Renew us with your life giving spirit
A Thought
John 7:37-52 : Verse 39 indicates that the Holy Spirit has been given to us to quench our thirst. Can you identify with what it feels like to be thirsty? Remember, thirsting is a lack of water and water is the most basic need of the human body along with air to breathe.
Think about that time after you had to run a long way or the heat was unbearable, the stronger your thirst became, the more determined, the more desirous and the more fixated you became to find some cool liquid to refresh you and quench that thirst.
In the Gospel lesson Jesus states that if we are thirsty, we should come to Him and drink. He was not talking about being thirsty for water, but about wanting the things of God.
That wanting should not be a passive idea but an active engagement of our spirits, that we become as determined to experience God as we do for that cool water when our body temp rises or our throats are parched. What is your spiritual tem like these days? Is your soul well and healthy or is it dry and parched? How does one know? When the we allow our very essence to find its value in things that are transient, the soul will be parched. Like parched soil it will have some verdant spots but by and large it will be dry, hard and with little life. But to be quenched by the Lord, is to be renewed and revived and have purposes. Which is closer to your dally life?
A Prayer
Father, we pray in this holy season of Lent that you renew us with your life giving spirit. Let your Spirit soak into my heart and mind completely refreshing my soul. Refresh me with new understanding of your grace and mercy, refreshing my soul so that each day I long for you as the deer longs for flowing streams. AMEN
Music
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling : Wells Cathedral Choir
The choir of Wells Cathedral sing Charles Wesley’s wonderful hymn Love divine, all loves excelling to the beautiful tune Blaenwern under the direction of Malcolm Archer. The descant at the end is superb.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAJbMcQRfy0
Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.