Born of the Spirit
LENT 2 – 2017 – Year A Family Service
We’ve just heard that conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. There was talk of the Spirit. I thought of the prayer that Archbishop Jackson is going to say over each of our Confirmation candidates at the end of April. Confirm, O Lord, your servant…
Talking to our Confirmation candidates – rest of you can listen in. What is the Archbishop, what are the rest of us asking for in that prayer of Confirmation? Gospel talks of being born again, born from above – Lots of adults have problems getting their heads around that one.
Let’s go back to the very start. The day you were born is special, we celebrate it. For your Mum, that was a day in a lifetime – that was the day she gave birth to you. Not just special to Mum – you are special to God.
Been thinking a lot about that in our Confirmation classes. God making the world, God making us, making us in his image. Not as if God made us and then gets bored with us. God wants a relationship with us. Can only have a relationship with someone you know. We thought of ways in which God shows himself – in creation, in other people.
We thought about Jesus, what he means to us. We used the expression ‘Jesus – God’s way of showing us what God is like’. We thought about Jesus as teacher, as friend, as healer. We thought about the cross – what does it mean to say Jesus dies for us – what does it mean to say the cross breaks the power of sin – remember the exercise we did – we wrote some regret on a piece of paper – no-one else saw it – and we burned it.
In his time with the disciples, Jesus spoke of sending the Holy Spirit, a comforter, a guide.
Holy Spirit – God’s way of being with us. Going back to our Gospel – Jesus and Nicodemus. Jesus talks of wind – where does it come from, where is it going. Anyone who sails or windsurfs knows the importance of that. When I have been out on a boat, I am always struck by the way a sailor keeps a constant eye on the wind. Misjudge the strength or direction of the wind, lose speed, capsize, or other horrible things.
What Jesus is saying is that we need to be prepared to watch out for the Spirit, to listen, and just be still. That will lead us into prayer – that is the next stage of our journey towards confirmation.