September 22, 2006

Here is part of an email I recently wrote to Chris (our minister) in regards to his sermon series on the Holy Spirit. I thought it might be interesting to get my friends in on this discussion to see what others have to say...

I have several of your lessons on the Holy Spirit downloaded to my MP3 player and listened to one that I missed on the train on the way to work this morning. Here’s what I’m struggling with. In your lesson, God in 3d, you spoke extensively about the trinity and attempted to explain the idea of 3 in one. The reason I say “attempted” is not because you didn’t do a great job. You did. But in my past experience with people explaining this, I have had so much difficulty wrapping my mind around it, that I have neglected thinking about it all together. I have just turned it off as one of those things I’ll never understand but just accept. I have heard the concept of the apple, how it’s got the skin, the meat and the seeds but it’s still an apple. But I don’t relate to an apple. I don’t relate to pie (crust, filling and sugar) very well either, or water (ice, steam, water). I just eat it (or drink it). You did a better job describing how you are a father, son and husband. But my question is about prayer. How do I relate in prayer to this one yet 3 being? It’s easy to be told I’ve done wrong by grieving the Holy Spirit with my anger, and that I’ve put out the Spirit’s fire by ignoring Godly wisdom and prophecy. I can work to fix that problem. But how do I pray?

The Bible says we are to pray to the Father (Matthew 6:9) in the name of the Son (John 14:14) and in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). How do we do these all at once while relating to Him as he is, and without compartmentalizing and boxing him up to fit some formula? How do I know if I am praying in the Spirit? I know how to recognize the Spirit working in my life by His fruit, but I’m not sure how that pans out to prayer. How do I address the Spirit when talking to the Father? Am I even supposed to address Him? And if not, how do I have a relationship with someone I won’t even address. I’m feeling very jumbled in my prayer life, not just because you have brought up this discussion on the Holy Spirit, but because I’ve always had these questions and they have been brought to the surface more recently in this series. I want to have a fuller, deeper relationship with the Spirit of God, but I’m still not sure how to go about doing that. I have always been one to follow the rules and feel guilty if I don’t, but I want more than that. Can you help me see this more clearly?

Any Takers?