spirit of life - worship trick 3 series 3

i did say a couple of weeks back that i'd say more about the experiences on the dekhomai stand at the mind body spirit festival. however as i have thought about it they all relate to stories of people i talked and prayed for or did the jesus deck with so i decided not to say more. other than to say we had a great time and sensed god with us. it was wonderful to be there on pentecost sunday rather than in a church meeting.

david has asked me a couple of times now in comments what my thinking is regarding the work of the holy spirit and praying for people to receive who aren't christians...

I am interested in your experiences of praying for people to receive the Spirit outside of a Christian context. Some would say that faith would need to come first. However I was filled the Spirit first - albeit in a Pentecostal prayer meeting - even when I wasn’t sure I believed all this Christian stuff.

i haven't totally thought this through but it's been my view for years that life is a gift of the spirit as is every breath we take. god loves all people so why wouldn't god be present outside of our "christian" context with people bringing the healing of creation wherever with whoever? but i guess a longer answer might be in order. the best book of theology on the holy spirit in my view is jurgen moltmann's spirit of life and the follow up source of life. on saturday we had a grace spirit service and for it i wrote a responsive piece  of liturgy. the responses are from the first verse of the hymn breath on me breath of god. the lines are all quotes from moltmann's source of life but reworked as directed to god. i think this is as good as i can do in the time available. if you can pray this prayer it makes perfect sense to be joining in with the healing of the spirit of life at mind body spirit. at grace we had to cut a few things out so this piece of liturgy didn't actually get used. i have left the instructions for kite making in at the end as this is what followed in the service.

spirit of life

your breath of life fills the whole world and holds all things together.
if you withdraw your breath everything turns to dust

breathe on me breath of god

you are the source of life that brings life to the world, whole life, full life, unhindered, indestructible everlasting life

fill me with life anew

the life of your spirit which christ sends into the world is the power of the resurrection which brings us new life

breathe on me breath of god

the sending of your spirit is the revelation of god's indestructible affirmation of life and marvelous joy in life

fill me with life anew

jesus where you are there is life. where you are sick people are healed, sad people are comforted, marginalised people are accepted and the demons of death are driven out

breathe on me breath of god

where your holy spirit is present there is life.
the powers and energies of eternal life are experienced.

fill me with life anew

the mission of your spirit is a movement for life and a movement for healing which spreads consolation and the courage to live and raises up what wants to die.

breathe on me breath of god

we affirm and love life so much that we protest against death and all the powers that disseminate death.

fill me with life anew

help us to join with your comforting of the sad, healing of the sick, welcoming of strangers, and forgiving of sins.

breathe on me breath of god

send your spirit so that this world should not perish but live

fill me with life anew

spirit of the new creation break into the here and now bringing foretastes of the age to come when all things are made new, and creation is set free from the powers of death

breathe on me breath of god

spirit of god renew the face of the earth

fill me with life anew

give us hearts of flesh for hearts of stone

that we may love as you would love
and do what you would do
amen

we will make kites to fly in the wind as a sign that we want to place ourselves in the flow of the wind of god's spirit to join in with the spirit of life's bringing life to the world. the kites will be different as are the gifts of who we are and the gifts we have been given. feel free to write on your kite any reflections or prayers as you place yourself in the wind. though one kite is small together the kites will fill the skies with movement and colour, energy and life, a celebration of the spirit.

Comments

[Kester]

Good stuff Jonny.

Quite agree with the 'spirit in all' theology, and in the link below I tried to relate that to the idea of gift... Whenever gifts are exchanged, the spirit is moving... because it's in the generous act of giving to the 'other' that we become most human.

http://kester.typepad.com/signs/2005/11/emerging_church.html

[Kester]

PS - any reason you don't allow html in your comments?

[jonny]

no reason - the link works automatically. what other html do you want?

[jonny]

and kester i love your stuff on the spirit - fab. that and your stuff on leadership are brilliant

[Matt Stone]

Just as we speak of general and special revelation I think it is equally valid to speak of the Spirit moving in general and special ways. If we read the Old Testament carefully there are stories of the Spirit moving in people beyond the covenant. My own approach is to pray for healing for non-Christians but to invite them into the deeper mysteries of the Spirit if they are open to them.

[kester]

Thanks. Just sometimes with long links it's nice to put them 'behind' a link word...

I'm not sure what I think about the general/special revelation parallel Matt. I think we all have the Spirit - that's what sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom, the spark of consciousness if you will - but some of us are more in touch with it than others. So in praying for non-Christians we are simply inviting them to become more aware of what's already there.

I once described it as finally admitting to yourself that you're in love with someone. It's been there a while, but that conscious moment of admission brings a whole new feeling.

On a connected point, Jonny I think this whole area of 'getting out there' at festivals like this, and how we do that in an effective way is really key. I've just posted some thoughts on Second Life, and church within that, which I think throws up some of the same issues:

http://kester.typepad.com/signs/2007/06/second_life_sec.html

[Chris G]

Jonny,

Thanks for the liturgy. I'll put it to use immediately.

[Nathan]

Thanks for the inSPIRATion. Loved Moltmann's book, didn't know there was a follow up--thanks for the clue. Have you read much by Philip Clayton? He was one of my prof's out in California (Claremont School of Theology) and taught a Pneumatology course where we appoached the Spirit's presence in other world religions as well as Xity. Had several different kinds of religious people in the class, (Hindus, Pentacostals, Korean Methodists, Episcopalians, African United Methodists, Jews) and one aspect was an experiential thing where we shared different practices from many of these traditions. It was my favorite class at CST (and unfortunatly first and last with Clayton.)

[Matt Stone]

Kester - I believe even the animal kingdom is sustained by the Spirit, so I'm by no means suggesting non-Christians can't experience the Spirit. I just happen to believe God did something particularly special at Pentecost, something that has to be entered into voluntarily, something more than just a little bit more. As we heal people through the Spirit we should not fear inviting them into that deeper relationship for fear of alienating them. If the Spirit is truly at work the seeds planted will bear fruit.

[Micky]

Three years ago I was wandering around [mental hospital] completely shattered physically, emotionally and spiritually. The mental torment I was experiencing was absolutely terrifying. Every waking second, I was having horrifying images from my past. I thought I was being punished for my past sins. My whole life flashed before my eyes and I felt I had failed miserably in my journey through life. The whole experience was an awakening [THE LONG DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL] a metamorphosis. God was slowly penetrating the shield I had put up all those desperate years. I had no "I" - that is what God wanted for me, to become Christ centered, not “I” centered [in retrospect]. There is nothing in this world, but the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He eventually delivered me from my HELL; when I got down on my knees and asked Him for mercy and forgiveness for my sins. God breathed on me. Praise the LORD!!
PEACE BE WITH YOU
MICKY