One of the shortest and simplest prayers in all history. Yet a prayer with power and breath and depth beyond measure. For in praying Come Holy Spirit, We invite you, God, to come to us.
We know you’re already here. Already with us. But we forget, sometimes. Sometimes we go about our lives, our discipleship, our worship, Forgetting, that Spirit, you’re with us.
So we pray, Come Holy Spirit.
We open ourselves to your already present presence. Come Holy Spirit.
Come and encourage us. Come and inspire us. Come and heal us. Come and strengthen us. Come and empower us. Come and hold us.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Originally written for an ecumenical Pentecost service in Effingham and Little Bookham, Surrey, 19th May 2024.
The prayer ‘Come Holy Spirit’ was inspired by the work of Rabanus Maurus, a 9th Century Frankish Monk, who wrote a song ‘Veni Creator Spiritus’, (Come, Creator Spirit). in the 13th Century it developed into a familair prayer across the Western Church, ‘Veni Sancte Spiritus’ (Come Holy Spirit).
If you’re looking for a book which helps you to encounter more of God – then this could just be what you’re looking for.
God Soaked Life, by Chris Webb, begins with an imaginative parable which paints a scene of life with God as living in a ‘unifying presence of the community of love’, setting the scene for the rest of the book.
Through the journey of the book, Webb highlights the invitational nature of scripture, where he suggests God is inviting us to live and love in community. We are all a work in progress, none of us are ever perfect, but regardless, we are valued in God’s Kingdom community. God’s love overflows for us, and God invites us to overflow in love for others – simple because we love as God loves.
Webb encourages us to embrace the vulnerability of honestly, in prayer, in community, in relationship with God, and accept God’s invitation to live a life soaked in God, day, by day, day. And as we do, we discover just how deeply God is already in all things.
I found reading God Soaked Life by Chris Webb an easy, yet riveting and enlightening read, that reframed and deepened my own understanding of what it means to live in relationship with God. Living a life of God Soaked Love, God Soaked community, God Soaked Life.
God Soaked Life: Discovering a Kingdom Spirituality, by Chris Webb is published by Hodder Faith.
ISBN: 9781473665286
The below service from leatherhead Methodist Church includes me preaching with reference to this book, in particular the opening imaginative parable.
“At the heart of the Methodist community is a deep sense of the place of welcome, hospitality and openness which demonstrates the nature of God’s grace and love for all.
Our church communities are called to be places where the transformational love of God is embodied and life in all its fullness is a gift which is offered to all people.
There are no distinctions based on race, gender, disability, age, wealth or sexuality, or any discrimination associated with this gift.”
After some weeks of incredible football and an intense match last Sunday evening, where England played their hearts out against the team that were always tipped to win, to end up at a penalty shootout and come second in the tournament seemed to me to a pretty good result. Not only that, but even more importantly, the way the whole team have sought to live with integrity, solidarity and ownership of their decisions is an example we need to see more of.
So it has been devastating to witness yet again the systemic racism that is present, and seemingly becoming more prevalent in society. To ‘blame’ England’s loss on a trio of gifted footballs because they are black is abhorrent and should have no place in our society, I hope you would agree.
But how will we respond? How do you stand against racism in your living and daily activity in your community?
This morning I feel convicted to recognise that to do nothing, to ignore or let it pass by in the hope things will change, or that someone else might do something about it, is the collude with the racists themselves. To do nothing is to deny the truth that all people are made in the image of God.
Rooted in Christ, we can have confidence that despite worldly opinions, the invitation to God’s table is for all. So let us stand up, speak up and live with confidence in justice, dignity and solidary for all God’s people.
As I walk in the dim light of a November afternoon, the week’s struggles turning in the mind, Jesus be light to me.
As the fading wind of the mornings storm blows against my face, the burdens of ministry feeling weighty, Jesus be hope to me.
As autumns patchwork of browns, yellows and reds tuck themselves into crevasses and corners, in uncertainty of what the next week will bring, Jesus be with me.
Jesus be light to me. Jesus be hope to me. Jesus be with me.
This month the Methodist communities I serve in Bognor Regis, Felpham and Westergate are going to be studying the letter to the Colossians, and my Sunday reflection videos are going to take a sneaky peak too.
This week we’re looking at Colossians 1:1-23, which forms something of the trailer for what’s to come in the rest of the letter. It sets the scene for us.
The Colossian Christian community have been coming under pressure. Colossae had been a busy riverside city, a centre of trade – but other cities had overtaken them and Colossae had become a bit of a has been place.
As a result, there was a lack of hope, there was uncertainty in the community. And pressure was building from many corners of their society. All vying for attention, cults presenting themselves as truth and hope and salvation.
Paul, who writes this letter from prison, and has never met the Colossian Christians face to face. He’s heard of their faith, and he writes to them. Much like me speaking to a camera right now, hoping that you who are watching will be encouraged in your faith, Paul wanted to encourage them.
And so he writes:
In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
Colossians 1:1-23
Paul writes to encourage and affirm the Colossian Christians in the faith they have…
‘you’re doing good’
Keep at it…
Despite the pressures around you, keep at it.
Keep focused on Jesus.
There’s much more Paul wants to say about Jesus – and why keeping focused on Jesus gives hope – and we’ll come back to that more next week.
But this week – I want to encourage you.
Life is full of pressure and uncertainty right now.
And here in the UK we’re in a patchwork of restrictions across the country, there’s very live debate about whether the restrictions are going to far, or not far enough, what the scientific evidence is…
There’s so much vying for out attention.
Some much competition for truth.
Just as Paul encourages the Colossian Christian community to keep on keeping on, despite the pressure around them, my encouragement to you is to keep on keeping on.
If you a Christian – keep at your relationship with Jesus.
Paul goes on to celebrate the truth that the Colossian community’s faith is bearing fruit and growing among them (1:6).
Church – keep growing, keep praising, keep praying, keep encouraging one another in faith.
Keep asking questions and looking to God for answers.
If you’re not a Christian, then I want say to you – that despite all the noise around us, and around you, presenting itself as truth and hope – there is one true source of hope that will be faithful to you, and never leave you – Jesus.
Jesus is hope, and truth, and light.
Jesus has, and continues to make such a difference to my life.
Jesus is the one certainty, the one truth, we can hold onto.
We’ll look at more on how Paul presents the hope Jesus gives next week.
Rev Dan Balsdon's Blog 