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Pastor Nick : “Spirited Goodness
Spirited Goodness
Pastor Nick Quient
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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 NRSV)
One of the more exciting and neglected aspects of Paul’s letter to the Romans is how practical it is. Sure, we often get hung up on the first eleven or so chapters, with discussions of election, predestination, Adam, metaphor, Jewish identity, and all sorts of things—and yet, by the time we get to Romans 12-16, we are exhausted. I imagine Paul was a bit exhausted as well! However, Paul then spends four chapters explaining how all of this works, and what it all means for the church.
The gift of the Holy Spirit is, in some sense, like that. The Spirit involves us, captivates us challenges us, and empowers us to be the people of God. Rather than being centered on evil thoughts or impossible ideals, the mission of the Spirit is to help us begin to articulate and participate in the life of the Spirit. Sometimes that might look a little different given any situation, but the goal is simple: the Spirit gives life and we offer that same life to others. The mission, therefore, is a mission of hope and peace— both of which are in short supply in this time. Praying to the Spirit is also a great value—the Spirit is a person and worthy of worship and intercession (1 Cor 3:17). The Spirit breaks down barriers and calls us into a new family of adoption (Rom 8:18-29) where goodness reigns. Such goodness is centered on right action (righteousness) via hope. Hope is not a fancy feeling or a nebulous concept—it is anticipation.
Hope beckons us to wait and see, based on what we have already witnessed. Because God is good, we can rest assured in the work of the Spirit in our own lives—whether we see every little detail or not. The Spirit is on the move, sowing goodness wherever there is need. As Emily Dickinson has said, “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.”
