Spirit Week......

If you've attended school in the last 45+ years you have probably experienced a Spirit Week- that week, often before the 'big game' (pick your sport) where everyone dons the school colors, and possibly a whole variety of other creative pieces of clothing/headgear, and everyone is 'filled with the spirit".....school spirit that is.

Lots of fun.  Big pep rally.  Cheerleaders looking especially smiley.  Athletic types looking especially athletic.  Probably helps a little with attention in class.  Probably also detracts a little too.

Sooooo, if we, the People Born of the Spirit were to wear our colors, what would they be?  Baptismal color is white...but that is so very dull.  Red is the color of the Holy Spirit in our ecclesiastical life so Red might be a good color.

Then we would have to develop some Spirit Cheers....Alleluia would have a prominent part.  Some Praise God!  Holy Jesus might work.  I suppose our clergy could be the cheerleaders...but folks, that is taking the metaphor just too far.

Because, when it comes to the Holy Spirit, we are all cheerleaders.  All who have experienced new birth through the water of baptism are now anointed with the Holy Spirit.....and it is for just one purpose.  So We. Might.Tell.Others.About. Jesus.

In our baptism, we asked God to pour out the Holy Spirit on us.  The same Spirit that was poured out on Jesus at his baptism.  The same Spirit that anointed the heads of the Old Testament prophets.  The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.  The same Spirit that came on tongues of fire at Pentecost and unleased a multi-lingual declaration of Jesus as Savior and Lord.  That is the Spirit that powers our witness in the world.  Powers it.  Empowers us.

Oh I have heard all the excuses....this is because I have made all the excuses.  That changes nothing.  The Holy Spirit is upon you so you might tell others the Good News of new life found in Jesus the Christ.

How do you do that?  Try practicing sentences like this.  "I have found that talking to God helps me when I am overwhelmed."  "Church is a place where I meet the God who loves me.  That's why I go."  "I support the food pantry because Jesus was always feeding people.  They can't listen for God when their stomach is rumbling."  "I do understand.  I know that I make mistakes.  God knows that I make mistakes.  Jesus loves me still."

Oh my friends.  It has never been just about a little water sprinkled over the head of an infant.  It has always been about taking a massive leap of faith and, one more time, for the sake of this fragile new life, trusting in God's way of living in this world.

It has always been about being born again into Jesus Christ.  Holding tight to the promises that Jesus made to us.  Following Jesus as closely as we can, and turning around and catching up to Jesus when we have fallen behind.  It has always been about the story of Jesus' love - the story we tell with words and with our deeds and with our daily habits.

The Spirit gives us the power to do just all those things.  The fire is there to burn off all the undergrowth that is slowing our growth.  The water was the fun part.

Let this week be the first of a thousand Spirit Weeks in your future.