Wind

I'm sitting at my "other office" this morning, and the wind is blowing the canopies around outside. It's a strong wind which makes me think of preaching about the Holy Spirit yesterday. Luke says the Spirit came in wind, fire and speech—and that the wind was (in older translation language) a "mighty rushing wind." Nothing tame about the arrival of the Spirit! Sort of like what I'm watching outside the window right now. Maybe stronger. Probably stronger.

We've been having a lot of wind this spring, but it strikes in different places at different times. Last week, I arrived at the office one morning and was asked if we had any wind damage at our house. We had barely had any wind the night before, but apparently further north in the same city, there was quite a bit of wind and rain and damage. Trees down, roofs damaged, that sort of thing. It's amazing that the wind can do that kind of damage just a few miles away from where it's only rainy and still. But, the wind will do what it will—so says Jesus.

I think that's why one of the powerful symbols sent on that first Christian Pentecost was the wind: because it's uncontrollable and when it blows fiercely, it can reshape the landscape in significant ways. The Spirit does that—when we don't get in the way. Most often, though, in our church experiences, we have everything too well planned for the Spirit to work. I know that I'm guilty of that! I remember a pastor friend of mine several years ago who said he had many occasions where he was preaching and suddenly felt the Spirit whisper to him, "Excuse me, could I get a word in here?" I'm not saying we shouldn't prepare and plan; that's not the point. The Spirit can work ahead of time if we let him. He can work in our plans and our preparation when we invite him in. (Sometimes what we call "allowing for the movement of the Spirit" is simply laziness.) But are we willing to let the Spirit blow in, even into our planning, and upset our nice, ordered world? Are we willing to let the Spirit reshape the landscape of our ministry?

Can you feel the wind blowing?