From Ordinary to Extraordinary

The fire has come! The Spirit has been given! What happens next? What did the Spirit’s indwelling them mean to those early Christians? What does it mean for us today?

It all began long ago, long before the earth was even created. The Spirit was breathing on the waters. The Spirit was part of the Godhead as the decision was made: “Let us make man in our image”. The Spirit was the breath, as they breathed on the man they had made--Spirit to spirit-- and so life began.

All through the centuries, as the people they had created wavered between commitment and rebellion, passion and antipathy, the Spirit was present. Then came the moment when the Son intervened and came to live among the people. And again they waxed hot and cold, and eventually the cold, the hatred appeared to win, and the Son was killed.

No panic in the heavenlies. No moving to “Plan B”. Plan A had always been in their heart: “Surely if we move in with them and become one with them, they will understand our love.” The plan continued to unfold as the Son was resurrected to bring life and forgiveness to all mankind. Then the Spirit had his time in the spotlight. He came in that roaring mighty wind with fire and tongues aflame! Remember there were 120 of them, not just the apostles, who were filled and given new languages to speak. And the Spirit continues to come to us today and fill us with power…for what?

“It's better if I go away,” declared Jesus, and “Greater things than these will you do.”

Better?

Greater?

So, are we raising dead? Healing the sick? Casting out demons? Well, some of us may be. But most of us are not. Yet, the Spirit is in each of us, has given each of us a gift out of his generosity. I wonder if God is just inviting us to be aware of who he made us to be; to walk through our very ordinary days as extraordinary people.

I wonder, did Jesus mean greater as being bigger things than he did or is it merely that instead of one Jesus walking in Galilee and Judea, there would be millions of us spread throughout the world, each doing our own thing as the Spirit gives us a gift and we walk it out? I wonder if sometimes we think of gifts as merely being the specific ministries for the church, and that they were just given to be used in an hour or two on Sunday when the church gathers? And yes they were!  But I wonder if you can use your gift of the Spirit’s presence with you 24/7… wherever you are, whoever you are with-- as you walk your dog through the neighborhood, as you are at school or work, awakening to the reality of the Spirit’s life within you.

The Church Calendar has divided the year into two parts: “Advent->-Pentecost” and “Ordinary Time.” It occurred to me that the “ordinary time” begins after Pentecost, after the Spirit has come…and that the ordinary is made extraordinary by the Spirit’s presence in each one of us! What does that look like in your life? I wonder if we consider how Jesus walked through his days—at times ministering to the crowds, but so often noticing and meeting the need of an individual. Can we too walk like that? Open to the Spirit’s nudge?

There's a miracle in a smile! There’s a miracle in a word of appreciation to whoever is serving you! There’s a miracle in responding kindly to your spouse-- really listening and affirming! Miracles can be big and small, by our judgment. But who knows how God sees them. We are to be salt, to be light, to be peacemakers, to be those who comfort, who have mercy, who touch the untouchable, who see needs wherever they are. We are to take our ordinary lives and allow the Spirit to show us how to make the ordinary things we face daily extraordinary by his presence in us.

As I was writing this blog, my grandson came to chat, sharing about his latest medical issue, on top of months of difficulties. I prayed for him, feeling overwhelmed by his unmet needs. I had to leave to visit a friend I am mentoring. As I drove, tears were welling up in my anxiety about my boy. “I can’t go to minister crying,” I told the Lord. “Please do something to remind me of your presence with me.” A few minutes later, a car pulled out of a side road, right in front of me. My automatic response to such things, honed over years of Spirit training, is to say a blessing to the driver! “I can see you’re in a hurry; may God be with you in whatever you need.” And I began to laugh—to think I can respond like that! Such a tiny thing in the light of all that is going on in my life. But a huge thing in the reminder to me that God’s presence with me has changed me from anger toward other drivers doing stupid things to blessing them!

Miracles come in so many different disguises. The challenge is to be open to them. To notice what is going on around us. To wonder in awe as I did last summer watching mother bird trying to push her baby out of the nest; the beauty of the sunset or the rainbow after the rain, the smile on a mother's face as she gazes at her baby... God's presence in our world!

Our goal here at Fermata this summer is to share stories of how ordinary lives have become extraordinary as we live with the awareness of the indwelling Spirit. “Extraordinary” may be something big and incredible. But often it is something small, when you recognize, “Oh, that is not me. I wouldn’t usually respond in that way. Thank you, LORD!”  Our invitation to you is to enjoy each story and as you read to allow your imagination to wander as you wonder “How could this become my experience?”

And then go and do likewise and be a loving presence in your world, with all the glory going to God!