| Let's try this again today. Here is more from Jurgen Moltmann on fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Church has no monopoly of the Holy spirit. Nor is the Spirit under its control. The precise opposite is the case: the Spirit binds the church to itself and has the church under its control. The biblical stories about the Spirit show that the Holy Spirit is not concerned about the church. It is concerned about the church, as it is concerned about Israel, for the sake of the rebirth of life and the new creation of all things. So we shouldn't always stress that 'we don't dispose over the Holy Spirit because the Spirit "blows where it wills"'. We should listen to the gale of the Spirit so as to sense where it is leading, and the direction in which it is driving us. There is a baptismal hymn called "bind us together." It is a soulful piece that really brings out how the community of the followers of Jesus are connected - really connected. That means that even when we see division and feel it and find it hard to relate with others, the Spirit of Christ that blows around our baptism, makes the community - we do not. The building of the fellowship is not dependent on us. Rather it is the power of the Holy Spirit that takes the ordinary you and me and makes us into a new creation. This is what God's Spirit was doing with Israel - making them into a light - a new creation that would turn the heads of the people of the world to a strange and alien way to be human together. The Spirit does that now with us. It is no longer an ethnic story. The Spirit "blows where it will" and makes of us whatever it will. Connection: This is why we are called holy. We are being pulled into a life that is readily available for all. Mix us up with your Spirit's power, O God. Mix us up so that we might see all things with new creative eyes. Amen. |
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