Spirit

     Have you ever had an experience of the Holy Spirit? His Grace Archbishop John's sermon on Pentecost Sunday gave me much to think about. He suggested that many of us have had such an experience but did not know what to call it. He stated that it might be "in the presence of the birth of a child or the death of a loved one. We will recognize the presence of the Spirit this morning, in baptism, in confirmation, in the Eucharist. The Spirit may be known when someone tells us they love us or when we're all alone on a mountain top. The Spirit may be felt when we pray with the whole of our heart and mind, in a church or in a field or by still waters. The Spirit may be known in a thunderstorm or the quietness after it has snowed." And he also mentioned that as it has happened in the past, when we talk about this experience someone might call us strange or even ridiculous so we might not want to talk about it, but we should I think. 

     My experience was a near death situation and I had not recounted it as the presence of the Holy Spirit because I did not realize it as such until yesterday. In staring into Jesus’ eyes and invoking His name over and over, even in my diminished state I knew then that I now had a relationship that I had never known before. I have had other comparable experiences in much more mundane settings but they all bear a strong resemblance to the moments His Grace spoke of on Sunday. You may have your own experiences of the Holy Spirit. And maybe you will share them. Because as His Grace told us it is in these moments that we draw closer to God; he said, “ … the Spirit invites us into a fuller, richer experience with God.” He further stated that “The Spirit nudges us away from complacency and urges us to see moments where God can be known.” A lot to think about? Yes! Come Holy Spirit!