Grace and Peace to you!
This month we conclude our Easter Season 2021 with the celebrations of the Day of Pentecost and Holy Trinity Sunday. The scripture readings from these two Sundays will be helping us to reflect upon the Holy Trinity; God made known to us in three ways – God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit.
In our Christian worship, we do a very good job worshipping God, the Father – the Creator of heaven and earth. We also do a great job worshipping God, the Son – the Redeemer, the One who died and rose again, ascended into heaven, and will come again. But we don’t always place a great deal of emphasis in our worshipping of God, the Holy Spirit – the Sanctifier.
Perhaps we are hesitant as the Bible itself doesn’t talk about the Holy Spirit as much. It is almost as if the Holy Spirit doesn’t want the attention in some sense.
Jesus compared the work of the Spirit to the blowing of the wind. You can see what it does, but you can’t actually see the wind. Jesus said that it is like that with the Holy Spirit. We can’t see the Holy Spirit even though artists throughout history have used the images of the feathers of a dove and in fire and in water, but rarely apart from these physical elements.
Maybe we could think of the Holy Spirit as the unsung hero of the Trinity. As Martin Luther points out in his explanation to the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed, it is the Holy Spirit who “calls us, enlightens us, and makes holy the whole Christian church.” Without the Holy Spirit we couldn’t have faith and we wouldn’t be Christians. That makes the Holy Spirit essential to our lives as Christians.
I realize that some might argue that the Holy Spirit is even more visual than seeing Jesus face to face. They offer examples that the Holy Spirit is measured by the excitement in the air, the volume of the song, the emotion of the preacher, or the ability to speak in some strange language that no one can understand.
I can understand how we would long to have that same experience the disciples had that first Day of Pentecost. It surely was an amazing thing for those who were there, with a tongue of fire floating through the air and touching on their heads. There was a sound of wind, but no source from where it came and no trees moving or hair blowing. Those were visual and audible signs of the Holy Spirit. But after that, it was all a matter of speaking for them and for those who came. And we know (from Acts 2:1-21) that they spoke in intelligible human languages.
I think that we should also remember that prior to Holy Spirit appearing in such a fantastic way, that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would be the great reminder. Before his crucifixion (John 14:25-26) Jesus told his disciples, “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.” This is how we received the entire Bible. The Holy Spirit is the One who would and still does verbally inspire the Word of God in the hearts and minds of Christians around the world.
God is still moving in our lives and in our world to bring in his kingdom. There will be a time when we will experience God's kingdom in its fullness. Until then there will be moments when our lives might be more chaotic than not. But God moves in our lives and in our world as God did at the time of creation and brings order out of chaos. It is in times of hopelessness and despair, that the Holy Spirit moves and assures us again of God's love and brings us hope.
Our belief in the Holy Trinity boldly declares that God is alive and well and living in us and in our world. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are acting to provide and protect us, redeem and set us right, and shape us into the image of God.
In Christ,
Pastor Bakker
26”When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. John 15:226-27 (NRSV)
This month we conclude our Easter Season 2021 with the celebrations of the Day of Pentecost and Holy Trinity Sunday. The scripture readings from these two Sundays will be helping us to reflect upon the Holy Trinity; God made known to us in three ways – God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit.
In our Christian worship, we do a very good job worshipping God, the Father – the Creator of heaven and earth. We also do a great job worshipping God, the Son – the Redeemer, the One who died and rose again, ascended into heaven, and will come again. But we don’t always place a great deal of emphasis in our worshipping of God, the Holy Spirit – the Sanctifier.
Perhaps we are hesitant as the Bible itself doesn’t talk about the Holy Spirit as much. It is almost as if the Holy Spirit doesn’t want the attention in some sense.
Jesus compared the work of the Spirit to the blowing of the wind. You can see what it does, but you can’t actually see the wind. Jesus said that it is like that with the Holy Spirit. We can’t see the Holy Spirit even though artists throughout history have used the images of the feathers of a dove and in fire and in water, but rarely apart from these physical elements.
Maybe we could think of the Holy Spirit as the unsung hero of the Trinity. As Martin Luther points out in his explanation to the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed, it is the Holy Spirit who “calls us, enlightens us, and makes holy the whole Christian church.” Without the Holy Spirit we couldn’t have faith and we wouldn’t be Christians. That makes the Holy Spirit essential to our lives as Christians.
I realize that some might argue that the Holy Spirit is even more visual than seeing Jesus face to face. They offer examples that the Holy Spirit is measured by the excitement in the air, the volume of the song, the emotion of the preacher, or the ability to speak in some strange language that no one can understand.
I can understand how we would long to have that same experience the disciples had that first Day of Pentecost. It surely was an amazing thing for those who were there, with a tongue of fire floating through the air and touching on their heads. There was a sound of wind, but no source from where it came and no trees moving or hair blowing. Those were visual and audible signs of the Holy Spirit. But after that, it was all a matter of speaking for them and for those who came. And we know (from Acts 2:1-21) that they spoke in intelligible human languages.
I think that we should also remember that prior to Holy Spirit appearing in such a fantastic way, that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would be the great reminder. Before his crucifixion (John 14:25-26) Jesus told his disciples, “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.” This is how we received the entire Bible. The Holy Spirit is the One who would and still does verbally inspire the Word of God in the hearts and minds of Christians around the world.
God is still moving in our lives and in our world to bring in his kingdom. There will be a time when we will experience God's kingdom in its fullness. Until then there will be moments when our lives might be more chaotic than not. But God moves in our lives and in our world as God did at the time of creation and brings order out of chaos. It is in times of hopelessness and despair, that the Holy Spirit moves and assures us again of God's love and brings us hope.
Our belief in the Holy Trinity boldly declares that God is alive and well and living in us and in our world. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are acting to provide and protect us, redeem and set us right, and shape us into the image of God.
In Christ,
Pastor Bakker
26”When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning. John 15:226-27 (NRSV)