would eventually become our Scriptures.

No, the Holy Spirit is no bit actor. His role, like that of the Father and the Son, is huge. Honestly, in my early life, I wasn’t quite sure who the Holy Spirit was. It seemed that we didn’t talk about Him much in the conservative Lutheran denomination in which I grew up.

As I look back now, I see that He was working in my life the entire time. And then, as I was pondering and praying about the call God had placed on my heart to be a pastor, He provided me with an experience that left no doubt as to what I was supposed to do.

It was an incredible experience and has left me with an indelible mark of faith on my heart. I had what I consider to be my “Paul experience.” As I was receiving a blessing after communion, I could feel scales fall off of my heart. There was nothing left to do or say but “yes” to the call of God. I have been totally in love with the Holy Spirit ever since then.

This experience did not happen on Pentecost. But it has made Pentecost my favorite festival of the church year. I know what the Holy Spirit can do and I invite Him in to everything I do in my life, my writing, my preaching, and my speaking.

I have found that when we say, “Come, Holy Spirit,” we should be prepared for the adventure of a lifetime. One that will lead us to places we never thought we would go doing things we never thought we would do. Be careful, indeed, when you invite Him in – you never know what God may ask you to do. I promise – you will love EVERY moment of it.

Blessings and Love, 😊 Ceri