Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit you have bestowed upon these your servants the forgiveness of sin, and have raised them to the new life of grace. Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works. Amen. (BCP Holy Baptism pg. 308)
This Sunday, May 24th, is the Day of Pentecost, the Church’s celebration of the dramatic descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles as a rushing wind and tongues of fire. The dramatic coming of the Holy Spirit–“the Advocate” is the fulfillment of the gifts promised by Jesus that he would abide with them always, strengthen them, guide them and empower them to do HIS works and to be witnesses to HIS Gospel message of hope, salvation, and life in the Kingdom of God. The Day of Pentecost, therefore, is also the celebration of the birth of the Church–the body of Christ alive and active on earth and in heaven.
We often associate the Day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit with the speaking in tongues. This is, after all, one of the dramatic details of the story of the Day of Pentecost recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. The Spirit empowered the Apostles–and, therefore, the Church, with the ability to make the Gospel message of Jesus and his love heard and understood by a crowd of people from many different cultures and languages. The Spirit’s presence reveals that the Word of God has no “official” language, but hears and understands the language of every human heart. Many congregations will celebrate the Day of Pentecost by hearing scripture read in many different languages.
But the gifts of the Holy Spirit are much more than the universal language of God. In fact, the Church has long identified seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Recorded in the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1-3, these seven gifts are associated with the Messianic mission described in Isaiah and other prophets. They are, therefore, the gifts of Jesus the Christ–the Messiah, given by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to the Church–His body in this world, to abide with us and empower us to be witness and servants of His Gospel: His way of salvation, justice, reconciliation and love. In our liturgy of Holy Baptism we pray these seven gifts will be received by and sustain every newly baptized member of Christ’s body the Church. We sing in joyful hope and praise of these 7 gifts in nearly every hymn for the Holy Spirit in our hymnal (1982). We seek to be strengthened by these gifts as we grow into the full stature of Christ.
Can you name all seven of these gifts? How might you celebrate them, unwrap them in your heart, and give them in witness and service of the Gospel?
- Wisdom: The ability to see things from God’s perspective and make choices that align with divine truth.
- Understanding: The grace to grasp the deeper meaning of faith and the mysteries of God’s love.
- Counsel: The capacity to make good, morally sound decisions and to offer prudent advice to others.
- Fortitude: The courage and endurance to stand up for the faith and persevere through life’s trials
- Knowledge: The awareness and understanding of God’s revelation and how to apply it to our lives.
- Piety: A deep reverence for God and a heart motivated by love and devotion rather than duty.
- Fear of the Lord: A sense of awe, wonder, and respect for God’s majesty (the “gift of joy and wonder”).
(AI source: this list was generated by a Google Search, however, the source referenced by the search was “The Episcopal Diocese of AK, Bishop Mark Lattime”)
May the gifts of the Holy Spirit fall afresh on the whole Church that we might fulfill our call to witness and serve the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.” Amen (Prayer for the Church from the Ordination Services of the BCP)
