My Story – Stickin’ to It

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.” ~ 1 Corinthians 12:1

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” ~ 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-7

Though we received the Holy Spirit at baptism, we don’t recall or were never informed that something powerful was happening or even supposed to happen. Remember, Jesus told his disciples to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:18-20. Then He told them to wait for the Holy Spirit to come and bring power which happened at Pentecost with blazing tongues of fire. The scared, trembling ones rushed into the streets and started telling the story of Jesus in words they did not know and which those who hurried to the scene to observe the goings on heard in their own language.

The masses were amazed and a little confused. They thought the disciples were drunk. Peter assured them that they were not and told the crowd that what was happening was prophesied in the book of Joel. (“Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” – Joel 2:8) Three thousand people were converted that day. Those who welcomed his message were baptized and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Speaking in tongues and interpreting them, along with the gift of teaching in power are three of the gifts of the Spirit. The New Testament (1 Corinthians 12:8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Romans 12:6-8; and Ephesians 4:11) contains several lists of spiritual gifts most authored by St. Paul. While each list is unique, there is overlap. Listed are words of wisdom, words of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues, apostle, prophet, teacher, helps, administration, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, mercy, evangelist, pastor and teacher, wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear (wonder) of the Lord. Each of these gifts are for the common good as Paul says above. Also, in another place, he says that the purpose of the gifts are to equip the saints for the works of ministry so that the body of Christ may built up. ~ Ephesians 4:11-12.

The early days of the Charismatic Renewal were exciting times and we all wanted to know what our gifts were and how God was going to use us. Different spiritual inventories were developed to help people discover what we had been given. Those inventories are still available, but over the years I have noticed spiritual gifts in people that are not included in the inventories. I’ve noticed that, sometimes, even if a person’s gift is obvious to everyone around them, they might not see it as a spiritual gift because when they took the test, it didn’t show up. Inventories are only a help. What the Holy Spirit gives is entirely up to the Spirit, and one gift may be stronger than another at various times as the Spirit moves, and it may not be on any list.

Back to my story about the Holy Spirit. I promised I would tell you about my experience with tongues. I was told to expect it when I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (There were some excesses with this controversial gift in the early Charismatic Renewal. Some taught that if you didn’t speak in tongues, you hadn’t received the Holy Spirit – so not true, and it caused a few problems.) St. Paul said that he wished everyone would speak in tongues, but he would rather that all would prophecy, given his choice. I expected words I did not know to come tumbling from my mouth as on the day of Pentecost. It didn’t happen. I wasn’t sure if I was disappointed or not. I decided, after a while, that I was. But still nothing came. Once in prayer, I finally said, “Since nothing is happening and this is supposed to be one of the gifts of the Spirit, I’m just going to talk and it will be up to you to figure out what I’m saying.” Did I really say that? Yes, I did.

And there you are. Being a gentleman, God doesn’t force us. What comes out of our mouths is up to us. It is a good language for prayer. Of course, if blazing tongues of fire fall on your head and you need to speak to the multitudes, you better do that. You probably won’t be able to help it. Only once, have I really spoken in tongues out loud in a group meeting. At that time I felt I was chasing something away that wasn’t supposed to be at the meeting. Discernment of spirits is one of my gifts. Discernment, in general, is my strongest gift. Knowledge is strong also. I know things that later have been proved to be true. I usually only pray in tongues under my breath during healing prayer with someone, or when I can’t still my mind when I am having private prayer. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

I have other gifts, too. Everyone does. Administration was strong years ago. But it is much less and teaching has taken its place. Prophecy, wisdom, faith and healing are others. I could tell many stories. I have and I will again. As I have been thinking and writing about gifts, I realized that some seem to have been natural gifts given at the time of my birth. The Holy Spirit has given power to them. Some are entirely supernatural. I write about my stories often, so if you haven’t heard them before, you will, guaranteed. If you don’t know what some of these gifts are and want to know, just ask.

Whatever the Spirit gives us and then empowers us to use, it is important to remember that the Spirit comes to grow our relationship with God, give us the ability (power) to follow Jesus, for building up the body of Christ, the church, for service to others in the church and outside of it – and for cooperating with God in ushering in and strengthening the Kingdom of God on earth today. “Go, make disciples, baptize, and teach to obey.”

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” ~ 1 Peter 4:10

A Mighty Wind

(Part Four)

“While staying with them, he [Jesus] ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” ~ Acts 1:4-5

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” ~ Acts 2:1-3

It is amazing what I remember as I try to complete the writing on the Holy Spirit that God assigned. There is so much that I don’t have room to tell.  However, this may be the start of a pretty good outline in case I ever do write that book.

Last month, I neglected to tell you that when I was confirmed, it was under a tornado warning. Planes were grounded and the Bishop had to drive down from Atlanta, so my fear made perfect sense when my mother-in-law said that when the Holy Spirit gets hold of a person, it is like a tornado has slammed into them.

Did God cause all the darkness that I had in my life?  Of course not.  The darkness was already there.  God only called my attention to it so that I would begin to heal. I have said that my idea of God was skewed and I needed that to change so I could grow closer to him.  God, however, was with me and provided help, ways out, and things to learn for my spiritual growth that I might not have been able to receive otherwise. Even in the pit, God is always with us and God is always good.  What God does with our mess is always good, too, but it took me some time before I really believed that.

First, I had to know that God really cared about me. One day I noticed that Step Three of the Twelve Steps reads, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” My understanding of God had begun to change, but I was not sure that I was ready for what God’s will might be. I might have to go to Africa. But, this Step said I was to turn my life over to the CARE OF GOD, not Will of God. Care of God, I could do. Because of the miracle of our daughter’s healing, I learned that God heard my prayers and cared for me.

After a renewal weekend at St. Stephen’s, we became involved in a small group at church where we studied, prayed together, and took care of each other.  Things moved along and I got closer to God. I sang in the choir and community was very important to me.  I couldn’t imagine life without it. However, one day I came home from church, and thought, “There must be more to it than this.”  Strange thought.  Hmm. I know now that it was God calling.

Some people at church began to talk about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.  Some talked about speaking in tongues and laying on of hands for healing.  I already knew that God healed but Holy Spirit baptism and tongues, um, no.  We had grown up being taught that the Holy Spirit was only active until the Bible was finished and was not for today. We were taught that speaking in tongues was from the Evil One.  I don’t know where that idea came from. But I began to watch these people. They had something I wanted, so eventually, I decided that I would have hands laid on me for this Spirit baptism.  I had all kinds of expectations about what physical manifestations might occur when the Spirit came.  There were stories. I was a bit nervous but I wanted what others had and what God wanted to give me.

What happened when hands were laid on me for this Baptism? I didn’t think anything had. I didn’t feel differently. I did notice that I couldn’t get enough of reading the Bible and my usual fiction reading gave way to reading books about God and the Holy Spirit, about Gifts of the Spirit and of healing. I was very interested in the spiritual gifts that the Spirit was to give, especially healing – because of the miracle. I wondered what my gifts might be.

We were in the process of building a new church and parishioners put in a great deal of sweat equity. One night, my husband and I, along with our Priest, his wife and a few more, stayed late to work. After, we had gone to dinner. While we stood at the counter to pay our bill, our Priest started to collapse.  We got a chair for him to sit in and called an ambulance.  A strong thought (God?) came to me, “You need to lay hands on him and pray for healing.”  WHAT? Me? “If you don’t he will die.” I couldn’t take that chance, so scared, timid, not very sure of myself-very new to Holy Spirit stuff, little me-walked over and very unobtrusively, laid my hand on his shoulder and whispered a healing prayer.  By the time the ambulance came he was fine but they took him to the hospital for a check.  As his wife left, she turned to me and said, “Did you see that one whole side of his faced sagged for a bit? I hadn’t. It took me a few weeks to “fess up” to what I did.

Well, what about tongues? What happened? I am going to write about the gifts of the Spirit next month so stay tuned. I have a few more stories, too.  After all, that’s what the Holy Spirit directed me to do.  “Tell (my) story.” But for now…

We receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism – “Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, …” p.307, Book of Common Prayer. This is renewed at Confirmation – “Strengthen, O Lord, your servant N. with your Holy Spirit; empower him for your service; and sustain him all the days of his life. Amen” p.309, BCP.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit happens when we ask for it, give our consent for God to use us as he chooses, with the power for ministry that the Spirit gives us. This may happen at our confirmation. We already have, with our baptism, all of the Holy Spirit.  How much of us does the Holy Spirit have?  That is the real question.

Wait. “.…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

A Mighty Wind

(Part 4)

“While staying with them, he [Jesus] ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” ~ Acts 1:4-5

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” ~ Acts 2:1-3

It is amazing what I remember as I try to complete the writing on the Holy Spirit that God assigned. There is so much that I don’t have room to tell. However, this may be the start of a pretty good outline in case I ever do write that book.
Last month, I neglected to tell you that when I was confirmed, it was under a tornado warning. Planes were grounded and the Bishop had to drive down from Atlanta, so my fear made perfect sense when my mother-in-law said that when the Holy Spirit gets hold of a person, it is like a tornado has slammed into them.
Did God cause all the darkness that I had in my life? Of course not. The darkness was already there. God only called my attention to it so that I would begin to heal. I have said that my idea of God was skewed and I needed that to change so I could grow closer to him. God, however, was with me and provided help, ways out, and things to learn for my spiritual growth that I might not have been able to receive otherwise. Even in the pit, God is always with us and God is always good. What God does with our mess is always good, too, but it took me some time before I really believed that.
First, I had to know that God really cared about me. One day I noticed that Step Three of the Twelve Steps reads, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” My understanding of God had begun to change, but I was not sure that I was ready for what God’s will might be. I might have to go to Africa. But, this Step said I was to turn my life over to the CARE OF GOD, not Will of God. Care of God, I could do. Because of the miracle of our daughter’s healing, I learned that God heard my prayers and cared for me.
After a renewal weekend at St. Stephen’s, we became involved in a small group at church where we studied, prayed together, and took care of each other. Things moved along and I got closer to God. I sang in the choir and community was very important to me. I couldn’t imagine life without it. However, one day I came home from church, and thought, “There must be more to it than this.” Strange thought. Hmm. I know now that it was God calling.
Some people at church began to talk about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Some talked about speaking in tongues and laying on of hands for healing. I already knew that God healed but Holy Spirit baptism and tongues, um, no. We had grown up being taught that the Holy Spirit was only active until the Bible was finished and was not for today. We were taught that speaking in tongues was from the Evil One. I don’t know where that idea came from. But I began to watch these people. They had something I wanted, so eventually, I decided that I would have hands laid on me for this Spirit baptism. I had all kinds of expectations about what physical manifestations might occur when the Spirit came. There were stories. I was a bit nervous but I wanted what others had and what God wanted to give me.
What happened when hands were laid on me for this Baptism? I didn’t think anything had. I didn’t feel differently. I did notice that I couldn’t get enough of reading the Bible and my usual fiction reading gave way to reading books about God and the Holy Spirit, about Gifts of the spirit and of healing. I was very interested in the spiritual gifts that the Spirit was to give, especially healing – because of the miracle. I wondered what my gifts might be.
We were in the process of building a new church and parishioners put in a great deal of sweat equity. One night, my husband and I, along with our Priest, his wife and a few more, stayed late to work. After, we had gone to dinner. While we stood at the counter to pay our bill, our Priest started to collapse. We got a chair for him to sit in and called an ambulance. A strong thought (God?) came to me, “You need to lay hands on him and pray for healing.” WHAT? Me? “If you don’t he will die.” I couldn’t take that chance, so scared, timid, not very sure of myself-very new to Holy Spirit stuff, little me-walked over and very unobtrusively, laid my hand on his shoulder and whispered a healing prayer. By the time the ambulance came he was fine but they took him to the hospital for a check. As his wife left, she turned to me and said, “Did you see that one whole side of his faced sagged for a bit? I hadn’t. It took me a few weeks to “fess up” to what I did.
Well, what about tongues? What happened? I am going to write about the gifts of the Spirit next month so stay tuned. I have a few more stories, too. After all, that’s what the Holy Spirit directed me to do. “Tell (my) story.” But for now…
We receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism – “Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, …” p.307, Book of Common Prayer. This is renewed at Confirmation – “Strengthen, O Lord, your servant N. with your Holy Spirit; empower him for your service; and sustain him all the days of his life. Amen” p.309, BCP.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit happens when we ask for it, give our consent for God to use us as he chooses, with the power for ministry that the Spirit gives us. This may happen at our confirmation. We already have, with our baptism, all of the Holy Spirit. How much of us does the Holy Spirit have? That is the real question.

Wait. “.…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

A FRIDAY MEDITATION – A Mighty Wind

(Part 4)

“While staying with them, he [Jesus] ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” ~ Acts 1:4-5

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” ~ Acts 2:1-3
It is amazing what I remember as I try to complete the writing on the Holy Spirit that God assigned. There is so much that I don’t have room to tell. However, this may be the start of a pretty good outline in case I ever do write that book.
Last month, I neglected to tell you that when I was confirmed, it was under a tornado warning. Planes were grounded and the Bishop had to drive down from Atlanta, so my fear made perfect sense when my mother-in-law said that when the Holy Spirit gets hold of a person, it is like a tornado has slammed into them.
Did God cause all the darkness that I had in my life? Of course not. The darkness was already there. God only called my attention to it so that I would begin to heal. I have said that my idea of God was skewed and I needed that to change so I could grow closer to him. God, however, was with me and provided help, ways out, and things to learn for my spiritual growth that I might not have been able to receive otherwise. Even in the pit, God is always with us and God is always good. What God does with our mess is always good, too, but it took me some time before I really believed that.
First, I had to know that God really cared about me. One day I noticed that Step Three of the Twelve Steps reads, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” My understanding of God had begun to change, but I was not sure that I was ready for what God’s will might be. I might have to go to Africa. But, this Step said I was to turn my life over to the CARE OF GOD, not Will of God. Care of God, I could do. Because of the miracle of our daughter’s healing, I learned that God heard my prayers and cared for me.
After a renewal weekend at St. Stephen’s, we became involved in a small group at church where we studied, prayed together, and took care of each other. Things moved along and I got closer to God. I sang in the choir and community was very important to me. I couldn’t imagine life without it. However, one day I came home from church, and thought, “There must be more to it than this.” Strange thought. Hmm. I know now that it was God calling.
Some people at church began to talk about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Some talked about speaking in tongues and laying on of hands for healing. I already knew that God healed but Holy Spirit baptism and tongues, um, no. We had grown up being taught that the Holy Spirit was only active until the Bible was finished and was not for today. We were taught that speaking in tongues was from the Evil One. I don’t know where that idea came from. But I began to watch these people. They had something I wanted, so eventually, I decided that I would have hands laid on me for this Spirit baptism. I had all kinds of expectations about what physical manifestations might occur when the Spirit came. There were stories. I was a bit nervous but I wanted what others had and what God wanted to give me.
What happened when hands were laid on me for this Baptism? I didn’t think anything had. I didn’t feel differently. I did notice that I couldn’t get enough of reading the Bible and my usual fiction reading gave way to reading books about God and the Holy Spirit, about Gifts of the spirit and of healing. I was very interested in the spiritual gifts that the Spirit was to give, especially healing – because of the miracle. I wondered what my gifts might be.
We were in the process of building a new church and parishioners put in a great deal of sweat equity. One night, my husband and I, along with our Priest, his wife and a few more, stayed late to work. After, we had gone to dinner. While we stood at the counter to pay our bill, our Priest started to collapse. We got a chair for him to sit in and called an ambulance. A strong thought (God?) came to me, “You need to lay hands on him and pray for healing.” WHAT? Me? “If you don’t he will die.” I couldn’t take that chance, so scared, timid, not very sure of myself-very new to Holy Spirit stuff, little me-walked over and very unobtrusively, laid my hand on his shoulder and whispered a healing prayer. By the time the ambulance came he was fine but they took him to the hospital for a check. As his wife left, she turned to me and said, “Did you see that one whole side of his faced sagged for a bit? I hadn’t. It took me a few weeks to “fess up” to what I did.
Well, what about tongues? What happened? I am going to write about the gifts of the Spirit next month so stay tuned. I have a few more stories, too. After all, that’s what the Holy Spirit directed me to do. “Tell (my) story.” But for now…
We receive the Holy Spirit at Baptism – “Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, …” p.307, Book of Common Prayer. This is renewed at Confirmation – “Strengthen, O Lord, your servant N. with your Holy Spirit; empower him for your service; and sustain him all the days of his life. Amen” p.309, BCP.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit happens when we ask for it, give our consent for God to use us as he chooses, with the power for ministry that the Spirit gives us. This may happen at our confirmation. We already have, with our baptism, all of the Holy Spirit. How much of us does the Holy Spirit have? That is the real question.

Wait. “.…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

This Way or That?

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. ~ Proverbs 3:6

I taught a class on discernment this last winter, and I had an idea what I wanted to do in it.  I needed a text book that participants could read to help with the process, but there were so many to look through.  I finally asked my husband to scan one or two and tell me what he thought. He read one that he thought would be perfect.  It was good, but didn’t really explain the process as well as I wished.  I prayed about it and decided on another book.  Strangely, when I went to order my choice, there were not enough books available but there were plenty for the book Dave recommended. The book was perfect and the act of choosing it was, itself, a discernment process—a choice between two good things—one book or the other.

The book, Desiring God’s Will, by David Benner, says that desiring God’s will, more than we desire our own, is a prerequisite for being able to find it. When we are trying to do God’s will, there are many voices that speak to us—voices of the world around us, the voice of the evil one, voices from our past, and our own voice which includes our own self-will and agendas. A side note:  The discernment process we studied is not about knowing evil spirits from good ones or the ministry of deliverance.  The discernment process we studied is about choice—about choosing one good thing rather than another good thing.  God’s will would never be that we choose evil and we are expected to know the difference between the two, but this doesn’t mean that the choice is always easy.

It has usually been fairly easy for me to know what it was that God had in mind for me to do. I had a strong intuitive sense built into me almost from the beginning.  After the baptism of the Spirit, discernment became one of my strongest spiritual gifts.  I started noticing, more often, the movements of God within me and in situations around me for help in choosing his will before I ever knew that God gave patterns to help us.  St. Ignatius, a Jesuit from the 15^th Century, discovered these patterns when he was laid up with an injury, and he developed a process to help a person pay more attention to them. The process is helpful even if a person is not strongly intuitive.  You probably have used it before without being aware that you were.

Many years ago, I felt a call to something, not really knowing what, so I applied for a job in the law office where I had worked once before.  The office had grown and the lawyer needed extra help.  After I applied and had gone home, a sense of dread, a dis-ease, a low level anxiety (desolation) came over me and I knew that I couldn’t take the job. I didn’t know how to tell her, but I didn’t need to because she said I was overqualified.  Within three months, Dave had retired from IBM and taken the church in Windsor.  That is another story, too long for this article, but the movements of that choice felt peaceful and right (consolation).

I confess that, sometimes, I have chosen what I knew was not God’s will for me.  Once, God told me that I wouldn’t like what I was choosing.  I assured him otherwise, but God was right.  My decision didn’t turn out well.  He has, however, used it for my growth.  Hopefully, I won’t do what he tells me I won’t like again.  Very occasionally God gives an assignment that I would not think was his will—something that might not make sense or that seems to contradict what I know of God. But when I try to ignore this assignment, there is desolation, dis-ease, confusion, and lack of peace. When I follow what I believe I’m hearing, even when it might be painful or difficult, there is rightness, peace, joy, and love (consolation). When this happens, I need to be very careful, because there are those other voices that could interfere.

As I said before, the key to finding God’s will is desiring God’s will. It is the difference between willingness and willfulness, between God’s agenda and my agenda. It’s giving God a blank check and asking him to fill in the blank promising in advance to obey.  There are a few steps to the process of discernment, but there are simple exercises to help us pay attention to the movements, called “consolation” or “desolation”, of the spirit within.  We can start with these exercises even if we might not always totally desire, but want to desire, what God wants.

Exercise:  At the end of the day, take a bit of prayer time and ask one or more of these questions of yourself.

“For what moment today am I most grateful?  For what moment today am I least grateful?

When did I give and receive the most love today? When did I give and receive the least love today?

When did I feel most alive today?  When did I feel least alive today?

What was the day’s high point?  What was the day’s low point?” ~ Sleeping With Bread,Dennis, Sheila & Matthew Linn

Pay attention to the feelings you have as you consider these questions.  You will begin to notice feelings of consolation and desolation.  Keep track.  At the very least, you will find some moments of gratitude in your day for which you can thank God.

SOUL FOOD – We Leak

“… [Jesus] gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”—Acts 1:4-5, 8

I am not a big fan of waiting especially when I don’t know that for which I wait.  I doubt very much if Jesus’ disciples understood what he has just told them.  I don’t know how they could.  They have no concept of what is going to happen to them in just a few days. Though the disciples did not really know what was going to take place, and though they were probably scared silly because of all that had occurred in the past few weeks, they were obedient to Jesus’ command.

We have just celebrated Pentecost so we know what happened to the disciples. We know the Holy Spirit come in power accompanied by great signs and wonders—wind, flames, and speaking in different languages.  Then, Spirit-filled to the brim, they went into the streets to tell the story. We can even relate to what we have heard because it happened, and continues to happen, to us.

When did this happen?  We received the Holy Spirit when we were baptized. Then at our Confirmation the bishop prayed, “…..Renew in these your servants the covenant you have made with them at their Baptism.  Send them forth in the power of that Spirit to perform the service you set before them; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.” Laying hands on each he prayed, “Strengthen, O Lord, your servant N. with your Holy Spirit; empower him for your service; and sustain him all the days of his life.  Amen.”

For many of us, not all, this was just a nice holy ritual that ushered us into membership in the church.  For some, the ritual said we were done with our instruction and were free to come and go in the community and in service whenever we felt like it.  We had graduated.  Many of us were not taught that the power of the Spirit was being renewed in us for service in all the many ways that God calls us and has given us gifts and the ability to do so.

About 40 years ago, the Spirit moved mightily in mainline churches.  We had forgotten about the power the Spirit brings and needed a reminder.  There were, often, great signs and wonders as he moved among us. Some people spoke in tongues; some were healed by the laying on of hands and by prayer; some were called to pray for others to be healed.  Most actually read the Bible at home.  People told God’s story; they told their own stories; community was formed and lives were changed. For some, the Spirit came quietly.  People were in love with Jesus.  The Gospel message spread.  It was exciting and terrifying, but I, for one, would not change it.  I pray for another revival because I believe we need them from time to time.   We get tired; we forget; and most of all, we leak.  We need continually to ask the Holy Spirit to come to us with power; to remind us of the presence of God within us and to strengthen us for service and for witness.

I have a story.  It was not from those early days but about 25 years later. I led a weekend retreat for a women’s group at a Denver area church.  God took over from the very beginning so all I needed to do was to pay attention and listen for his prompting, in a bit of fear and trembling, I might add.  It made no difference what I had planned.  One evening we had a prayer service. One woman came to where I was praying and said, “I want all of the Holy Spirit that I can get.” So, I prayed for exactly that.  As, I did, she began to sink to the floor and I helped her gently down.  She was using a walker because she had MS and sometimes she used a wheelchair.  People were concerned about her as she laid there, but others around offered reassurance that all was OK.

I kept my eye on the woman as I continued praying for others.  When she began to move around, I knelt beside her.  She told me that her legs, which had little feeling in them before, were burning.  I knew immediately that God wanted to heal her (confession here – I was scared.  What if I prayed and nothing happened?)  I asked others who believed God healed, today, to come and join us in praying for her healing. I was afraid to try it alone and its better when two or three join together, anyway.  I told you the whole weekend was out of my hands.  Long story short – after we prayed she got up, stood alone, walked around and praised God.  Her roommate said she didn’t stop all night.  Years later she was still walking. Thank you, Jesus.  I remember this story often. It reminds me to pay attention to what God wants to do. Maybe through me. Or you.

As I said, though, we leak.  We become dry and dull.  We need daily refreshing in the Holy Spirit and so we pray:

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. Amen.”