Embodying the Spirit: Earl Raue
The following homily was shared at our Sunday Evening Eucharist Service Pentecost Sunday (5/19/24).
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven of them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” Well, if that isn’t both scary and amazing. The power that the disciples received is something that affects well beyond what we can see with our eyes. The three passages talked about here, the ones from John, Acts and Psalms all speak of the incredible power of the Holy Spirit. For the apostles, they received multiple abilities, such as forgiving and condemning the sins of others and speaking in languages previously unknown to them. Psalms talks about the ability of the Spirit in further detail as the psalmist says that God can take the breath away from people and they would return to the dust they came from, or on the contrary, gift them His Spirit and renew their life and the ground around them.
Now, there is so much that can be said about the Spirit of God, some of which is about its presence, others about its abilities, and still more about the incredible power that we can witness from it. The Spirit invades spaces and occupies hearts everywhere, whether we know it or feel it or ignore it. I can promise that it is there and that God’s Spirit is here at The Wesley because I have seen it work through the people here. Just like with the apostles way back, and even farther back with the astounding testimony of the psalmist, we can see the Holy Spirit working through people today. Sure, it may not be bringing people back from the dust or causing us to speak in native tongues that are not our own, but we can see it in things like giving and showing life to each other with our presence. We embody the Spirit as we invite others into this holy space to encounter God alongside us. One thing in particular that is such a gift of the Spirit that brings us all life is how we pray Psalm 51 over each other and forgive the sins of everyone around us, including ourselves. Even more than this is the blessing of taking Communion, eating the bread and wine, the Body and the Blood. Jesus broke himself for us and gives himself so freely to us for our own good, for our salvation, and for our sanctification, and this blessing is done through the Holy Spirit.
So, for everyone gathered here, I ask that you take into consideration the passages read to everyone today and experience for yourself the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. When we give the peace to each other later, just know that you are using the gift of the Holy Spirit to bless those around you. When we pass the gifts of the Body and the Blood around, that is a blessing given to us through the Holy Spirit, as well. If nothing else, I hope that everyone can see just how pervasive the Holy Spirit is in our everyday lives- in the way we act, the way we perceive the world, and the way that things work out for us. Know that God holds it all in His hands. Be blessed, all of you, and don’t forget the gifts of the Holy Spirit that you have been given and can now freely give to others. Amen.
Earl is a devoted disciple of Christ and a good friend here at LA Tech Wesley. He is always available for an adventure or a good joke. A junior this school year majoring in English, as well as a member of our Discipleship Team, we look forward to having Earl’s kind and gentle spirit around for years to come.