2 Corinthians 13:14 – May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
In Youth Sunday School yesterday, we talked about Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit. But … Who or what exactly is the Holy Spirit? In my childhood, this part of the trinity was known as the Holy Ghost. The term frightened me, as anything ghost-like just didn’t sound welcoming! Out of the three parts of God, I think the Holy Spirit gets the least amount of attention. To me, the name “Holy Spirit” seems synonymous with God, just another name for our heavenly parent! And yet, various writers from the Bible distinctly reference the Holy Spirit as its own entity. Jesus himself promised this gift of the Spirit to us in his parting words before crucifixion, and Luke chronicles the manifestation of the Spirit at Pentecost in the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit is definitely portrayed as a separate and distinct part of the Trinity.
When reading Acts 2, one realizes that the Spirit did not arrive quietly at Pentecost! There are rushing, violent winds and tongues of fire. Believers are speaking in languages unknown to themselves but understood by visitors from all parts of the known world. The Holy Spirit announced its arrival with force encompassing not just the sense of sound (rushing wind, voices speaking other languages), but also the visual sense of fire and objects blowing around in the violent wind. Our Holy Spirit wasn’t shy! The disciples knew that the Spirit’s arrival was not a conjuring of their own grieving imaginations. The Holy Spirit was indeed a presence and a force to be reckoned with.
There is so much about our faith that is a mystery to me. As I get older, I’ve become comfortable with that mystery. How naive of me, in younger years, to think that I could ever fully understand the workings of God – my creator. While I don’t fully understand the Trinity, I’ve come to think of the Holy Spirit as my guide and friend. According to scripture, the indwelling presence of the Spirit is always with me. As a follower of Jesus, I am promised this gift. It may seem overly simplistic to some, but it’s comforting to know that I can pray about the smallest of things – with the presence of the Holy Spirit right there with me. That knowledge brings comfort and courage!
I used to have horrific panic attacks while driving. For a time, the fear of having an attack kept me from driving at all other than to work, which at the time was just a few blocks from our apartment. During that time, Swann took me everywhere else! Over time, knowing that God’s Spirit was right with me while I drove began to bring peace. I wasn’t alone in my car. Spirit’s presence was there too! It took months to get beyond this irrational fear, but knowing I wasn’t alone in that car was a first step. In his writing to the Corinthians, referenced in our scripture above, Paul describes the grace of Jesus as our redeemer, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. How comforting! Spirit’s role is fellowship with us. Presence. Comfort. Inner guidance.
Dear God of love, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. In spite of the world’s chaos and the “big picture” of global suffering (which can make our personal challenges seem insignificant) thank you for your Spirit’s presence through it all – panic while driving, nervous test taking in school, a job interview – or whatever life brings to each of us. You are there, in the small and in the big.
Blessings,
Diana
Recent Comments