Come Holy Spirit...

As we move in to Chapter Five, "The Holy Spirit and the Trinity" we are catapulted into some very big theological topics and realities.

This sentence caught my attention: "The Holy Spirit does for all Christians what the Holy Spirit did for the first followers of Jesus: the Spirit moves us from a place of fear of the future to hope at what will come. As we move to hope, we live not in fear but in wonder." 

We have heard time and again that the concept of the Trinity is a mystery that cannot be grasped or pinned down, cannot be encapsulated in words or formulas. The reality of Trinity is one that can be experienced, embraced, and enjoyed. This is hard for many to hear because we struggle with the three-in-one reality and as a result we often "fear" the very topic itself.

Yet, an engagement with the Trinity can also unfold itself gently to us as it dissolves our fears. Trying to pin the concept of Trinity in words can entangle us in confusion. That’s why the Triune God revealed God’s self to us not in words but in a person, the person of Jesus.

Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, is God’s enfleshed love letter to humanity. When humanity was confused about who God is and what God requires, Jesus clarified our vision with the revelation that God is Love and Light.

The understanding of the Trinity came about over time as the life and meaning of Jesus not only reshaped our perception of God but drew us deeper into relationship with God. Jesus’s perfect love cast out all fear and showed us that fear has no place within God. Jesus’s revelation that God is Love is the key to entering into the mystery of the Trinity.

Yet, as our book says, "it is not always clear what role the Holy Spirit takes in the life of the Episcopal Church today." What if, as stated earlier, we allowed the role of the Holy Spirit to move us from a place of fear of the future to hope at what will come? Can we allow such a bold movement in our own hearts and in our communities? Moving from fear to hope can seem like a huge leap. And, it probably is.

Jesus leaves us with the Holy Spirit to make such leaps, especially in Lent. As we read, the Holy Spirit moved Jesus' first followers to new ground, teaching them there is nothing to fear in God's merciful love and nothing truly to fear in those around them. As they heard God call them beloved, they ventured into the world in wonder, living in awe and seeing one another as children of God.

With the Holy Spirit, fear does not have the last word. Hope and wonder do. Can we lean in to this reality with ever greater confidence and trust?

A prayer from Walter Brueggemann:

We name you wind, power, force, and then,

imaginatively, "Third Person."

We name you and you blow...

blow hard,

blow cold,

blow hot,

blow strong,

blow gentle,

blow new...

Blowing the world out of nothing to abundance,

blowing the church out of despair to new life,

blowing little David from shepherd boy to messiah,

blowing to make things new that never were.

So blow this day, wind,

blow here and there, power,

blow even us, force,

Rush us beyond ourselves, 

Rush us beyond our hopes,

Rush us beyond our fears, 

until we enact your newness in the world.

Come, come spirit.

Amen.