28^th May 2013

Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 19 May 2013

Lessons - Psalm 104:24-34; Romans 8:12-17; John 14:15-17,25,26

Jesus said, 'I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.'
(John 10:10)

Christians say, 'We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of
Life.' (Nicene Creed)

Faith in the Spirit and fullness of life are bound together in the Christian life. Yet it is not immediately clear what it means to believe in the Holy Spirit. Unlike 'Father' and 'Son', the 'Spirit' does not seem personal and relational. Spirit language is somewhat vague, intangible and elusive. References to the 'Holy Ghost' strengthen this impression. It is of little use to 'secular' folk who are interested in the 'real world'
that they can see and touch, but it seems helpful to 'spiritual' folk who long for a sense of mystery beyond reason.

We seem to be left with a choice between two ways of living: the 'secular'
and 'worldly' or the 'spiritual' and 'unworldly'. That is the way that many people think about public issues today. Christians who dare to enter the fray on controversial matters are often vehemently attacked for expecting that their 'spiritual' or 'religious' views should be taken into account in a 'secular society'. Spirit and life are strangers to each other! Instead of seeing the whole of life as the expression of Spirit, we now experience a fatal division that is at the heart of the crisis of Christian faith in the modern world which has led to demonising what Christians mean by 'life in the Spirit'. Christianity is widely thought to be irrelevant to science, education, business, ethics and politics.
Believing in the 'Spirit' is fine if it does not impinge on public issues.

It is vital therefore that we recover faith in the 'Holy Spirit of life'
so that the rift is healed in a way that expresses the good and loving purposes of God for humanity, the world and the whole creation. The whole of life - personal and communal, past, present and future - is animated, sustained and made fruitful by the Spirit of God.

This is splendidly expressed in Scripture and the Creed. In the Old Testament, spirit (ruach) is 'a power invisible to the eyes which nevertheless causes things to move, an invisible yet obvious life force.
When used of God it affirms God's invisibility and presence in the world (A Schmemann, Celebration of Faith p109)' where no part of life is excluded. The Spirit brings order out of chaos at creation. The prophets are moved by the Spirit to speak words of judgement and hope to the wayward children of Israel.

In the Gospels, the Spirit confirms Jesus' divine mission at his baptism, sustains him in facing temptation (Mark 1:10; Matthew 4:1ff), and is promised to disciples and future generations (John 14:15-17). The Church 'receives the Holy Spirit from the crucified-and-risen Jesus to empower her preaching of his life-giving grace and peace (John 20:22). In Acts, the Spirit breaks down the barriers of language and culture to create a new community (Acts 2:1ff) - a 'communion of saints' (Apostles' Creed).

The Spirit is life-giving. The Spirit who unites Father and Son in the closest bond of Love is the One who communicates the triune love of God to the world. The Spirit 'is the breath of God within the world, the one through whom we "touch other worlds". He is the radiance of divine beauty and goodness, the one who reveals all in the world (the whole of life) as a way to God.' (Schmemann, p110)

This is magnificently put by JV Taylor in The Go-Between God:

'The Holy Spirit is the invisible third party who stands between me and the other person, making us mutually aware. Supremely and primarily he opens my eyes to Christ. But he also opens my eyes to the brother / sister in Christ, or the neighbour, or the point of need, or the heartbreaking brutality and the equally heartbreaking beauty of the world. . . . The Holy Spirit is that power which opens eyes that are closed, hearts that are unaware and minds that shrink from too much reality. If one is open to God, one is also open to the beauty of the world, the truth of ideas, and the pain of disappointment and deformity. . . . If for one reason or another we refuse really to see another person, we become incapable of sensing the presence of God.' (p19)

The Holy Spirit is not a vague, ghostly figure that hovers above reality but the gift of God's love in creating the world, calling us to a life of abundance and bestowing on us the love of Christ. As Paul says (Romans 8:12ff), the Spirit frees those who are called into the 'communion of saints' from being enslaved to 'life in the flesh' or what is often referred to today as the 'culture of death'. The Spirit assures us that we are loved by God, opens us to the glory of the world and human need, and empowers us to promote a 'culture of life', as Pope John Paul II put it.

In this way the Holy Spirit empowers the Christian community to bear witness to what God has done and is doing in and 'for the world'. The Church is separated 'from the world' for the sole purpose of being a sign of God's Love 'for the world' and to remind everybody that the whole of life - personal and public - should be open to the life-affirming presence
of the Spirit.

This calling is a great privilege which brings with it great responsibility. The Spirit does not simply baptise life as it is. The Spirit bears witness to what is life-giving and therefore opposes what is life-denying!

There are many signs among us that are consistent with the culture of life embodied in Jesus. The Disability Insurance Scheme is widely approved, as are moves by the Australian Football League to stamp out racism and other forms of vilification. Medical scientists are engaged in life-saving advances. Relief work and peace efforts are being carried out in dangerous places. Suffering of abused children is recognised and steps taken to bring perpetrators to justice. Our Kids' Hope program at the primary school brings hope to many kids. Many unsung individuals and groups show a remarkable degree of selfless concern for people in great need. These are among many welcome pointers to the fullness of life that reflect the glory of God in Christ.

These signs of life should not blind us, however, to the places where God's mercy and righteousness are being trashed. God's name is not honoured, murder of innocent life is widespread, sexual relationships are demeaned, greed drives ambition, envy severs relationships, strangers are
ostracised and so on.

In many places, especially where public opinion is being shaped by forces that are hostile to Christ, we are experiencing a 'culture of death'. The 'conspiracy against life' is based on an individualistic view of life where the other person and God are unimportant in relation to 'my' or 'our' ideals, needs and goals. Too often, decisions are made, not on the basis of what is right, humane and life-affirming, but on what enables me and my group to maximise our material well-being and maintain absolute control over our lives without interference from others, particularly Christians with strong beliefs. This is evident in vicious attacks in the media whenever Catholics and others oppose moves to sanctify euthanasia, abortion and same-sex marriage, in clear disregard of the fullness of life that has come in Jesus and is affirmed in the whole of Scripture.

In the battle between life and death, Christians are called to 'choose life, not death' (Deuteronomy 30:15ff). This does not necessarily make for a comfortable life. As Jesus says, the 'fullness of life' that he embodies and calls his disciples to take part in (John 10:10) is to be found, paradoxically, in dying to ourselves and following the way of the cross.

The Christian community is called to this life-giving, self-denying way of life that rejoices in the freedom that comes from knowing God's grace in Christ and opposing the 'culture of death' (Romans 8:13-15).

This means being part of a radically new kind of community. In the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, this is called being in a 'new communion'
marked by mercy, repentance, holiness, reconciliation, fellowship and hope for the whole creation and every person. As John and the Nicene Creed say, we are called to bear witness to the truth embodied in Christ as revealed by the Father through the Spirit. The 'communion of saints' rejoices in the presence of the 'Spirit of life'.

What could be more necessary today than to be the community of the Holy Spirit? The spirit of our age is largely self-indulgent and self- righteous. New Age spirituality is largely inward looking and impersonal.
Secularists dismiss the prospect of God's presence. What could be more vital than to preach, teach and enjoy the 'Spirit of life' who disrupts and renews the earth?

In the Sacrament of Holy Communion we are given a 'means of grace' in which to share the life-giving love of God for the world. We acknowledge the Father's mercy to us in Christ who is made known in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And we pray that all people and the whole creation may come to share in the fullness of life that is celebrated in this festival of grace.

That is why we invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit before the bread is broken and the cup raised. In this feast we acknowledge that what has happened in Christ's life-giving ministry, death and resurrection is a present reality and the future hope for us and the whole creation.

May we be bold to say, 'Come Holy Spirit, renew the whole creation!'

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Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.