Come Holy Spirit. Come.
How does the Holy Spirit come? When we read the lesson from Acts
about the disciples speaking fluently about the power of God in foreign
languages – without one lesson – I’m filled with awe and amazement
and confidence that this must be the work of the Holy Spirit.
But a violent rush of wind and tongues of fire is not the only way that
the Spirit comes. In the Psalm we read that the Holy Spirit was there at
creation, creating all the world and all of the creatures in it -- and that
the Spirit is still creating and renewing the face of the earth. John’s
Gospel talks about the Holy Spirit coming as an Advocate, abiding with
us. The book of Romans speaks of the Spirit as bearing witness – with
our spirit – that we are children of God. Like a prism, today’s readings
show different ways that the Holy Spirit shows up in scripture.
But scripture is not the only way that the Holy Spirit is made known.
Where have you seen the Holy Spirit at work? Or have you just been too
busy “doing” to stop to notice that the Holy Spirit is at work among us?
You would not be alone.
But once in a while – we do. If you go to Louisville, Kentucky, to the
corner of Fourth and Walnut, you will see a cast-metal sign with the
words “A REVELATION” on it in Big Capital letters commemorating a
spiritual vision by Thomas Merton.
Thomas Merton had been a graduate student in English at Columbia
University. He was well regarded and clearly had a promising as an
academic. But, to the surprise of his family and friends and everyone
who knew him, he declared he had a call from God. He left the
university and joined the Trappists monks in Kentucky. The move was
not easy. Thomas struggled between his desires to be active in the world
and his call to the contemplative world. He became a prolific writer and
best-selling author. But these accolades were not the reason for the sign.
In his book, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Thomas explains:
In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of
the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the
realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I
theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we
were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of
separateness … I have the immense joy of being [human], a
member of a race in which God became incarnate. As if the
sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm
me, now I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could
realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling
people that they are all walking around shining like the sun 1 .
The Holy Spirit opened his eyes to see the world the way that God sees
it. Sometimes we see it too – sometimes, like the Psalmist, we see God’s
work in creation – a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a mountain top, the early flower buds of spring, the green grass of summer and the sun sparking on the lakeshore, the snow glistening on the flocked trees in winter. If we stop and look, we can see God’s hand at work.
God is also at work on the corner of Fourth and Walnut in Louisville and
at 42 nd and Welcome in Robbinsdale. Today we will be baptizing Elijah,
this little baby who is named after a great prophet. And we will be
inviting the Holy Spirit to come. Using ordinary water and ordinary
words, the Holy will come in an extraordinary way to bless and to claim
Elijah as a child of God and sibling to Christ Jesus.
As Paul writes in the book of Romans, “ you have received a spirit of
adoption.” In your baptism, you are made – each one of you – a child of
God. And so we can be empowered to call out to God with all of our
needs and cares just as a little child cries out “Daddy, Mommy” when
they are hungry, tired, afraid AND when they are joyful and have
discovered something new. God takes delight in each of you, just as the
parents and grandparents of a child take delight in a newborn baby.
Like the sign on 4 th and Walnut in Louisiana, God’s Holy Spirit bears witness to this Revelation at Elijah is becoming a child of God on 42 nd and Welcome and is surrounded by you, also God’ children – who are
“shining like the sun” – even though you can’t see it.
When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with
our spirit that we are children of God.
We need to keep reminding ourselves – and each other of who we are
and whose we are. As Paul reminds us, “you did not receive a spirit of
slavery to fall back into fear.” But it is so easy to do. We live in a world
that is full of forces that would enslave us – to hatred, bigotry, and
injustice. When we react with fear, we put our own selfish interests
above care for the other, the neighbor, the poor, the hungry, the migrant,
the one who was born somewhere else or who looks different from me
or you. When we succumb to fear, we are tempted to circle the wagons –
and leave those outside our circle to the wolves.
But this is not the way of Jesus. And this is not the way that the Spirit of
God leads us. Instead, as theologian Candace Hall writes, “As children
of God freed and forgiven, God’s Spirit reminds us who we are when
we’re fearful. When we’re suffering. When we think we’re ‘not enough.’
God’s Spirit reminds us that God made us in [GOD’s} image. We’re
beloved as God’s children, and there’s nothing we can do about
it.” 2 God loves you. Period.
Remembering who you are, and whose you are, let us joyfully proclaim,
“Come Holy Spirit, Come. Be made known to us and through us in the
words we say and in our actions. May the Holy Spirit shine through you
today. Amen.
1Thomas Merton, Spiritual Master: The Essential Writings, Paulist, 1992, 144–145)
2 Crystal Hall, Workingpreacher.org 2022
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran + Pentecost + June 8, 2025+ Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane