Eastertide
May 17, 2021
Scripture Reading:
Acts 2:1-21 or Ezekiel 37:1-14
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
“In the last days it will be, God declares,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” –Acts 2:14-21
The Holy Spirit is a mysterious messenger and guide in our lives. Our ability to interact with the Spirit enables our work toward building a homeland for all people ruled by love. As a young child, one of our neighbors invited my family to a revival meeting at their Pentecostal church. We slipped into seats toward the back of the church, and by the time the first few songs had been sung, I was under the pew watching the service from between my parents’ legs. I had never experienced anything like that. I remember it but I do not think it left any lasting impact on me. My Mom explained that people worshipped God in different ways.
Fast forward to the 1970s, when the charismatic movement was popular, I was invited to a house meeting where people shared their experiences with the Holy Spirit. I was encouraged to kindle my relationship with the Spirit. I thanked the friend who had invited me but did not attend again.
Even though these corporate experiences did not appeal to me, I wanted to understand this third part of my relationship with God. I am a monotheist and recognize God’s omnipotence. I adopted Jesus Christ quickly as my role model and teacher. And I finally came to realize that this mysterious messenger and guide had always been with me and would always be. The Holy Spirit, for me, is more akin to Elijah’s still small voice or Jacob’s wrestling match on his return trip home. Now I recognize that those two understandings differ significantly. Thus, I have concluded that the Holy Spirit molds its responses to my needs. The Holy Spirit knows when I need to be consoled and when I need to be stirred into action, thus following its guidance is an ultimate act of faith.
Prayer:
Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God,
Fall afresh on me. Amen*.
First verse of Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me, by Daniel Iverson, see at https://hymnary.org/text/spirit_of_the_living_god_fall_iverson
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.