One of the interesting things about managing the team in Holland was that there appeared to be a statutory holiday for all the Dutch (there, I've used all three) about every week. At least it seemed that way. One time when there was some deadline about which I was nervous, my anxiety became higher when I discovered that the Monday coming was a holiday. The team manager there told me it was Pentecost and, knowing that I came from across the pond and would likely have no idea what that was, proceeded to tell me that it was when the Holy Spirit came down on the Church.
It is somewhat ironic the European, from that pagan continent (at least by reputation), felt the need to tell the guy living in the "one nation under God" what the holiday was. I am happy to report that I knew the feast before I received the unnecessary but much appreciated elucidation.
But how many of us do know that Sunday -- this Sunday coming -- is Pentecost? And why might we care? I have in this space previously expressed my appreciation of the pedagogical and devotional value of paying attention to the Church calendar - its feasts and seasons. And it's not because such observance is necessary or required, but because I find it helpful.
The yearly observance of Pentecost is particularly helpful because it is really the only feast day that is dedicated to the third person of the Trinity, namely the Holy Spirit. This is where I get to the "why I might care part."
The work of the Father as Creator is pretty clearly understood. The atoning and redemptive work of Jesus, the Son, is also quite clear - it is perhaps the thing we talk and teach about most. And rightly so. But what about the Holy Spirit? What does He do? And why does He matter?
Number one on my incredibly short list of why He matters is that He is God. Christians have through the centuries affirmed the mystery of the Trinity, three Persons, one God. The Athanasian Creed (the poor cousin of the more prominent Apostles' and Nicene Creeds) says this:
And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confusing the Persons; nor dividing the Essence... So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Spirit is God. (emphasis mine)
It is not that we don't intellectually acknowledge this truth. Whenever we say the more prominent Creeds we acknowledge this. But practically, in our life, worship and devotion, do we pay any attention to the Paraclete?
Many years ago now, I came to the shocking realization that I was a functional Binitarian. The Father I understood (albeit imperfectly), and similarly the Son. And more to the point, I trusted the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit, not so much. This was perhaps because I was turned off by enthusiastically charismatic Christians and decided to avoid the whole matter of the Person and work of the Spirit. My way seemed so much more "decent and in order."
This brings me to a quick digression. It is so easy for us to use the excuse of the bad witness of nutty charismatic or hard judgmental Christians (or some other flavor distasteful to us) to stay in our comfortable place where we need not seriously consider God's call and claim on our life. And it is an excuse. When I give account of myself one day before the only One who is worthy to judge, I'm not sure that "those Christians were crazy or harsh or narrow-minded or unintellectual" will fly. His response to me might be, "And your point is?" God's call to us is exactly that -- God's call.
So back to being the functionally heretical Binitarian. When I came to this realization, there was only one course of action. Repentance. "Lord God, I do not trust you. Forgive me." There is no prettier way of saying it than that.
I am happy to live as an now both intellectually and functionally orthodox Christian, giving praise to God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth and to God the Son, Jesus, Redeemer and to God the Holy Spirit, Advocate, Comforter, Gift-giver, Sanctifier, Truth-teller.
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