Nuclear Reactors of Faith, Part 1: Life in the Spirit

Kate Thoresen August 16, 2009

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Ephesians 5:15-20

Introduction:

I recently enjoyed a delightful visit with a long standing member of our church .She said, "I pray every day for our country. It's in God we trust. But now I don't know what's become of this nation of ours." She said this in light of all the town hall meetings concerning the current debate over health care reform.

So many questions. Too many concerns. Something urgent must be done - yesterday - but what? The debate rages on, and the people are raging. Accusations are flying every which way. It's a tangled mess that leaves us uncertain and fearful. There's an angry and contentious spirit in the air. Are we being kept in the dark about our future? Does anyone care about people's lives anymore?

How are people - especially people of faith - to live in this world of such turmoil?

What does the apostle Paul say about living in such times? What relevance does his letter to the Ephesians have for our everyday lives? What clues does it give for finding hope - and especially spiritual health?

Ephesians 5:15-20

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Nuclear Reactors of Faith, Part 1: Life in the Spirit"

"Spiritual practices are the nuclear reactors of the Christian faith, the arenas where the gospel and human life come together in energizing, even explosive ways. Practices create openings in our lives where the grace, mercy and Presence of God may be made known to us." (1)

Questions of Faith Then and Now

The Apostle Paul wrestled with the darkness and turmoil he found in his world of the first century. He, along with the people he served, struggled to put feet on their faith in Jesus Christ.

How can Christian behavior line up with our belief that God is in charge even in the midst of such desperate times?

How are people of faith to live in a fractured, broken world on the outside when they also know themselves to have some turmoil or incompleteness within themselves as well?

What power does a community of faith have to help people respond?

Do any of these questions sound familiar for today?

Paul's Amazing Worldview

First of all, let me briefly paint the world view that Paul gives at the beginning of this letter. This is quite a startling perspective.

Remember Paul, the Pharisee who persecuted the early Christians? He was knocked off his high horse. He encountered the Risen Christ and had a profound conversion experience. Then he went to the desert for eight years to pray and seek God's wisdom to understand who Jesus Christ was for the world.

And this is what God showed him when God was laying the very foundations of the heavens and the earth, Christ was there to name and claim each one of us from the very beginning of time. Everything in all creation is from love, and for love.

God showed Paul that every person is a child of God. Christ has overcome the dividing walls of sin and separation by his death on the cross. All are to be part of a Beloved Community, knit together by Christ's Spirit of unending love. This is part of God's plan throughout the ages.

Only our current world is blind to God's continuing work in human lives.

The Spirit of this eternal life of Christ opens our eyes. We begin to see others through the loving eyes of Christ. The Spirit of Christ enables us to live as God's Beloved people in a beleaguered world.

The more we are filled with this Spirit of Christ within us, the more we become transformed to be God's children of Light in a dark and dismal world.

This is life in the Spirit.

Life in the Spirit

How do I know that this Spirit of God is real and is still making a difference? I keep meeting people whose lives have been touched by God's Holy Spirit.

For example, there is Bruce. (I've changed his name) About five years ago his wife filed for a divorce. His life was shattered. He lost his home, his kids and the life he knew.

He hit rock bottom, and there he found the Rock of all Ages. Somehow, it was through his broken heart that the love of God shone through. His life and his outlook changed. He had discovered the love of God as the most powerful force in the world. It made him a new man as he became more and more open to God.

He described his life as one of those Etch a Sketch boards. Before, it was filled with lots of ugly lines that went every which way. Then it got shaken up. He shares how God is creating something beautiful on it now. He lives every day to share God's love with others.

He drives a school bus and consciously prays for every kid that gets on. He says that as he opens the door of the bus to each child, he wants to open God's love to them as well. He's become a friend to many.

How easy it would be to be a snarly, indifferent driver who can't wait to get done with the morning route. Someone with the attitude, "don't bother me."

But the Spirit has made such a difference in his life, and that contagious care is reaching out to others, bringing some peace and harmony.

Recently he helped to organize a fund raiser through his motorcycle club. One of the guys there needs a bone marrow transplant that costs a lot of money. So members of this club decided to raffle off a specially made Harley Davidson motorcycle. They sold lots of tickets. The big day came when they all rode their bikes up to Flint for their convention. Then it came time for the big raffle.

Can you imagine this scene? Around 600 guys in their leather jackets, holding their tickets, were hoping against hope that theirs is the winning ticket. The drawing was made. Suddenly a hush fell on the crowd as the announcer gave the name of the lucky ticket holder. To everyone's shock and surprise, the winner was none other than the man for whom they were holding the raffle. A huge spontaneous cheer went up. People began to hug one another. Tears came to the eyes of many. Here was a crowd of people who were united in that place and in that moment with a spirit, a beautiful, good spirit, a joyous spirit, almost too good to be true spirit, that linked them together in a common love and concern for their friend.

Bruce told me later, "It was like Pentecost." You could feel God's Spirit of love at work.

Bruce's life has changed dramatically. But he still endures back pain and financial worries. Life in the spirit has not made him immune to hardships, but his determination to share God's love, no matter what the circumstances, strengthens his spirit to cope and to hope.

Spirit Filled Lives

God keeps inviting us to be filled with that kind of Spirit.

• A Spirit that makes us come alive.
• A Spirit that makes us care for others and want to go out of our way.
• A Spirit that fills a group with contagious joy and a generosity that seeks the welfare of others, like I've seen happen through our Session and Deacons and lay leaders and Stephen ministers and so many people here.
• A Spirit that can overcome hurt feelings, misunderstandings, personal egos, and agendas to unite us into working for greater goals.
• A Spirit that says to each person, "You belong. I love you. I need you."

This is the kind of Spirit that can fill us with song, with thanksgiving, with an awareness of God's goodness even in the midst of trying circumstances. One that gives us hope that we can get through dark times because God has a greater plan at work.

Our Need for a Community of Faith to Keeps Us Centered in the Spirit

But haven't you noticed that we so often need one another to hear and to sing such songs? It makes all the difference in the world when we wake up in the morning feeling as spiritual as a frog and not really feeling like doing anything but crawl back in bed or just turn on the TV, pour a cup of coffee, and just sit there for a while.

Yet, something happens and nudges us to get up and come and join a community of faith - this Faith Community - and once again our spirits are lifted and we know we can go forth, no matter what we face in our fragmented world - but going forth, ready to deal with the struggles of the soul to bear in a world that desperately needs the reconciling love of Christ to be present.

Spiritual Practices as Nuclear Reactors of Our Faith

When we come together as a community of faith, we are engaging in spiritual practices. We find those things that feed our souls and fuel our faith.

God works such energizing power with such practices of faith - nuclear reactors of faith - that continue to energize people throughout the ages.

Nuclear reactors work with atoms that are not visible to the human eye, yet when put together create a powerful force. So does the Holy Spirit, that Spirit of the Eternal Christ that works in our everyday lives, unseen to the five senses, but dynamic.

God has called you and me to be filled with the Spirit that gives us confidence that though times are desperate, God is with us.

So, like that lovely church member I recently visited, keep praying. Pray for our nation, for peace around the world, for this community, and for the communities around us. Pray that people turn again to God in trust. And pray, like Bruce, that every day we wake up to share the amazing love of God.

Let your faith in Christ change hearts.

Let your hope in God change lives.

And let the Holy Spirit of Christ's love within you change the world.

Now, unto God who is able to do far more abundantly that we can ever dream or imagine, to God be all the honor and glory forever.

Amen.

1. From Thomas Long, contemporary preacher, author and seminary professor.

©Kate Thoresen 2009