January 24, 2010
3 Epiphany
Rev Ken Wratten at St Stephen’s,
At creation, God breathed into the nostrils of man, an=
d he
became a living being.
The power of God present at the Pentecost was the blow=
ing of
a violent wind.
In the locked room full of disciples, after Jesus̵=
7;
resurrection, God the Spirit was received by the breath of Jesus.
So we might expect that the wind of God’s Spirit=
blows
and moves us, too.
But you and I are not like leaves blown by the wind. W=
e are more
like sailboats, using the wind to reach a goal.
The HS is God’s presence that encourages and
strengthens us to live more and more like Christ. We need the wind of the Holy Spiri=
t to move
us out of our old pattern (life guided by external needs), and onto a new c=
ourse
(life led by God’s purpose). So in our commitment to live according to
the Christian ideal, we need the wind of the Holy Spirit in our life. And w=
e receive
that ‘wind’ at our baptism.
But if winds blow against the hull of a boat, all that=
does
is drive the boat into the shore.
If you are going to make any headway, you need to have your sails up=
and
your centerboard down; you need your ears open; your spiritual ears, listen=
ing
for the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
You need both wind and sails.
Jesus had returned to his home town Nazareth, and was
attending the local church service with the people he had grown up with. He=
was
asked by the leader of the synagogue to read the scripture lesson and offer=
a
reflection. He read from Isai=
ah,
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me”.
Jesus was very aware that the HS was at work in him, a=
nd he
kept his senses sharp every moment of his human life, so that God could keep
him on course to accomplish his purpose.
Paul’s letter to the people in the Corinthian ch=
urch
explains that every one of us shares in that same one Spirit. Jesus said,
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me.” Paul reminds us that the Spi=
rit
of the Lord is on you and me, too.
The question is, are you asking the Holy Spi=
rit
to take you where God wants you to go?
As for me, I have found that my ability to listen for =
the
wind of the Holy Spirit very much depends on my relationship to this fai=
th
family.
There are plenty of distractions in life that can dive=
rt me
into worrying about health, or finances, or friendships, or how to get
everything done that I am counted on to do, or what impact all that ‘=
stuff’
has on the attention I give to my wife and my family.
But then within the commitment we share here in this f=
aith
family, I read about the flood of caring that Kristin Williams has received
from people here, offering help in all sorts of ways as she fights illness =
in
the home stretch of her pregnancy.
I read about the cards, flowers, calls, emails, prayer=
s and
visits that have poured over Logan Zintsmaster during and following his hea=
rt
surgery ten days ago. I hear the prayers for Ken Redder which I KNOW led to=
finally
defeating the infection that had kept him in the hospital after his knee
surgery.
I know about the amazing healings many people have
experienced through the prayers and LOOH we have given for them on Sunday
mornings.
I think about the gifts of time, money, and skills tha=
t have
transformed this parish into a hub of important ministry and mission, deeply
affecting our own members, this neighborhood, and literally, people around =
the
world; in England, Sudan, Kenya, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and places we are n=
ot
even aware of through our website and our giving and our prayers. These fac=
ts
strengthen me to listen more closely, to watch more intently, for God’=
;s
direction.
Paul described in his letter to the Corinthians that y=
ou and
I are members of the body of Christ; There are many people involved in the =
work
here; not just a few people doing everything. And every one of us brings ou=
r own
unique gifts which TOGETHER give unique strength to the presence of Jesus C=
hrist
in the world, because this community is here.
The wind of the Holy Spirit is most definitely blowing through this place; in the very special fellowship we feel here; in the pow= er of prayer here; in the depth of commitment we hold for each other. There is= plenty of reason for us to be excited about what is happening here; what we have accomplished, and where we are headed. Not because we know every detail of where we are going, but because we understand that we are part of the body = of Christ, and our ears stay open to being moved wherever God wants us to go.<= o:p>
Our strength to do this is the same strength Christ de=
scribed
in today’s reading; being anointed by God, and sent by God. You have =
been
anointed by God the Holy Spirit, you have been given your own unique set of=
gifts;
you have been sent out to encourage a world of discouraged people=
that the Kingdom of God is near. As
we sail our way ahead, may the Holy Spirit be our wind, and may our spiritu=
al ears
clearly hear God’s call. Jesus said, “Today this scripture has =
been
fulfilled in your hearing.” Amen.