 As a congregation named “Holy Trinity,” we are familiar with the trinitarian name of the One God – “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” That does not necessarily mean that we understand the three persons of the One God, who exists in a union of Divine Love. It is often the Holy Spirit who is overlooked and misunderstood most – at least in our tradition of Christianity. Yet, it is the Spirit’s work that is most obvious in our daily living. The Work of the Spirit is often the most concrete manifestation of God right now, right here. The Apostle’s Creed says that we believe in the Holy Spirit and then continues with a list of seemingly unrelated things. “… the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” The truth is that each of these things is a manifestation or mark of the Spirit.
The “Holy Catholic Church” refers to the body of Christ, the people of God, who are universal and united (that is what `catholic’ means). The unity and universality of the church are only possible by God’s grace and happen as an action of the Holy Spirit. If we are one, it is because God, in the power of the Spirit makes it so. The “Communion of Saints” is another expression of the unity of the people of Christ that refers to the inclusion of the faithful across space and time. This communion includes those who have died in Christ of every age. Our unity with the saints is possible only through the work of the Spirit. The “forgiveness of sins” is a mark of the Spirit as it consoles and assures the individual who has become estranged from God. The Spirit is also the power that makes it possible for us to forgive others. Waiting until I “feel” like forgiving someone leaves the effort to me, and I’m just not built for forgiveness and reconciliation on my own. If you can’t forgive, try inviting the Spirit to do the heavy lifting in you. It is the Spirit that breathed life into creation in the beginning. It is the Spirit who raised Jesus up from the grave. It is the Spirit that brings to bloom spring flowers and fills the silos with harvest. We believe in “the resurrection of the body” because the Spirit of Life will renew and resurrect all things and make them new. Finally, it is the Holy Spirit that grants us eternal/everlasting life. This is not the same as resurrection. Eternal life is the life of faith which is only possible when the Spirit grants it. As Luther says in the Small Catechism, “I believe that by my own understanding or strength, I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith.” Eternal life is the daily living that relates to the way we love God, neighbor, and creation in faith, and it is proof that God is at work in us, through us, and in the world. On May 19th, we will celebrate the Festival of Pentecost. It is the day we remember the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on all people who had been touched by the cross and resurrection of Christ. It will be a busy day for us.
Our worship, our song, our prayer, our giving, and our gathering to make decisions are all marks of the Holy Spirit’s work in this place, and among us. We invite you to some and witness God’s presence on May 19th. Pax Christi, Tim Olson, Lead Pastor
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