The Holy Spirit: Fear in the Asking
It is clear through the writings of the early Christian forefathers that the strange gifts of the Holy Spirit were normal and an expected part of daily Christian living (refer: The Holy Spirit: Another Helper) but not as much today, at least in Westernized cultures. Yet, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for bettering humankind and building a body of believers. Surely, the need is greater than ever. Why are we not experiencing more in our church worship and everyday living? Perhaps we fear in asking that God will deliver and expect too much? But the gifts are for doing what is asked, for doing the necessary.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 1 Cors. 12:7 (NIV)
The Holy Spirit: The One Who Heals Quietly Ignored
Until the year 2014 when dire security issues prompted the Archbishop of Canterbury to order Andrew White “Vicar of Baghdad” to leave St. George’s Anglican Church in Iraq, the community Andrew shepherded experienced as common place fantastic workings of the Holy Spirit (refer: Andrew White (priest)). It was clear from a sermon Andrew preached at Trinity Church Streetsville in Mississauga on a fund-raising trip to North America that his Baghdad community needed each one of those healing graces. They attributed the many miracles to the work of the Holy Spirit and gave thanks.
Palm Sunday at St Georges in Baghdad
The friend who invited me to hear Andrew was troubled. “Why don’t we see such healings over here?”
I wonder had the early Christian forefathers ever visited our churches in Canada if they would have asked the same thing.
My friend put her question to God and in her heart the answer she received went something like “… because they don’t believe I’m the one who heals. I am not glorified.”
That made sense. So often in our medical communities when the inexplicable happens, it gets quietly ignored but no less in our churches.
The Holy Spirit: A Tad More Courage
The group of believers in Iraq asked. And they received. And they credited God with the results. They received what they needed to sustain hope in dire, frightening circumstances. Over here one would think we would have a tad more courage.
And I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper, to be with you forever… John 14:16 (ESV)
