sermon: "Evolution of the Holy Spirit"

The latest and greatest innovation to the life of faith is not Eckhart Tolle, or The Secret, or Yogic Flying or church Union in 1925 or even the Reformation in 1517 or but harkens back to Jesus. Yeah, that’s the easy way out, but as we heard from the scripture lesson in Acts it is not so much about Jesus crucifixion and resurrection but his introduction of the Holy Spirit.

John baptized into a spirit of repentance, that the water washes away sins. Jesus offered baptism into a way of life that is life-giving, generative and generous. But this is an idea that goes against our natural tendencies. It is easier to think poorly of ourselves, to magnify our negatives, to dwell on our faults than it is to think that we are good enough as we are.

As I read through the scripture lesson, I was reminded of my days as a fundamentalist teenager. One night the director of the summer camp I was working at asked if I was baptized with the spirit. Huh? I had the same reaction as the Ephesians. I knew about baptism with water, but not with the Holy Spirit.

It was a lovely summer night, warm and bug-free. The Perseids meteor shower cascaded overhead, a cosmic blessing upon the events of that night. The camp director was a very earnest and devout Christian, determined to save souls, to unleash the Spirit through speaking in tongues and other gifts.

At the time, I was a like-minded soldier of God and eager to please, so I consented to baptism in the spirit. So at that moment sitting at Vesper Point, she placed her hands on my head and prayed an impassioned prayer asking the Holy Spirit to come into my heart and began to speak in tongues – reciting and incanting phrases in some kind of language. Then she indicated that I should do the same.

So it was my turn. I didn’t feel physically different, was I spiritually changed by the entry of the Spirit into the core of my soul? What the heck, I’d give it a try. I began making noises and sounds that was a cross between babbling and a little Latin-Japanese mumbojumbo that seemed to satisfy the requirements of spiritual speaking.

That was then and this is now. I’ve moved away from that understanding of faith. I do not mean to diminish or disrespect have utmost respect for faith traditions that practise this kind of ministry. Other times I’ve shared this story have been met with skepticism or excused as a temporary lapse of reason. And I’m prepared to meet that reaction again.

Did I believe what I was doing? Yes I did. It was an expression of what was important to me. And such is the journey of faith; there is a different focus or highlight depending on the time, place and people. I was going to call it an evolution of faith, but that implies that one understanding is superior to another and that is not the case.

What happened in Ephesus was the introduction of news that the disciples there hadn’t known of. The Holy Spirit is personal and real presence of God’s power and Jesus’ passion available for each of us. Previously, they only knew of John the Baptist’s baptism that cleansed the body and spirit of sin. While it is a comfort to know that repentance is offered and dispensed, such a mindset still is a burden of guilt, worry and negativity.

In an echo of light coming from dark chaos, we find the light of God’s grace and approval as delivered by the Holy Spirit to be the good news. No longer is fear, shame and guilt the default setting for our spirit; because of Jesus, our soul can focus on life seeking justice, love seeking to serve and hope seeking renewal. And that is the evolution of faith.