Google the word spirit, and you’ll be treated to a plethora of opportunities to explore the airline with this word in its name. Spirit Airlines is known for its low prices but few amenities and extra charges for most services, including choosing a seat. The company recently filed for bankruptcy protection.
Google the phrase spiritual world, and you’re invited to go a different direction. The focus is on the unseen. The mystery of other dimensions outside our perception, beyond the four dimensions of length, width, depth, and time. String theorists have identified a total of ten dimensions, seven of which are too small and curled to be detected with current technology.
On the other hand, many believe the 5th dimension involves a parallel universe, alternate timeline, and spirituality.
While we know a lot more about the world than our ancestors did, I’m not sure we know anything more about the spiritual world than people who lived centuries before us.
In our companion book chapters for this week, Alex is determined to have a conversation with the spirit of his dead father. After speaking with his colleague about the process, Alex stares into a mirror, hoping his father’s image will appear.
As our chapters for this week close, Alex sees his father’s likeness appear.
Meanwhile, Alex meets with a new patient recently admitted to the hospital. Lisa was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Her symptoms included auditory and visual hallucinations, and she had attempted suicide several times by cutting her hands with a knife.
Alex knew her case was complicated. However, as their interview began, Lisa wanted to leave the hospital to resume her busy schedule. Eventually, she began to share how it all began, but the medications she was given made it difficult for her to concentrate. We’ll learn more in later chapters.
Meanwhile, our theme scripture for this week comes from Luke’s account of Jesus’ baptism. The story begins with a relative of Jesus named John, the son of Elizabeth and Zecharius. Luke tells us that some speculated that John was the long-awaited Messiah. But John puts these rumors to rest when he emphasizes that he baptizes with water, while the Messiah will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
There’s that word, spirit, again.
While John offered colorful illustrations of what it means to be baptized with water, his main focus was repentance. He warned his listeners to bear good fruit by sharing our excess, being fair in our business dealings, and caring for one another.
Luke tells us that Jesus showed up to be baptized after John finished with the crowd. A dove appeared as Jesus came out of the water in Matthew’s version, but Luke says that as Jesus was praying, the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. And a voice from heaven was heard saying, “You are my Son, whom I love, and with You I am well pleased.”
Jesus heard words from His Father that we all want to hear from our parents. And most of us want to hear these words from God at some point. Some of us spend a lifetime trying to earn these words.
Jesus was baptized, too. And as He was praying, the Holy Spirit descended on Him, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, and I am pleased with.”
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Fortunately, unlike a lot of earthly fathers, God doesn’t offer His love as a transaction. Instead, God’s love never ends, and He takes pleasure when we return His love towards Him by loving creation, ourselves, and others.
As United Methodists, we believe baptism to be a special event called a Sacrament. For us, baptism is a miracle, not unlike the one described by Luke after Jesus was baptized. In baptism, we offer a visible sign of our desire to accept Jesus as our Savior. However, invisible to the eye, the miracle promised by John is already at work within us when He said that the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.
But where does the fire come in?
Fire is a metaphor for the change taking place within us. Heat purifies precious metals, separating them from the impurities clinging to them. In a similar way, the Holy Spirit purifies us and connects us with God’s love. Through God’s grace alone, the Holy Spirit helps us respond with love toward all creation.
The fruits of the Spirit are acts of love. This is how we know when God’s will is our intent rather than our own. All that harms others is contrary to God’s will.
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This is a reminder that we publish this newsletter called the Circuit Rider each week. You can request this publication by email. Send a request to FlintAsburyUMC@gmail.com or let us know when you send a message through our website. We post an archive of past editions on our website under the tab Connect – choose Newsletters.
Pastor Tommy
Parts of our series are inspired by Dr. Leonid Alt. The Price of a Second.© Leonid Alt, 2021.