Holy Spirit, Come, O Come

Acts 19 1-2 Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?”

“We’ve never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?”

3 “How were you baptised, then?” asked Paul.

“In John’s baptism.”

4 “That explains it,” said Paul. “John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you’ve been baptised in John’s baptism, you’re ready now for the real thing, for Jesus.”

5-7 And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptised in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God’s actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day. (The Message)

A park ranger at Yellowstone National Park was leading a group of hikers to a fire lookout. The ranger was so intent on telling the hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered the messages on his two-way radio distracting, so he switched it off. As the group neared the tower, the ranger was met by a nearly breathless lookout, who asked why he hadn’t responded to the messages on his radio. A grizzly bear had been seen stalking the group, and the authorities were trying to warn them of the danger.

We could ask do we zone out the voice of God the promised Holy Spirit. Every time we say we believe in the Holy Spirit, we mean we believe that there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it. Or as Bishop N T Wright puts it, “Those in whom the Spirit comes to live are God's new Temple. They are, individually and corporately, places where heaven and earth meet.”

Lord, bless us with the gift of your Holy Spirit. Breathe upon us your breath of life. Here, as we march behind your Son, Jesus, during the Lenten journey toward the cross, we flag, we falter, we fall away. Only by the empowerment of your Spirit can we hope to run the race we have begun. In praying for your breath, your Holy Spirit, we realise that we are praying for a gift that may disrupt and disturb our lives. We come here to be confirmed in what we already know, to tie things down in our lives, to be secure. Save us from our boring desire for safe harbours and quiet security! Let your holy breath blow upon us, even when it disrupts our ordered lives. Come, Holy Spirit! Amen.