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Posts Tagged ‘Holy Spirit’

Mystical Indwelling

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 3, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 17:20b-21a; 22b-23a
“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their [followers] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. … I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me.” [Jesus praying]

How can anyone read this text and not wonder what all this indwelling is about? I think it’s quite mystical really. It’s not a feeling. It’s not something we can see. We cannot “know” if the indwelling has happened. This is strictly on faith.

For those who believe that life is more than our 3-dimensional world, the leap is not as difficult. In fact, it’s really the whole point. If we ask Christ to live within, it’s a done deal. This is not a real estate transaction where the Spirit comes in, takes a look around and says, “not interested, too many issues.” If we ask, the Spirit comes.

The next process is developing a relationship with the indwelling Spirit. We have to learn the language of love, hope, and trust within. This takes time. And that journey is different for each person. I find it a wonderful, yet sometimes disturbing, mystery. It’s simply not that easy to do.

Often, people will develop their own personal word picture to assist them in the discovery process. I remember, at one time, I pictured myself as a child who was walking on one side of a stream while Jesus walked on the other. I was looking for a bridge. It was my first foray into the Spirit’s guidance.

The most effective way to enter into process is through prayer. But too often, we turn prayer into a personal monologue. It’s too much like talking to Santa Claus: I want this and this and please do this and don’t forget this. After thirty years, I still fall into that trap. In recent years, I have taught myself to practice being still and listening more (within).

In fact, all of the spiritual practices are intended to help us in our indwelling journey; not only prayer, but also communion, reading of the Word and other challenging texts, worship, music (food for the ears), personal expressions of creativity, providing “food” for the eyes through beauty, meaningful community experiences, meditation, contemplation, time in nature and natural settings, service to the poor, widows & orphans, loving neighbor, practicing hospitality… just to name a few. These are all ways of learning about the operation of the Holy Spirit within.

But, if we don’t participate in spiritual practices regularly, we can become numb to the presence within. It’s like living in a foreign land. If we don’t use the language of Spirit, we can lose our ability to understand it. All can be regained, but it takes commitment and desire.

Today, I pray for mindfulness of Christ’s indwelling. I embrace the mystery. I accept the mystical nature of this union.

With what other practices do you experience the indwelling Christ?

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Coming from the Father

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 27, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 16:28
“I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

Apparently, this “coming from the Father” business is a big deal. Anything repeated in scripture is generally considered important, well, this one is “Pete and Repeat” and it must be critical!

As I thought about this, I considered what it means to be sent by someone in authority. If I was on a mission sent by the President let’s say, unless there was a lot of pomp and circumstance (and secret service), honestly, no one would believe me. What could I do to convince people? I could share my inside information… I could drop a lot of names of people I knew… I could carry an I.D. card (but even that would be suspect). Even my friends would have trouble with this one. Face it, people don’t tend to believe in the extraordinary unless it fits their own mental model. And I don’t fit the model for an “agent” from the President.

In the end, I would have to do the best I could to present myself as the “real thing.” I would have to stand fast and be consistent. I would have to “stick to my story.” And in the end, some would believe me and some would not. If the mission was critical, let’s say I had inside information that the area was going to blow up (sounds a little like the TV show “24”)… it would be really important for people to believe me. There would be urgency. And yet, some would believe and some would not.

We all know where I’m going with this metaphor. Those who believed me would escape unharmed. Those who did not believe, would face the challenges of surviving a cataclysmic event… or not.

It takes a leap of faith to believe. Something resonates within. There may not be enough data, not enough hard facts, not enough to know for sure, and yet, the heart responds. The soul quivers.

I confess, when I made my leap of faith some thirty years ago, it started out as a test. I was skeptical and unsure, but I thought I’d give this “follower of Jesus” bit a chance. Despite all of the challenges and disappointments since then, I have never turned back. The joys, the gifts, the blessings, the love, and the hope far outweigh the rest. And so, I’m still following the One who came from God, the Father and the Mother, the Great Spirit, the Holy Creator. Amen.

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Incremental Truths

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , on August 25, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 12:16
“I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now.” [Amplified]

The whole truth and nothing but the truth?… it’s not going to happen. Even though the Holy Spirit (Spirit of Truth/Counselor) is here with us, is even within us, still we are unable to handle the whole truth. Nothing much has changed on that score.

Is the Bible truth? Yes, but no one has the inside track on the meanings, interpretations, inspiration, implications of that collection of writings. Truth may be absolute, but our world is not. We are limited in our ability to understand truth and apply it to our world, to our culture, to our daily lives.

Like the story about Corrie Ten Boom whose father showed her by example that she could not carry the heavy suitcase off the train until she was older/stronger. The father would give her the suitcase suitable for her size and ability.

The Holy Spirit, through Christ Jesus, gives us the truth we can bear and understand.

Sometimes, we fight these truths. I have heard myself say, “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know…” to my teenagers. There is a perceived safety in ignorance. But that is foolish.

Today, I open my heart and mind to the truth God is willing to give and I ask forgiveness for the truth I have turned away. Grace and mercy can only abound where truth lives.

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The Counselor is Here

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 22, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 15:26
“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.”

The Counselor is the Spirit of Truth. This Counselor was promised by Jesus and sent out from the Father. The Counselor is not human but Spirit. This Counselor is still here.

In human terms, how does a counselor operate? A counselor is a listener. He/she is paid to listen, or if not paid, it’s a clear-cut part of the unwritten contract between the counselor and the client. A counselor cares about the client. A counselor is focused on the client and is interested in the progress of the client. A counselor is committed to the client.

A counselor is a mirror and assists the client in seeing him or herself more clearly. The counselor asks questions to help the client dig deeper. The counselor is an observer. The counselor is available and non-judgmental. The counselor is a truth-teller.

As believers, we have access to a Holy Counselor. But we tend to wait too long before we enter into dialogue with this counselor.

Instead, we tend to look to upon our triune God as a fixer. We act and when/if we act in error, we cry out for help. We are “reactive” and not “proactive” [that is, in the language of our current culture].

And it’s just like in “real life,” when we need the assistance of a human counselor, we must step away from our regular lives and schedule. We must commit to the time and energy and honesty it takes to look within. The counselor is a type of integrator but the process requires our trust and desire to move forward.

We must choose to enter into this relationship on the long term. The Holy Counselor is not into the quick fix. The Holy Counselor is in it with us for the long haul.

Holy Counselor, let us begin anew.

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Symbiosis

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 9, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 14:11a
“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;…”

Here’s the definition of symbiosis: any interdependent or mutually beneficial relationship between two persons, groups, etc. Here are some synonyms: cooperation, collaboration, synergy, union, combined effort, alliance, harmony, unity.

This is one way of describing the relationship that Jesus had with the Father while He was on earth. This is the relationship that we can have as well.

What is preventing us from having this symbiotic experience? Probably it’s sin: control, self-motivation, personal preferences, personal power, self-interest, fear, distrust.

What does it take to experience symbiosis: trust, faith, risk, courage, confidence, love.

How many of us have “asked Jesus into our hearts,” or “asked Jesus to be the Lord of our lives” … [pick any one of these cliches]… and then we ask Jesus, the very Son of God who is in direct symbiosis with God the Father, we ask him to sit in a corner and wait until we really need him to ask him into the fray.

In a symbiotic relationship, both parties are working for a common purpose. They are still individual, but they are something new together as well. This is the “new creation.”

This is my mantra today: I am in Jesus and Jesus is in me. I am in the Father and the Father is in me. I am in the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is in me.

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Starting a Fire

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , on August 1, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Luke 12:49
“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!…”

It takes energy to start a fire. That is, unless you have another fire to pass along.

But if you’re starting from scratch: you have to have a few essentials like kindling or some other fire-friendly fuel, a spark (from expended energy), and oxygen to keep it going. Those who saw the movie, Castaway, will remember how important and difficult it was for the hero to start a fire. He knew the basics in how to do it, but implementing his knowledge was harder than he had imagined.

The easiest method, of course, is to have a small fire already going and you simply touch that fire to the new “environment” until it catches. Jesus tells us that He is this starter fire. We just need to prepare the kindling and provide the oxygen. Unfortunately, most of us want to control the flame. Burn here, Lord, but not there. And please, don’t burn up all my “stuff.” And, oh, please don’t let the fire hurt me. In fact, why don’t we just set aside a special area for your fire, Jesus? In that way, you can just burn and burn and it won’t hurt anything or anybody. It will be orderly and controlled. It will be on my terms.

One of my favorite worship songs is “Refiner’s Fire,” because I know the fire is essential to my faith and growth, like a forest that must occasionally experience a burn for new life to spring up. But I fear the fire at the same time. I fear that all my personal wants and desires being consumed by His Fire. I fear the loss of control. I fear that His refining fire will not leave all that is pure and holy and strong, but instead, only ashes will remain.

O Lord, have mercy on me. Forgive my fears. Start the real fire… not the fireplace version.

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Lamp is a Fire

Posted in Ordinary Time, tagged , , , , , , , on June 4, 2009| Leave a Comment »

John 24:35
John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

A lamp gives light, but in those days, all lamps were fire that was fueled by something else. The fire was dependent on the fuel… usually oil. All of these words are used symbolically throughout the scriptures: lamp, fire, light, oil. They all go together and are combined to give a strong picture of what must happen within.

One of my favorite songs is “Refiner’s Fire” (based on Malachi 3:2). The message is simple: my prayer is to be holy … and the only way to be holy is to be refined by the fire of God…. purified.

John the baptizer had this fire within, gifted directly by God. It was this fire that drew others to him. The people recognized that fire. But John said that one was coming who would not just baptize with water, but with fire… one Christ Jesus. He would give pour out this fire directly from the “one who sent him,” [God]. This fire, then, is given when we invite Jesus to dwell within. He comes as a fire with the oil of the Holy Spirit that continually fuels the fire, continually refines our souls. [2 Chronicles 7:1] Sometimes, that fire can cause pain.

So often, I see myself trying to hang onto the ashes that have been burned away by the fire. But they are worthless, really. Sometimes the pain is by my feeble efforts to protect or “save” the parts He is trying to burn away. But it is then I realize that the best part remains. That part cannot be burned. Gold must be purified to be gold. The soul must be purified to be holy. Amen.

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