One description of the Liturgical Year is that from Advent through to Easter we look at the life of Jesus and then from Easter to Advent we look at the life of the church/life of the faithful. I am not sure I fully agree with that breakdown because I think we do both things all year but in that model we find an explanation for this Sunday. Traditionally the first Sunday after Epiphany is set aside to mark the Baptism of Jesus, which Matthew Mark and Luke use as the launching point for his public ministry.
The Scripture Readings this week are:
- Acts 8:14-17
- Luke 3:21-22
The Sermon title is Spirit-Filled
Early Thoughts: What does it feel like? Being filled with/receiving the Holy Spirit, what does that mean to us?
Both the passages for this week make a clear tie between baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit. OR at least a complete baptism involves receiving the Holy Spirit as it appears that the people in Samaria had only had half a baptism before Peter and John showed up. For the early church it seems clear that part of becoming a child of God is baptism with water and the Spirit -- which in fact is what John the Baptist told folk to expect.
That, to me, is part of why we give families a baptismal candle. Fire/flame is an ancient symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
But back to the key question --what does it mean? How can we tell if a person or a community is filled with the Spirit?
I don't think there is one way, one litmus test that answers that question. I think the in-dwelling of the Spirit in us as individuals and as communities shows up in a variety of ways (coincidentally, the next couple of weeks we will be reading from 1 Corinthians 12-14 where Paul talks about some of the gifts the Spirit gives). In A New Creed we talk about the God "who works in us and others by the Spirit". Being filled with the Holy Spirit helps us grow as disciples, as learners and followers of Jesus. It strengthens and emboldens us. The presence of the Spirit in our lives also serves to comfort us, to remind us we are not alone. Being Spirit-filled would, I think and hope, spread through every part of our lives. It would help us see the world differently. It would guide our actions and choices.
As a Baptized and Baptizing Community we are called to be Spirit-filled as individuals and as a collective. If we allow that to happen (sometimes we might fight against the leadings of the Spirit) it has the potential to change how we live. Are we willing to take that chance, not knowing where it might lead us?
--Gord
