This weekend brings an end to summer, an end to our final summer message series. We’ve been discussing the Holy Spirit and we called the series “The Other Guy” because the Spirit can sometimes seem like the forgotten member of the Trinity.
Bottom line, the Spirit is a person. And you can have a relationship with that person. And you need to have a relationship with that person, because a relationship with the Holy Spirit will transform your faith and change your life…because the Spirit has power…a real person with a real power you can use.
I was reading this week from Exodus and was struck by the powerful presence of the Spirit in that story. The Bible tells us this:
The glory of the Lord, like a cloud, filled the tabernacle…
In all the travels of the Israelites,
whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle,
they would set out, if it did not lift they did not set out
Exodus 40. 34, 36
It was the Spirit that led Israel, out of slavery and into freedom. Elsewhere St. Paul tells us that can work for us too:
If we live by the Spirit
then let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Galatians 5.25
The Spirit can actually lead us and, in fact, that is the plan. And the fruit of this walk is going to be a more successful life (Galatians 5.22). The more I’ve thought about it this week, the more it seems to me walking with the Spirit comes down to basically three habits.
- Calling on the Spirit, and acknowledging that I want to walk that walk; making the prayerful plea “Come Holy Spirit” a part of my daily prayer.
- Opening myself up to God’s Word everyday, and looking for the leadership of the Spirit in what I am reading.
- Availing myself of disciplines like fasting, penance, confession, tithing to dispose me to receive the Spirit, to increase my capacity to receive the Spirit.
It is an amazing fact that we can live our lives under the leadership and direction of the Holy Spirit. What a great thought as we set out on a new school year and a new year of programs and messages here in our church family. Moving into the busy fall and beyond, let’s walk in the Spirit.
Good-bye Bulletin
I just read the news letter and found out that this will be the last printed copy. I understand it must take many hours to put together the Bulletin every week, but I sure am going to miss reading the bulletin, its one of my favorite quiet moment reads on a Sunday afternoon along with the NY Times!
Imagine that : The Church Bulletin and the NY Times together !
Anyway, thank you to the team that put it together every
week.
And I’ll definitely download the app to keep informed!