Year C Easter 2 2022 Dear Holy Spirit

Year C Easter 2, 24 April 2022

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Dear Holy Spirit”

Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Acts 5:27-32

When the temple police had brought the apostles, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

Revelation 1:4-8

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Dear Holy Spirit,

Hi. I need to talk with you about something. I need to clear the air. You have been messing with me, and I am not sure what to say. Where do I begin?

Last week when we had our Easter service, it was like a huge weight was lifted. Like the worry and anxiety of the last few years was delivered from us, like my ears were clogged and had been for so long that when they opened up it was like I was entirely different. Wow. Thank you.

I start there because it is what struck me first, but from that high point for me, for our church, you cut to the quick inside me. You give me a glimpse of what we can be, what we should be, and then you start shining your light around in my insides and start showing me what it will take. What it will cost me. What it will cost all of us to be the house of faith you would have us be.

For so long, Church has been something we do, but it is not about buildings or programs, but it is about transformation. Each and every one of us formed into the likeness of Christ. It is about making the dead rise, the blind see, the hungry fed, the naked clothed. It is about BEING the church, not something we put on our calendar.

When I wake up, I need to be breathing you in and out as much as I do oxygen. SO funny that the word we use for you Spirit is the same word as breath and wind in both Hebrew and Greek (RUACH and PNEUMA). I do not have to think to breathe, but when I focus on my breathing that intention becomes my focus and something changes. Something changes inside of me. I want to get to the point where my being in you is innate, as much a part of me as my breathing, but when I focus, when I give you my intention, great and holy and good things take place.

And like I said, you are messing with me and it would be a lot easier to slip into complacency and rest on my laurels, my education, my ordination, but I am not just a priest, I am a follower of Jesus. I am not some spiritual coach. I am a player on the field, too, or at least I should be. Player/Coach, or Follower/Priest.

For the sermon this Sunday, it even says in the readings that every one of us should be a priest in this new Kingdom that Jesus established. John of Patmos relays this in a prayer:

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Somehow, someway, I am to get up this Sunday and talk about what you are leading me to say, and I am not sure what you are asking me to say. Maybe I need to get up and just be honest, opening up the top of my head, opening up my heart.

In our collect on Sunday, it says this beautiful statement: 

in the Paschal mystery [You] established the new covenant of reconciliation…

This Lent we studied your covenants through the ages, from Adam all the way to John’s vision of the promise of the New Heaven on a New Earth. Three things kept coming up: Paradise (lost or unveiled), Progeny, and Presence. So in Jesus, in this new Covenant of Reconciliation we are invited into the indwelling Presence, and that’s You again. In our reading from Sunday on Acts, you are messing with Peter like you are with me. When the religious authorities call him to task, telling him to stop preaching in Jesus name, he brings you up. 

"We must obey God rather than any human authority. …[W]e are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

He cannot ignore or dismiss you. And that is my very problem, too. Something’s got to give.

And it looks like it's going to be me.

You keep calling me deeper. Our theme when COVID started, “Lead Holy Spirit into the Depths of God.”  You took us seriously on that one. If the last two years have not been the depths, I cannot imagine what would be. Guide my steps as I attempt to lead your people into and through these places you keep leading us. 

And thank You for not letting us know in advance how much the recent past would cost all of us. So many dead. So many hurting in so many ways. Spiritually. Emotionally. Financially. The toll was so huge, and yet You have been with us through these ups and downs. Through it all, you keep giving us these FaithPoints that keep us on Your path and following Christ. 

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after his Resurrection, all 11 but Thomas, he breathed on them. There it is again, breath, wind, spirit, and he shared You with them. Breathe on me, Breath of God, as the hymn says. Breathe on me, Breath of God. Do I mean that? Do I really want that? If I do, there are no more excuses, no more going back to the way it was before.

Knowledge, while a gift, is a dangerous thing, a Danger to the status quo. If I know something I have a new Responsibility, because I now have the ability to respond. And you keep teaching me day by day, and Lord help me, I have to respond.

 

Ignorance may be bliss, but it is no longer a choice.

In this new covenant of Reconciliation, you are drawing the whole of creation unto Yourself. Reconciliation is about drawing us back into profound relationship, not just toleration. You do not want to just put up with me, or any of us, but you want Your Presence to come in, make itself at home, and have Your run of the house. You abide in me and I in You. 

Reminds me of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians, “we see in a mirror dimly, but then we shall see face to face.” We live in a time when that type of openness and clarity is more and more rare. People with their poised and fictional online personas, is there any who are truly who they say they are? Am I?

But as you live in me and I in you, I cannot hide. I cannot pose. It is so hard to be naked and unashamed. But according to Your covenants that is what you are aiming for, getting us back to the Garden, back to Paradise. And since I invited you in, it is nigh impossible to be about mixed purposes. 

But here we are, the end of the week and my mind is pinging. I could go in 1,001 different directions this Sunday when I am tasked to inspire the people and help them see Jesus, but again and again, it keeps coming back to You and me. Is it Your prompting or just me getting honest with myself after such a glorious Holy Week where I saw you moving in your people and me over and over again. My only honest response can be total honesty. You are living up to that prayer from over two years ago, and you keep leading me into the depths of God.

Thanks, thanks alot. I always tell people to be careful because they may just get what they pray for. 

In our Gospel this week I even noticed that I am in there. All followers of Christ are in there. Jesus even blesses us:

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.

Humbling to think that Jesus thought of me, and all of us who followed him these last 2,000 years.

Well, I am sure I will be wrestling with you again, and probably soon. On this side of heaven you will never be done with me. There is always some way that I can follow Christ more, and you are here to get me there. No sarcasm. Thank you. Thank you. Help me, as only you can.

In the Revelation passage it names You the Alpha and Omega, the A to Z. You got me from my earliest days, you have me now, and you will have me all the way to wherever Your path leads. On Judgment Day You will point at me and say to our righteous judge, “He’s with us.” Grace. Grace. Grace is what you are all about. You are always with us. I trust that, I may not like it at times, but I know You have my best interest at heart, for me, for the Kingdom, for Ever. Draw me in closer, call me even deeper, no matter how much I kick and scream along the way. I trust You, and want what You have to give me. And when I forget, please, lovingly remind me of that. 

Love, me. Amen.