Tag: Holy Spirit

THE SPIRIT AND THE GIFTS ARE OURS

There are three great festivals of the Church: Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Pentecost was neglected for a long time and, in some ways, is not given much attention even now, if you consider that retail merchandising and greeting cards have not figured out a way to make money from it. What happened on the Day of Pentecost and why should it continue to be important to us?

Pentecost is the Greek name for the Jewish festival that took place 50 days after Passover. The Hebrew name is Shavuot. Shavuot is the second of the three major festivals (Passover being the first and Sukkot the third) and occurs exactly fifty days after the second day of Passover. This holiday marks the anniversary of the day when God’s people received the Torah at Mount Sinai.

The word "Shavuot" means “weeks.” It marks the completion of the seven-week counting period between Passover and Shavuot. During these seven weeks the Jewish people cleansed themselves of the scars of Egyptian slavery and became a holy nation ready to enter into an eternal covenant with God with the giving of the Torah. So, the day celebrates a gift from above.

Jesus had commanded his followers to wait in the city of Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them. They needed the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in order to do what he required them to do. Suddenly, their waiting was shattered by the noise of a strong driving wind. They saw what appeared to them to be tongues of fire spreading over and resting on each person there. Everyone touched became filled with the Holy Spirit. The apostles began to speak in different languages. Moving out into the street, they encountered devout people who were in Jerusalem for the feast. As the apostles preached, people heard the message in their own languages and asked, “what does it mean?” And that is the question we ask today. What does it mean that the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon us? When we baptize people in this Church, we declare that they are “sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.” What will that mean for them? And, what does it mean for you who also in Baptism have been sealed by the same Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever?

The Holy Spirit creates and renews the Church.

As the Spirit spoke to Ezekiel while he was standing in the Valley of Dry Bones: “I will put my breath in them, bring them back to life, and let them live in their own land.” The Spirit who draws people to God draws them into God’s Church and there God shapes and molds them according to God’s will into the creatures they were designed to be. God’s indwelling Spirit brings order and unity, inspires, illuminates, and gives the gifts that are needed for the Church to carry out God’s mission, as it is constantly being created and renewed.

The Holy Spirit enables us to speak God’s message.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we read, “The Spirit enabled them to speak.” This is the same Spirit who called the Prophets. We are in the communications business. By that I mean we are the instruments, the delivery system for the message of God. In our words and actions, we are called to communicate that message wherever we may be. And, because it is not our message, the giver of the message provides everything that is necessary to deliver it. If we could do it on our own, we’d have to question whether it was God’s in the first place.

The Holy Spirit enables us to hear God’s message.

The Acts of the Apostles also tells us that the people gathered for the festival heard the apostles “speaking in the native language of each.” St. John tells us that Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.” The miracle of Pentecost was not so much a miracle of speaking as it was a miracle of hearing. Each person heard the message in a language he or she could understand. We have to first hear the message if we are going to deliver it to others.

The Holy Spirit comforts and heals us.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “counselor,” “comforter,” “helper.” The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts when we are hurting, afraid, angry, or struggling with the cost of discipleship. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God, the presence of God, the power of God at work in and among us to give us the sense, the awareness of God and to recognize God’s hand at work.

The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin.

Jesus said, “And when he comes he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Sometimes, we attribute this phenomenon to our conscience. For Christians, the conscience is inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. When we become aware of our sinfulness, it is the Holy Spirit moving within us, providing us an opportunity to turn in a new direction.

The Holy Spirit assures us of our salvation.

In the eighth chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans we are told that when we do sense our need of God, we are giving the assurance of the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit bears witness with our spirit.” That’s how we know, truly know, that God loves us, forgives us, and restores us to a relationship that we cannot either create or sustain on our own.

The Holy Spirit magnifies Christ.

Jesus said, “he will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” St. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (I Cor. 12:3). When we gather for worship and when we are sent out into the mission field, the Holy Spirit prompts us to magnify Christ in words and actions.

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to want others to know God’s deeds in Christ. The Holy Spirit moves people to praise the mighty works of God and to offer themselves, their souls and bodies, to participate in those mighty acts for the sake of the world.

I invite you to join me in reflecting on the work of the Holy Spirit as you listen to my favorite Pentecost hymn, Come Down, O Love Divine. Together, let us seek the indwelling Spirit in our own lives and in the life of the Church.

Blessings,

The Very Reverend Ron Pogue
Interim Rector
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church
Keller, Texas

May 20, 2021
Deep Breathing Exercises

Approximately sixteen times every minute we human beings do something we all take for granted…we breathe. About sixteen times every minute we inhale and exhale air, and we usually do it without a second thought. The process started at birth and will continue until we draw our last breath. Breathing was a deep mystery to the ancients, before we learned about the biological process. And, like all mysteries, breathing has been an integral part of the religions of the Tibetans, the Indians, the Chinese, and the Japanese. It was a feature of the cults of the Egyptians. We see it also in the Bible. The ancient Hebrews used the word wind, the breath, in context with soul. In the Biblical account of creation, we read that, “God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul.” In the NT, the Greek word pneuma is used in speaking of the human soul. Our word, spirit, is from the Latin verb spirare, which means “to breathe.”

Jesus gave a breath of fresh air to his disciples. On the first Easter Day, he came into the place where the disciples were, breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” It was this same breath of fresh air the disciples received on the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection. This Holy Breath in turn came out of the apostles that day as they witnessed and preached so that those around them heard in their own languages. On this Day of Pentecost, I’m here to tell you we dare not take this spiritual breathing for granted because the quality of our breathing affects the quality of our lives – our health, moods, energy, creativity. Likewise, our spiritual lives are dependent upon the breath of God supplying the invisible virtues that are necessary for spiritual health, moods, energy, and creativity. How can we be more receptive to the breath of God?

First, we can seek inspiration. Most of my life, I have associated inspiration with enlightenment. In a sense, this association is correct. But, in another sense, inspiration refers to something else. When Rhabanus Marurus wrote the Veni Creator Spiritus in the 8^th century, he had this “something else” in mind. In this hymn, which has become one of the beloved canticles of the Christian liturgy, we sing “Come, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire, and lighten with celestial fire.” Inspiration and illumination are segregated in his thought as two essential aspects of the work of the Spirit.

To inspire is to breathe in. If you want to be more receptive to the Breath of God, take a deep breath. The result will be new life. The psalmist celebrated inspiration: “When you take away their breath, they die…but when you give them breath, they are created, you give new life to the earth…” Corrie Ten Boom spoke of inspiration this way: “I have a glove here in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, it can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. We are gloves. It is the Holy Spirit in us who is the hand, who does the job. We have to make room for the hand so that every finger is filled.”

And, if you want the Holy Spirit in your life, try conspiracy. The late theologian John Courtney Murray effectively used the word conspiracy in its root sense. The word literally means to breathe together. That’s what Pentecost was – a conspiracy, not in the sense of a sinister gathering for dark purposes, but as a consensus for good, a breaking down of barriers, a breathing together. Have you ever sat with someone else and tried to breathe together? I recall sitting with a group of about 15 people around the bed of my father during the final hour of his life. He was struggling for breath so hard that the bed shook. After the longest time of silence, one man put his hand to his chest and said, “we’re all trying to breathe for him.” In a real sense, we were.

We frequently breathe in unison when we are singing or reciting a creed or prayer, together. Whenever we join together in the conspiracy of Christian fellowship, worship, and service, the Holy Spirit has a chance to move among us, uniting our hearts and minds in a consensus. And, the breathing that is usually so silent, begins to sound like the rush of a mighty wind. When we open ourselves to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we are also drawn to one another.

Finally, for the breathing process to be complete, it has to be respiration. Breathing in is only half of the process. Breathing out is also necessary. We need to pay attention to what we are breathing out because just a second earlier, it was what we were breathing in. If we breathe in hate, it will probably be hate when we breathe it out. If we breathe in peace (as Jesus disciples did) it will probably be peace when we breathe it out.

If we are constantly putting ourselves in a place where we can breathe in the Breath of God together, it will not be long before we will be breathing out the Breath of God in the world around us. Magnifying Christ and proclaiming the good News of what God has done, offering hope in the face of despair, peace in the face of hatred, comfort in the face of pain and suffering, and the eternal God in the face of the uncertainties of human existence. Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote, “He lives most life whoever breathes most air.” Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Let us make a new resolve to join with one another in the greatest deep breathing exercise ever known – to receive the Holy Spirit, let our lives bear the Spirit’s fruit, dream dreams, see visions, and experience the mighty works of God first-hand by becoming one of them!

I’ll see you in Church!

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
St. Andrew’s Cathedral
Jackson, Mississippi

May 17, 2018
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church ~ May 22, 2016

Trinity Sunday

Listen to the Sermon for May 22, 2016

Read the Sermon for May 22, 2016

May 22, 2016
Take a deep breath!

Dear St. John’s Friends,

Let me begin this week’s reflection by saying how excited Gay and I are about the new Rector of St. John’s Church! Jimmy and Cindy Bartz, along with Jas and Jade are perfect for this parish and community. The Search Committee and Vestry have discerned wisely.

And, I am now able to tell you that Gay and I will be moving to Denver at the end of June where I will serve as Interim Dean of St. John’s Cathedral. This will be a very different challenge and blessings you have given to us during our time with you will make a difference in our life there.

Now, let’s reflect on Pentecost.

Approximately 16 times every minute we human beings do something we all take for granted…we breathe. About 16 times every minute we inhale and exhale air, and we usually do it without a second thought. The process started at birth and will continue until we draw our last breath. Breathing was a deep mystery to the ancients, before we learned about the biological process. And, like all mysteries, breathing has been an integral part of the religions of the Tibetans, the Indians, the Chinese, and the Japanese. It was a feature of the cults of the Egyptians. We see it also in the Bible. The ancient Hebrews used the word wind, the breath, in context with soul. In the Biblical account of creation, we read that, “God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul.” In the NT, the Greek word pneuma is used in speaking of the human soul. Our word, spirit, is from the Latin verb spirare, which means “to breathe.”

Jesus gave a breath of fresh air to his disciples. On the first Easter Day, he came into the place where the disciples were, breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” It was this same breath of fresh air the disciples received on the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection. This Holy Breath in turn came out of the apostles that day as they witnessed and preached so that those around them heard in their own languages. On this Day of Pentecost, I’m here to tell you we dare not take this spiritual breathing for granted because the quality of our breathing affects the quality of our lives – our health, moods, energy, creativity. Likewise, our spiritual lives are dependent upon the breath of God supplying the invisible virtues that are necessary for spiritual health, moods, energy, and creativity.

If we are constantly putting ourselves in a place where we can breathe in the Breath of God together, it will not be long before we will be breathing out the Breath of God in the world around us. Magnifying Christ and proclaiming the good news of what God has done, offering hope in the face of despair, peace in the face of hatred, comfort in the face of pain and suffering, and the eternal God in the face of the uncertainties of human existence. Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote, “He lives most life whoever breathes most air.” Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Let us make a new resolve to join with one another in the greatest deep breathing exercise ever known – to receive the Holy Spirit, let our lives bear the Spirit’s fruit, dream dreams, see visions, and experience the mighty works of God first-hand by becoming one of them!

I’ll see you in Church!

P.S. Here is one of my favorite hymns about the Holy Spirit, "Come Down, O Love Divine," sung by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. I've included the text beneath the video.

Come down, O love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn,
till earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
and let thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

Let holy charity
mine outward vesture be,
and lowliness become mine inner clothing;
true lowliness of heart,
which takes the humbler part,
and o'er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
shall far outpass the power of human telling;
for none can guess its grace,
till Love create a place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling.

Words: Bianco da Siena, d. 1434; translation by Richard Frederick Littledale, Jr., 1867
Music: Down Ampney, North Petherton

I'll see you in Church!

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue, D.Min.
The Interim Dean
Saint John's Cathedral

May 12, 2016
From Maintenance to Mission

Here is a portion of the Epistle from last Sunday:

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift… The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love. - Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16

Isn’t it exciting? We are called and gifted in unique ways for the purpose of ongoing service and growth into Christ, constantly becoming a whole and holy community, built up in love.

In that spirit, the vestry and I have been working to strengthen and further develop our organizational plan. We have adopted a rotation policy that establishes three-year appointments for committee members, limits committee chairs to two years in that role, and ensures that each committee has a vestry liaison. Members of the vestry will not normally chair committees. In the coming year, we will prepare for the rotation of members and leaders. Then, next July 1, we will start the process rolling. We hope this plan will open more doors for new leadership to emerge and prevent the burnout that happens when people do the same thing for too long. And, since the Holy Spirit gives a variety of gifts, we believe it will allow members to serve in a variety of ways.

We have also developed committee charters with succinct descriptions of the work and expectations associated with each committee. These charters have been posted on our parish website and HERE.

Please read them and, if you feel called to serve on one of these committees, contact me so we can talk about it. Committee charters are not chiseled in stone any more than are the needs that prompt our service! As needs and circumstances change, the charters may be modified to reflect God’s call to us at given points in time.

How we organize and manage ourselves for mission and how we stir up and rely on spiritual gifts contributes to fruitfulness in the mission entrusted to us. The rotation plan and charters are necessary to healthy organizational life. But those things would be only about maintenance without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, moving us toward maturity and working through us for the building up of the Church in love and service to God and our neighbors.

The Rev'd Steve Muncie, Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Brooklyn, New York, has something similar to say:

God is inviting – challenging – us to see the world with all of its brokenness through the eyes of divine love and mercy. We are called to a broader vision for the loveless, a deeper look at the plight of the powerless. The danger for the Church is to remain blind to God’s great vision while we busy ourselves with our own limited sight, reducing God’s Mission in the world to our maintenance of the local church. The local church and its ministries are vitally important to building up the people of God. We need to make plans and establish priorities for strengthening congregational ministry. We need structure and accountability. We need to maximize participation in sharing the vision. However, God’s great vision is still waiting to be seen by those who have eyes to see.

Now, read that passage from Ephesians again.

I’ll see you in Church!

August 6, 2015
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ May 24, 2015

The Day of Pentecost

Listen to the Sermon for May 24, 2015

Read the Sermon for May 24, 2015

HERE is the link to my reflection concerning the tragic loss last week in Jackson Hole.

May 24, 2015
Sermon at Christ Church Cranbrook ~ May 19, 2013

The Day of Pentecost

Listen to the Sermon for May 19, 2013

Read the Sermon for May 19, 2013

May 22, 2013
To Discern or Not to Discern…

The word "discernment" is used often in the Episcopal Church. At Calvary Episcopal Church in Ashland, Kentucky, it's been used quite a lot lately as the leaders of the parish are attempting to discern who should be called as the next rector. Those priests who are under consideration have also been discerning if they are called to come to Calvary. We describe it as a process of mutual discernment. But what is that and how does it work?

In attempting to understand the meaning of words, I find it helpful to know something about their etymology. For example, the word discern is directly from the Latin discernere, meaning "to separate, set apart, divide, distribute, distinguish, or perceive." The word is made up of the two Latin roots, dis, meaning "off or away," and cernere, meaning to "distinguish, separate, or sift." So, discernment is a process of sorting that leads to a decision about something.

We use the term very intentionally in Christian circles when the decision has spiritual significance and requires the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For example, we probably would not speak of "discerning" which brand of pet food to buy, which flight to take, or which direction to walk around the park. As important as those decisions may be, we probably don't need much guidance from the Holy Spirit to make them. However, if we are attempting to reach a decision about an action that may be good or evil in the eyes of God, about whether we are called to a particular ministry in the Church, or about which priest will be our next rector, that would be discernment. We need the assistance of the Holy Spirit to reach decisions like those.

Hiring a CEO of a corporation, a member of a company staff, or a lawn service, usually requires a very thoughtful process that includes reviewing resumes, calling references, performing background checks, and interviews. We might pray about it, but it would not normally be a requirement in the secular setting. In this Church, clergy are not hired; they are called. Search committees, vestries, and clergy are all very well aware that there is a distinction and that distinction has to do with the work of the Holy Spirit among us. Remember that God called the prophets, they did not volunteer. Jesus called the Disciples, they were not hired. It is in that spirit that clergy in this Church are sought out and, following a period of mutual spiritual discernment, may be called to a position.

The practices of deploying clergy in different places of ministry varies from one communion to another. However, in every instance I am aware of, there is some discernment on the part of the calling or sending body, those who provide oversight, and the clergy under consideration. These decisions are made after a prayerful, godly process in which there is a sorting out or sifting that leads to a decision.

The process we follow is informed by scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. These are the lenses, as it were, through which we examine one another, all the while asking the Holy Spirit to help us to see what we need to see and hear what we need to hear. After we've done our "homework", following the pattern of St. Ignatius, we ask God a somewhat simple question. "God, is this your will or not?" And God answers with a somewhat simple answer, "Yes or No." Ignatius said we would normally sense the answer as a feeling of consolation or a feeling of desolation.

So, as the discernment process for calling a new rector for Calvary Episcopal Church in Ashland, Kentucky nears its conclusion, I invite you to uphold the nominating committee, the vestry, and the candidates in discernment with your prayers. May they yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and continue to rely upon the same Holy Spirit in carrying out the decision they are called to make.

Here are two prayers from the Book of Common Prayer.

Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive faithful pastors, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices, and that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

August 30, 2012
Sermon at Calvary Church ~ June 3, 2012

Trinity Sunday B

Listen to the Sermon for June 3, 2012

Read the Sermon for June 3, 2012

June 3, 2012
Sermon at Calvary Church ~ May 27, 2012

Pentecost B

Listen to the Sermon for May 27, 2012

Read the Sermon for May 27, 2012

May 27, 2012