Come Holy Spirit! This is a prayer, usually one meaning that we want the Holy Spirit to enter into our life and affairs. But do we? 

To invite the Holy Spirit is to give up your will. To give up the order you have set forth and be ready, willing, and able to do the will of the Holy Spirit. That last part “able” trips up a lot of people. Because we don’t think we are able. We view the world through these mortal lenses and we see what was, who we are, and the circumstances, and we say to ourselves “I’m not able.” I’m not able because I am not equipped, I’m not ready, that's not how it's done.

If we really say we follow the Holy Spirit then we are saying that we trust Him enough to hold up His end of the bargain. That He has things ordered just right, even if they look out of order. 

This last Pentecost Sunday, I think it's safe to say, things were out of order in just the right way. We had an impromptu baptism! There is precedent for this in the Bible. In the Book of Acts chapter 8, Philip is sent by the Holy Spirit to encounter an Ethiopian Eunuch, after some time in the Word of God he is baptized, spontaneously, in some nearby waters. 

So, to recap: on the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, who has knit us together through baptism, the Holy Spirit came, spontaneously, to knit another into His Church here at Christ Lutheran. 

When the family came to me, literally seconds before I was to take the stage to start worship and give the announcements, I was shocked. I thought “this is not how things work.” “There’s a process.” “We aren’t prepared for this; we won't be able to baptize this little baby.” I would love to tell you I didn’t hesitate, but that’s not life. When we are confronted with the anomalous, we resort back to the familiar. For me, that meant worship service as printed in the bulletin. I started thinking about all the excuses, legitimate excuses, why this wasn’t going to happen today.  

Instead, I stepped out in faith. I grabbed the other leaders: Pastor Adrienne, Music Directors Mark and Phil and in an instant, on stage, we set things in motion. You can be proud to know that not a single person hesitated. We all swarmed to our parts to meet the Spirit that day. One to get water, another oil, another a candle. And it’s time to start the prelude. Go! We had a plan, and it aligned with the Holy Spirit. 

If you weren’t at the traditional service that day you missed out. When I gave the announcement of the change of plans there was spontaneous applause! We members of the Body of Christ at Christ Lutheran during the early service didn’t hesitate. Hundreds of people spontaneously allowed for the movement of the Holy Spirit. 

When the Spirit moved, we answered His call. That is the very definition of Church. Our congregation is alive! We are responsive to the Spirit. And, I am proud to serve in such a Body. 

I look forward to what the Spirit might be doing in our midst. I do hope He gives us a heads-up next time, though.