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There are two things you cannot do when you are underwater. You can’t breathe, and you can’t cry for help. That is why the ancients feared to be under the water. To them, it was a tomb. When John the Baptist pulls you out of the water at baptism, what is the first thing you do? Do you give John a big hug for pulling you out? No, the first thing you do is breathe. You fill your lungs with air. This activity in the ancient word was known as “spirit.” So, what is the first thing Jesus did when God pulled him out of the tomb and his body filled with life again? He took air into his lungs; he breathed. It makes sense why Jesus went to his disciples on the same day and breathed on them and said receive the Holy Spirit. They got the resurrected breath, the gift of life.
Every year my father would go into the deep woods of Maine to hunt for deer. He had five young boys, so why would he be drawn to the quiet and peaceful woods? So I asked him. “Dad, why do you go hunting every year?” He said, “When I hunt I get up at three in the morning and climb up to the top of the mountain. I go there because that is where the deer go to get away from the hunters. If I am very lucky, I get a deer. Then I drag it down the mountain. When I get back to camp I have to dress it and prepare the meat. At the end of the day, I am exhausted. I remember how tired I am and so I appreciate the gift of food. And that is why I hunt. Every time I go to the grocery store to pick up some food, I remember that some living thing made the ultimate sacrifice so that I could live another day. I appreciate life.
When we go to church it is like going to the grocery store. We never have to see the nails that were put in Jesus’ hands and feet, never have to hear the pounding of the hammer, see the Lord’s scourged back, or His cry before he gave up his spirit. When Jesus went into the Upper Room he showed them his hands and side so that we would never forget that someone made the ultimate sacrifice. Because of the gift of the breath, we live another day for the rest of eternity.
I went to the hospital to visit a thirteen-year-old young man who is in my confirmation class. The reason I went to see him was because he just received word that he had cancer and was fighting for his life. When I saw him I asked if there was there anything I could do for him. He said he wants to receive Confirmation. I told him that I would make the arrangements He said, “So when do I take the final exam.” I said, “I think I can exempt you from the exam.” He insisted that he take the exam like everyone else. I said OK, we can do next time I visit. The next week I returned to the hospital. I could see that the treatment took a toll on him so I was eager to forgo the exam that he insisted on taking. The first thing he said to me was that he was ready. I said, “I will ask you one question. Who is the Holy Spirit?” He looked down in deep thought. After a moment he raised his head and said, “The Holy Spirit is life.” I said, “That is correct. The Holy Spirit is life. ”
While I was on my way home from the hospital I started to wonder about his answer because I never told him that the Holy Spirit is life. I told him that the Holy Spirit was the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity? So where did he get his profound answer? Here is a kid who is fighting for his life and that there is a good chance that he will never graduate from high school. There is a really good chance he will never learn to drive a car, enjoy spending his first paycheck, or hold his grandchild in his arms. This young man’s whole world hinged on one word: Life. And that is the word that he used to describe his God, who he wanted to receive in confirmation.
I have good news to report. Dave was confirmed, graduated from high school and drives a car. We send each other Christmas cards every year.
We celebrate Pentecost so we will never forget that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us to live with the gift of his Spirit. Enjoy.
There are two things you cannot do when you are underwater. You can’t breathe, and you can’t cry for help. That is why the ancients feared to be under the water. To them, it was a tomb. When John the Baptist pulls you out of the water at baptism, what is the first thing you do? Do you give John a big hug for pulling you out? No, the first thing you do is breathe. You fill your lungs with air. This activity in the ancient word was known as “spirit.” So, what is the first thing Jesus did when God pulled him out of the tomb and his body filled with life again? He took in the air into his lungs; he breathed. It makes sense why Jesus went to his disciples on the same day and breathed on them and said receive the Holy Spirit. They got the resurrected breath, the gift of life.
Every year my father would go into the deep woods of Maine to hunt for deer. He had five young boys, so why would he be drawn to the quiet and peaceful woods? So I asked him. “Dad, why do you go hunting every year?” He said, “When I hunt I get up at three in the morning and climb up to the top of the mountain. I go there because that is where the deer go to get away from the hunters. If I am very lucky, I get a deer. Then I drag it down the mountain. When I get back to camp I have to dress it and prepare the meat. At the end of the day, I am exhausted. I remember how tired I am and so I appreciate the gift of food. And that is why I hunt. Every time I go to the grocery store to pick up some food, I remember that some living thing made the ultimate sacrifice so that I could live another day. I appreciate life.
When we go to church it is like going to the grocery store. We never have to see the nails that were put in Jesus’ hands and feet, never have to hear the pounding of the hammer, see the Lord’s scourged back, or His cry before he gave up his spirit. When Jesus went into the Upper Room he showed them his hands and side so that we would never forget that someone made the ultimate sacrifice. Because of the gift of the breath, we live another day for the rest of eternity.
I went to the hospital to visit a thirteen-year-old young man who is in my confirmation class. The reason I went to see him was because he just received word that he had cancer and was fighting for his life. When I saw him I asked if there was there anything I could do for him. He said he wants to receive Confirmation. I told him that I would make the arrangements He said, “So when do I take the final exam.” I said, “I think I can exempt you from the exam.” He insisted that he take the exam like everyone else. I said OK, we can do next time I visit. The next week I returned to the hospital. I could see that the treatment took a toll on him so I was eager to forgo the exam that he insisted on taking. The first thing he said to me was that he was ready. I said, “I will ask you one question. Who is the Holy Spirit?” He looked down in deep thought. After a moment he raised his head and said, “the Holy Spirit is life.” I said, “That is correct. The Holy Spirit is life. While I was on my way home from the hospital I started to wonder about his answer because I never told him that the Holy Spirit is life. I told him that the Holy Spirit was the third person in the trinity? So where did he get his profound answer? Here is a kid who is fighting for his life and that there is a good chance that you will never graduate from high school. There is a really good chance you will never learn to drive a car. enjoy spending his first paycheck, or hold his grandchild in his arms. This young man’s whole world hinged on one word: life. And that is the word that he used to describe his God, who he wanted to receive in confirmation.
I have good news to report. Dave was confirmed, graduated from high school and drives a car. We send each other Christmas cards every year.
We celebrate Pentecost so we will never forget that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us to live with the gift of his Spirit. Enjoy.
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