We believe in God’s Spirit, Who Brings the Mystery of God into Our Hearts

FAITH HEALERS AND PIANNO TEACHERS

There are certain things you can’t unsee.  I once saw someone miraculously healed. It leaves quite an impression.  My mom and dad were involved with something called the, “Charismatic Movement” back in the early eighties.  I remember going to the, “Copper Country Holy Spirit Conference,” where I saw some really wild stuff.  A faith healer came and called people out of the audience who had some ailment.  He asked them to come up on stage where He would lay a hand on them and shout something like, “In the Name of Jesus, be healed!” Usually they fell backward and were caught by a team of ushers.  When they awakened after several minutes, some were miraculously healed.  One of the people that this happened to was my piano teacher.  She was a sweet lady in her 70’s who had suffered from a life long debilitation (no, it was not being my piano teacher) After having the faith healer lay hands on her she was healed.  She wasn’t part of the show and I couldn’t wrap my head around it.  There also were hundreds of people speaking in tongues at the same time.  Usually someone stepped up to the mic and interpreted a prophecy from God.  I’m not sure I would have believed it if I hadn’t been there and it hadn’t happened to people I knew.   

LESS DRAMATIC OR MORE REAL?

I have also witnessed God’s spirit move in less dramatic ways.  I have experienced preaching a sermon with the intentions of saying one thing and then watching myself say something different.  Usually something better.  Maybe I am noticing that the point I am making is not connecting and I change course almost in mid sentence.  Sometimes it is like I am being played like and instrument, and other times it is more like God is using my experiences and abilities to regroup on the fly to convey something I didn’t plan.  

OPEN

When I began my first call at Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, even the first time I went to worship I experienced God’s spirit moving.  It was not some supernatural, unexplainable thing but rather a feeling of genuineness and acceptance.  I had heard that it was a church that was doomed to close.  After worshiping there I knew the church there needed to stay open.  At King of Glory, my other church, the spirit has been moving in the increased generosity, openness and commitment of its members.  People visit there and are welcomed with warmth and caring.  The point is it isn’t always dramatic.  Sometimes the Spirit moves in small ways that lead to big things.

TANDEM

What I have learned about God’s Spirit is that it works best when in tandem with our human spirt.  When we stop seeing our humanity as getting in the way of the Spirit and embrace our brokenness and vulnerability.   As we are healed by the kindness and humanity of one another through God’s Spirit, we become agents of the Spirit to build up the church for the sake of the world.  Yes, it is often messy and not something you can control or script.  It is often in looking back that you can see where God’s Spirit has moved.