Rev. Jim Horton

We earlier prayed this phrase from this morning’s Collect, “Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your name.”

We continue to celebrate the season of Pentecost which is a continuing reminder of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. There is the sense that through this God-given gift of the Spirit, we now have the possibility of participating with God in God’s acts of creating and renewing life around us.

One of the attributes of the Spirit is the gift of discernment, the ability to look at life around us and discern ways we can be agents of renewal. We are called to be people of hope, people who look at situations from the perspective that what we see are really just glimpses of what could be and then seek ways to enhance life around us. It may entail mentoring a young child who, with just a little nudge, discovers the joy of books and wants to become a reader. It may be embracing a spouse in moments of frustration, a warming touch that strengthens his or her resolve. We are people who have been blessed by God’s Spirit; it is a gift of kindling waiting to be ignited.

The Holy Spirit calls us to be strivers after truth. One of the things that the Spirit helps us understand is that there is still much to learn and incorporate into our lives for our own growth and for the well-being of others. We are strivers toward the truth. None of us, none of us, no matter how Spirit filled we may perceive ourselves to be, have all the truth. The reality is that we have only a modicum of the truth but if we can perceive life in that fashion, it is that glimpse of the truth that infuses our desire to become seekers of the truth.

God gives us the Holy Spirit that we might become creative, renewing people.  That creativity and renewal, if it is to be of value to others, has to begin with us. May God infuse each of us with the fire of the Holy Spirit; that as the people who strive still to truth unknown, we may unlock not only for ourselves but others the desire to be strivers after truth, igniting all of us to become God’s agents of creativity and renewal.

Amen