Unwrap The Gifts Of The Spirit This Pentecost

Unwrap The Gifts Of The Spirit This Pentecost

A brilliant Pentecost piece from Busted Halo:

On Pentecost Sunday, God breathed the Holy Spirit into the apostles to remind them that they were not alone. Jesus had died, risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven. Jesus" followers were afraid and unsure of their future. The Holy Spirit came to comfort them even though Jesus wasn"t there to physically comfort them any more. What does the Holy Spirit mean to us today? Much the same thing it meant for the apostles. We too are recipients of the Spirit, given to help us in our lives. According to Judeo-Christian tradition there are seven Gifts of the Spirit: wisdom, understanding, right judgement, knowledge, courage, reverence, and fear of God. The best part is that you don"t have to be religious to use them. These gifts are not beyond us or waiting to be found. They lie within each person waiting to be retrieved and used. And they can be reordered to act as a kind of guide to living out one"s life and making decisions. Who doesn"t need a little help with that?

Awe (Fear of God)

This is the gift that comes to us when we see the beauty of God"s creation around us: a child splashing in a puddle on a sun soaked day, the beauty of nations coming together in peace at the Olympics, the grandeur of a snow-capped mountaintop. The gift of awe lets us see God in all things. It gives us that feeling of hope for our life and world. Maybe I get that feeling when I hear a good song, and I sigh feeling grateful for all God has given me. This is where our lives should start.

Reverence

That awe brings me to my knees in reverence. It"s a moment of surrender, like sharing a moment of awe with a friend – words fall quiet. Read the rest here…