Walking in the Holy Spirit – Seeing Jesus

In our faith tradition, we believe in the Holy Trinity. That is, we believe that till eternity, God will continue to exist as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In our scripture passage for this coming Sunday, Jesus informs His disciples that they will not be left alone, but that the Spirit of God will be with them. In our church, it is common for us to discuss and pray to God, the Father, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. We also spend much time in our worship discussing the birth, life, death, resurrection, and teachings of Jesus Christ, the Son. But I think the Holy Spirit doesn’t get quite as much attention and publicity.

What are your thoughts and attitudes about the Holy Spirit? Have you experienced the presence of God’s spirit? Do you have spiritual gifts whereby God encourages you and fortifies your faith? What have you heard about the Holy Spirit? Have you heard or seen things that seemed weird or supernatural and it made you uneasy or confused about the Holy Spirit?

As Presbyterians, we have a strong tradition of education and teaching, so I think we are more comfortable leaning away from some of the emotional, supernatural, or charismatic aspects of the Christian faith. This is understandable, but it might cause us to miss certain benefits that God desires for us.

In scripture, the Holy Spirit is referred to as a helper, an advocate, and a guide (among other things). The Holy Spirit is the presence of God with us at all times and in all occasions. In this Easter season as we are pursuing ways to see Jesus, I wonder if the Holy Spirit can aid. Do we pray to the Holy Spirit? Do we acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit in our thoughts and actions? As the Holy Spirit works to lead us into life, may we see the ways that God is active and near. Amen. I’d love to hear your thoughts and reactions.      

Very truly,

Pastor Adam