Life Giving Power

John 14:25-31; Genesis 2:4-9; 15-24

 

When Nicodemus was asking Jesus about the Spirit

          Jesus said “The wind blows where it chooses and

                   You hear the sound of it, but you do not know

                             Where it comes from or where it goes.

                   So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

 

There is a mystery about the Holy Spirit and so

as Presbyterians we sometimes dismiss the Holy Spirit

                   As we would dismiss a little gust of wind.

But anyone who has been in a Tornado,

      Anyone who has seen the destruction in Greensburg

          would realize that when Jesus was comparing the Spirit

 to wind he was not just making a point that

the Greek word for spirit, pneumas,

          and the Hebrew word for spirit, ruach

                   are also the words for wind.

          He is making the point that the Spirit has power

                   To move things, to change people,

                             To alter the world.

 

The Genesis 1 passage we read a few weeks ago said

          “A wind from God swept over the face of the waters”

                   is yet another reminder that the God’s Spirit,

                             ruach, changed the world in creation

                                      from a formless void

to a world teeming with life.

          God’s spirit is like the wind of a tornado in that

                   It has power but it is very different in that

                             God Spirit is life giving power.

 

The Genesis passage that we read today uses another word

          For breath, neshama, which means “life giving breath.”

Together, these words that are both used to describe

          God’s Spirit help us to understand God’s Spirit

                   as powerful and life giving.

 

“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground,

          and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”

                   This passage tells us another thing about

                             God’s Spirit- God’s Spirit is personal.

          I once did an exercise with a group of college students

                   Where I asked them to speak to me about the

                             Holy Spirit but not to use the pronoun “it”.

                                      It seems to depersonalize the Holy Spirit.

          Instead told them to choose to call the Holy Spirit

                   Either “he” or “she”.  They chose she.

                             Then they started to describe attributes

of the Holy Spirit.

                   “She is powerful.”

                             “She is irresistible.”

                                      “She is intimate.”

                                                “She is everywhere.”

                                                          “She is life giving.”

                                                                   “She is dynamic.”

As we went through the exercise we were surprised

how much more personal the Holy Spirit became

          when we chose personal pronouns to describe her.

                   But the language of scripture is personal.

The act of breathing life into someone is personal

          And it didn’t just happen in creation.

                   The same language is used in the re-creation

When the resurrected Jesus appears to the disciples in John

          It says: “He breathed on them and said to them,

                   ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

 

So the Holy Spirit is powerful. life giving and personal.

And when we trust the Holy Spirit, we can do anything.

That’s what Jesus was trying to tell his disciples

          In the Gospel lesson for today.

                   Jesus is talking to his disciples right before his death

                             He is trying to prepare his disciples

                                      For life without his physical presence.

          He is saying that even if I am gone physically

                   That my Spirit, God’s Spirit, is with you.

                             He is saying that he will die but

                                      That death does not have the final word.

                             Do not let yourself be paralyzed by death.

                                      The life giving Spirit of God

 is more powerful than even death.

 

We need to hear that word this summer.

          We have lost six members to death in the past two months

And that is not counting all the personal family

 deaths that have taken an emotional toll

on our congregation this summer.

          And yet Jesus is able to say “Do not be afraid”

                   Do not let fear or sadness paralyze you.

 

Jesus is not denying death in this passage-

          If fact he is doing the opposite.

                   Jesus is acknowledging that he is going to die.

He is not denying the sadness we feel when a loved on dies.

          In fact he is working hard to prepare his disciples

                   For the day when he will die

because he knows how hard it will be.

          He is the one who wept when his friend Lazarus died.

And he doesn’t give us an idea, philosophy or 5 point plan

to help us cope with death.

          Instead he gives us a person- the Holy Spirit.

He calls the Spirit paraclete which modern scholars

Translate as “helper”, supporter”, advocate or counselor

          Each conveys someone who helps another.

In our Old Testament lesson today when God is creating Eve

          He uses the Hebrew version of helper, eezer.

                   “I will make a helper fit for him.”

          This is not a word that denotes hierarchy of power

                   But rather a word that communicates one person

                             Who walks with, struggles with, stands with

                                      And for another person in life.

         

But the word I like the best for the translation of paraclete

          Is the King James translation “comforter”.

                Modern translators have rejected that translation

                   Because our common use of the word communicates

                             A pat on the back and words “It’ll be ok.”

          That’s not the real root of the word.

                   The real root is “with”-com and forte- power.

                             Someone who stands with another in power.

                                      That’s the Holy Spirit.

 

The Holy Spirit is the one who gives us power

          Even and especially when we are coping with death.

                    The Holy Spirit is that life giving person

                             Who breathes life back into us when

                                      The wind has been knocked out of us.

 

We need the Holy Spirit this summer.

          I need the Holy Spirit this summer.

                   And we’re in luck.

                             Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us this summer.

We cannot manufacture the Holy Spirit by saying certain words

          We cannot bring the Spirit’s presence be certain rituals.

                   The Spirit is here, today, right now.

                             We simply have to trust the Spirit

                                      And receive the life that the Spirit gives us.

The Spirit is here whenever we baptize and teach our children

          “He will teach you all things”

The Spirit is here when we celebrate communion

          “And bring all things to your remembrance.”

 

And yet the sacraments are not what brings the holy Spirit.

          The Holy Spirit is sent by God and we

                   Simply receive and TRUST the Holy Spirit

                             At work in our lives and the word

                                      Bringing life and hope.

 

So what does the Holy Spirit look like?

          How will we recognize him or her?

                   Look at the last line in today’s scripture:

                             “Rise, let us be on our way.”

          After Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit, the comforter

                   He says “Rise, let us be on our way.”

                             He is going with his disciples to do ministry.

                                      That’s when we know the Spirit is with us

                                                When we start to act out hope and life.

 

Look on your bulletin cover.

          That is a picture of the destruction that the wind

                   Caused through a tornado in Greensburg.

          You can see the power of the wind in this picture with the

                   Trees and houses destroyed and debris all around.

                             But that’s not the evidence of the Holy Spirit.

                                  The Holy Spirit is what brings life out of death

                                      And order out of chaos.

The evidence of the Holy Spirit is in the group of youth

          Who went down to Greensburg this past week.

                   The Holy Spirit worked through them as they

                             Were picking up debris and engaged in

                                      The word of new hope and new life

                                                In the face of all the detruction.

          They are part of a whole group of volunteers

                   Who are called by and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

So as you look for evidence of the Holy Spirit this week

          Look to people and groups who seem to be

                   Involved in life giving power.

                             And trust the Spirit in your life.

                   The best way to demonstrate that trust

is to choose that which gives and renews life.

                             Amen