Waiting

A few weeks ago my son ordered a new set of bindings for his snowboard (an odd time of the year, I realize, but he will be good to go as soon as the snow flies.)  Well, to be perfectly frank, I ordered them on my account at the online store so all the shipping communication came to me.  There was a daily request on the status of the shipment - has it shipped?  where is it now? when will it arrive?  Due to the wonders of information technology all of these questions were readily answerable.  "It is in Chelmsford, MA."  Wherever that is.  Oh wait, that information is readily available as well. (It is just southwest of Lowell, making it northwest of Boston.)  We are relieved.

My son lived in a period of extreme anticipation, knowing that something he desired was on the way, but unsure of exactly when it would arrive.  And here, between the Ascension and the feast of Pentecost, the disciples found themselves in the same circumstances, if you take the snowboarding out of it and ratchet up the cosmic significance a few thousand notches.  And as I remember that time, Jesus command that they wait until they were clothed with power, his word that he would send the promise of the Father, as I wait, I am wondering about the work of the Holy Spirit.

He, the Holy Spirit, seems to create controversy in the ranks of the faithful.  I remember someone saying to me many years ago, in semi-allergic reaction to the peculiar (both meanings of "peculiar" intended here) manifestation of charismatic revival in his midst, "I liked it better when we called him the Holy Ghost and he didn't do anything."  Ah, the good old days.

There are two perspectives that I can discern, each with strengths and weaknesses, on the work of the Holy Spirit.  And they sometimes seem to be mutually exclusive. The first is overtly charismatic - focuses on the charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Here the work of the Holy Spirit is seen as the power of God in miracles and wonders.  This is the Pentecostal (biblical event, not Christian denomination) perspective.  The Holy Spirit comes in flames and wind, in power.  This is also an Old Testament perspective.  the Holy  Spirit, or Spirit of the Lord would come upon individuals and they would prophesy.  It happened also to David when he was anointed by Samuel as king over Israel.  "And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward." (I Samuel 16:13)   We see this work in the scriptures on the day of Pentecost and throughout the mission of the church in Acts as well as in Paul's letters.

And here is the strength of this understanding - God is present and powerful.  Good to remember, as we tend to relegate him to the role of distant judge or vaguely benevolent grandfather.  The weakness, however, is in the discounting of the sublter workings of the Holy Spirit - the glossing over of the less spectacular.  And, sadly, a disdain for those who don't "have it."

The other perspective is that the Holy Spirit is the one who leads us into all truth.  To be sure, he is that.  Jesus describes him as such. (John 16:13) And that he is the sanctifier of the faithful.  Again, no argument here.  He is the one who produces growth, change and holiness in us.  He is the one who convicts us of sin (a great reminder to those among us who feel this is our calling and pursue it with devastating zeal.)  He is the Comforter.  His work is to produce fruit in us - character and virtue: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

The strength of this perspective is that it acknowledges his work with is less spectacular, although no less important.  It acknowledges the quiet yet inexorable faithfulness of God to make us into who he intends us to be.  The weakness, however, is that it is safe, predictable and, if I play my cards right, ignorable.  It can easily domesticate God for us.  And, as Mr. Beaver and the day of Pentecost remind us, he is not a tame lion.  With it also comes a distrust of the exuberant charismatics who are "nice enough, but a little wacky."

Biblically, the work of the Holy Spirit is clearly both.  And as I wait this Ascensiontide, I wait for the supernatural presence of God who miraculous and spectacularly heals me and who, less spectacularly, teaches, sanctifies and comforts me.