Highland Presbyterian Church

I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But hte Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.  -John 14:25

Yesterday I went to swim. I love to swim, I love being in the water, I love the up and back rhythm of swimming laps. I find it very relaxing and peaceful, which I don't find in other forms of exercise. The trick to swimming is that instead of fighting against the water, you have to let it do the work. If take it easy and let go of your fears about sinking, you'll find that it's easy to float because the tension of the surface of the water holds you up. In fact, it's a lot harder to make yourself sink than it is to float on top of the water.

Sometimes our church life is like swimming. Too often we fight against the movement of the Spirit, when it is the Spirit we should be relying on to hold us up. The Holy Spirit came to humanity, at Christ's request, to be our Advocate, our Helper and our Comforter, and so we can trust the movement of the Spirit in our hearts and minds to lead us in the direction God intends for us to go. Rather than struggling to figure out ourselves what God is asking of us, we can let the Holy Spirit take us where we need to go. If we let the Spirit do the work we will find that we are supported and comforted in remarkable ways.

So how do we know it's the Spirit moving in us and not just our own desires? For me it's the small, still voice that makes me restless, or that Knowing that something is right or wrong. It is the "aha!" moment when everything comes clear.  It is the creative flash that goes beyond my own abilities. It is the feeling of floating, of being supported and helped by something larger than myself. It is the Spirit of God living in me, as it also lives in you.