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I don't often think of the Spirit offering "opportunities." Sometimes my thinking about the work of the Spirit tends to err along the lines of creating inescapable situations in which one finds oneself almost trapped, like Old Testament Joseph being thrown in the pit by his brothers prior to being sold into slavery. It has occured to me that it is the nature of the Spirit to say "yes" instead of "no". To say "let there be" instead of "anhilliate". In my distant past, my thinking of the Spirit was of one who said "no", "no", "no" and keep away, beware....God was authoritative and punitive, a taliban type persona. During this season of Lent I am reflecting that everything Jesus did was heading to and said yes to the cross instead of "No". In saying yes and and accepting the "No" of the Father, in that there was no other way to accomplish what needed to be done, Christ opened the opportunity of the Spirit to move among us in power. Jesus opened opportunitites for us to have a larger, fuller life by his work on the cross. We too have work on the cross, by denying ourselves daily and offering up opportunities in love to each other. With out realizing it my pastor recently turned a phrase about living in christian community that describes the work of the Spirit in such a way as to be very liberating. I am going to remember this and want to share his wise words with you.
"While we can not force people to want to be together we can offer opportunities for people to come together and learn to respect and love each other. "
When was the last time you were part of an offering of an opportunity for people to come together? If it has been a while, is it time now to reach out?
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