“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” (1 Co. 2:9-10)

What a beautiful promise from God!

As we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit this coming Sunday on the Feast of Pentecost, let us reflect on the importance of the Holy Spirit in experiencing the fullness of our Christian faith.  The Bible sets out the benefits of the Holy Spirit in both the Old and New Testaments.

In Isaiah 11, the gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord are set forth.  In 1 Corinthians 12, St. Paul mentions wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, mighty deeds, prophesy, discernment of spirits, varieties of tongues and interpretation of tongues.  St. Paul goes on to say that we can have the mind of Christ in living out our lives through these gifts of the Holy Spirit. 

Many years ago, my wife and I were prayed with for the release of the power of the Holy Spirit and these gifts of the Spirit.  Over the years I have experienced many of these gifts in action.  I believe God’s wisdom, understanding and counsel have guided me through several life and career decisions that appear to have borne fruit in my faith life, marriage, and family. 

I have experienced a wife that has loved me for 63 years and I her; seen our four married children raise Christian families; watched a child born with Down syndrome light up a room with her smile and hugs; experienced Christian community through our church and the People of Praise Christian Community; enjoyed meaningful work that provided but did not consume; witnessed physical healing in our family by the laying on hands, and experienced an ongoing relationship with Jesus through daily prayer, scripture, and the sacraments.   

Yes, I am still cable of messing up and still do, but I seek the Lord’s forgiveness which he freely gives.   

As we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, let us remember to seek these gifts of the Holy Spirit.  

“This is my commandment: Love one another as I love you.” (John 15:12)  

In business, athletics and other endeavors in life, we often set goals for ourselves that exceed anything we have done before. Whether they include increased sales or production, running faster and longer, improving our grade point average in school or job performance measures at work, we refer to them as stretch goals.

Jesus set a stretch goal for the disciples and us with the above commandment.

How did Jesus love the disciples?  He called them.  He taught them with his words, stories, and example.  He empowered them and sent them out to serve the needs of others by healing, casting out demons and proclaiming that the kingdom of God had arrived.  And in a crowning illustration of love, he freely laid down his life for them and us to reconcile us to the Father and provide a means to overcome sin, death, and Satan’s hold on creation.

He simplified all the commandments into the love of God and neighbor, and said our neighbor is anyone we encounter, even a stranger as in the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

How do we love as Jesus loves?  The opportunities are endless.  The key principle in most situations is to think of others over ourselves.  Some examples might be letting go of career ambitions for the sake of family; accepting that someone else’s idea is better than ours; letting love rather than judgment be our first response to another’s difficulty; or simply stopping and listening.

A few years ago, I participated in a gathering where we were praying with individuals for physical healing, reconciliation of broken relationships, and other needs.  At one point as I was standing to the side of the room observing all that was happening, the words came into my mind, “It’s all about love.”  People were caring for one another, showing mercy, and humbly and faithfully interceding with God to be and bring his presence to bear on others’ needs.  It was a stretch goal, but that did not deter those who were praying. 

Are you called to stretch in your love for a family member, friend or colleague?

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, Son of John, do you love me more than these?’  He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’” (John 21:15)

If Jesus asked Peter three times whether he loved him to redeem the three times Peter denied him, how many times would Jesus need to ask us?  Most Bible commentators seem to confirm that the threefold challenge to Peter was designed to counter his threefold denial.   

Jesus did not mince words on this subject. “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.  But whoever denies me before others, I will deny him before my heavenly Father.” (Mt. 10:32-33)  

Denial can take many forms.  There is the direct denial like Peter’s, when we deny our Christian faith or that we are followers of Jesus Christ.  While this is not a circumstance that most Christians have had to face in this country historically, this could change in the future. 

There are more subtle forms of denial such as failing to speak up when our Christian beliefs are challenged or when explicit anti-Christian conduct by others is taking place in our presence.  When I used to attend receptions and dinners following day-long company meetings or conferences, the conversation during cocktails could often get a bit raw with off-color jokes, and stories of various exploits.  After experiencing a renewal in my relationship with Jesus Christ, I started to walk away from these conversations.    

Another form of denial may be the times when we fail to live up to Jesus’ commandments of love of God and neighbor.  While I hesitate to think how often I have failed to love according to this standard, we can thank God that we have just celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, and the promise of life with him forever.      

While we may not reach perfection in our love for God and the people in our lives, we should still strive for it, so we can say, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”