It’s been said that the Holy Spirit is the “shy member of the Trinity.”
Out of sight, out of mind.
Often mystery and elusiveness causes us to disconnect or forget, rather than pursue and engage.
We don’t often think about the Holy Spirit, and when we do, we remember the Spirit’s presence in Creation, hovering over the waters and turning chaos into life as we know it.
Or maybe we think of Jesus being baptized at Jordan and the Spirit descending like a dove, accompanying the Father’s voice.
Perhaps the episode from earlier in Acts comes to mind. Pentecost – that powerful moment in Acts 2 when the Spirit set the early Church on fire, gave them understanding, and set their world-turning ministry.
When you look back with this lens you start to see just how vital the Spirit’s presence is for creation, salvation, sanctification, new creation… The Holy Spirit may be shy, but He is vital to everyone, especially those claiming to live a with-God life.
This Sunday, we’ll explore Acts 19, where Paul encounters some converts in Ephesus who hadn’t just forgotten the Holy Spirit – they had never even heard of Him. This sounds crazy to us, but think about how often we live as if the Spirit wasn’t breathing new life in us. Think about how fruitless our lives seem if we don’t purposely cultivate the gifts God is trying to grow in us. If this is our experience, consider what we, like these believers, are leaving on the table, as God continues to give himself to us, abundantly, for lives that overflow.
See you Sunday,
Chris