Come Holy Spirit

Today is Pentecost Sunday one of the most misunderstood celebrations of our church yet one of the most powerful in terms of enabling all of us to go forth and be witnesses to our faith.  We all know the gifts of the Spirit:  wisdom, understanding, knowledge, courage, right judgement, piety and fear of the Lord.  We also are familiar with the fruits of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.  But do we recognize when and how the Spirit can be present in our lives? 

There are many analogies in the Bible about the Spirit but one of my favorites is "like the wind".  Think about this for a minute...you feel the wind...you see the trees move in the wind...but do you see the actual wind...no...the Spirit is the same...you don't see where it is, or where it came from....you just know its there...you feel and recognize the Spirit just as you do the wind.  For me, wind is active...you feel it on your face...you see the wheat move, the trees bend..and sometimes you even feel it deep inside...a chill...or a rive in our heart...what is a rive...it means wrenched open or split open....and isn't that what the Holy Spirit does to our hearts ....it turns our world upside down.....it changes our lives..even if we don't want change or are fighting change.  The Spirit is the constant  knocking on the door of our hearts (Revelation) waiting to be let in and fill us with light, grace and all the beautiful things we know...but hesitate to let into our hearts.

Today, Pentecost Sunday can be a turning point in our life....We can start praying right know for the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts and let it transform us...let our hearts be filled with the light and grace we all need.  If you follow my blog, you remember that last week I talked about forgiveness...well we are all broken, hurting, and thristing for God...Let the Spirit in.....Be a conduit of God's love and let the Spirit electrify you...enlighten you...change you....It only takes one spark to start a fire....are you ready....can you feel it?

Come Holy Spirit.....feel the pushy breeze....

I am posting this a little early as tomorrow I will be traveling to another Benedictine House for prayer, friendship and rest...I ask for your prayers while I journey ....you see, the pushy breeze may be asking me to change some things in my life...so I am praying that the Holy Spirit enlightens me ......Blessings on your Pentecost....

Forgiveness....

This is one of my favorite pictures about forgiveness....and isn't it what we hear today when we read the story of Stephen.  Stephen is being stoned to death and asks God to forgive his killers.  Could you do what Stephen did? 

Everyday we have an opportunity to forgive as Stephen did...maybe not someone who is killing us literally but those little things that can kill our spirit or are slanderous.  They might be the little things that just annoy us....but do we forgive the person for the hurts.....or do we say we forgive...but go on resenting them?  Do we let a past hurt linger in our heart to the point that it becomes hate?  Are we so consumed with self pity and selfishness that we don't even realize that we do not forgive the little things...and they become big things?

I know that to forgive means that we do not hold on to the hurts, the mean words or the effect it has had on lives.....it means....letting it go...giving it to God...and starting anew.  Its tough....sometimes I think it is one of the toughest things we are asked to do....but...we are not being killed literally....so I ask...can we imitate what Stephen and Jesus did while they were dying......Forgive.......

Just a thought....I know it is tough...I wrestle with it too.....but don't we have great examples of how far we can be stretched if we just try.....

Take some time today and forgive someone for a hurt that is causing you to be stagnate in your spiritual growth.....Your live will be changed.....