Romans 5: 1-5
Results of Justification
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

John 16: 12-15
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Advocate, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Wisdom, Spirit of God, Holy Spirit, wind, breath, fire – across our Bible and within our Christian traditions, we experience many aspects of the Spirit. From before the earth, as we know it, was formed and during the genesis, God’s Spirit is present. Wisdom is in God’s creation, comforting compassionately, informing righteousness, at the heart of justice, breathing peace into troubled spaces, interceding and advocating, and imparting ways to express ourselves when we alone cannot find a way. As Jesus’ earthly mission transforms, he breathes the Spirit into the lives of the disciples. The Spirit’s presence transforms a gathering of unlikely acquaintances through a Pentecost of renewal, connecting them through living faith, God’s love, and Kairos time. Trinitarian theology continues to be a complex ecumenical conversation. Faithful folk experience the Spirit’s presence, Jesus’ companionship, and God’s wonder in so many ways. How have you experienced God’s Spirit in your life, as an individual and in the community?

Prayer of Confession

Spirit of God, come to us today,
for we long to know your healing presence.
When we are uncertain, you are there.
When we are troubled, you are there.
When we are fatigued, you are there.
Come, Holy Spirit, come into our lives.
Warm us with your fiery presence,
as we worship today.

Prayer of Adoration and Thanksgiving

Your creation sings daily praises to you, God of all.
From the highest hills to the depths of the sea,
beauty reveals your delightful creativity,
new buds reveal your desire for timelessness,
storms reveal your strength and vitality,
mountains reveal your steadfastness,
and water reveals your never-ending energy.
We are in constant wonder at the world around us
in which you reveal so much of yourself.
Gracious God, we feel, and see, your Spirit flow
in and through, around and across all the pathways we travel.
May we always take time to honour the works of your hand,
and cherish it with worthy care.

Words of Assurance
God’s love is present in our living,
revealed when we become still,
and heard when we listen in prayerful meditation.
Wisdom touches us with kindness
and gently redirects our thinking.
Jesus’ Way of being is at the heart of our faithful living.
So, let God’s righteousness that is planted in our souls
be our friend and guide.
Spirit of Wisdom,
Settle into our minds and guide us each day. 

© Rev Anne Hewitt 08/06/2022
This reflection & prayer may be shared as long as the original writer is credited.