What Presbyterians Believe About
The Holy Spirit
"God the Holy Spirit fulfills the work of reconciliation in us. The Holy Spirit creates and renews the church
as the community in which we are reconciled to God and to one another. The Spirit enables us to receive forgiveness
as we forgive one another and to enjoy the peace of God as we make peace among ourselves. In spite of our sin, the Spirit
gives us power to become representatives of Jesus Christ and his gospel of reconciliation..." (from the Presbyterian
Confession of 1967)
"God the Holy Spirit fulfills the work of reconciliation
in us. The Holy Spirit creates and renews the church as the community in which we are reconciled to God and to one another.
The Spirit enables us to receive forgiveness as we forgive one another and to enjoy the peace of God as we make peace among
ourselves. In spite of our sin, the Spirit gives us power to become representatives of Jesus Christ and his gospel of
reconciliation..." (from the Presbyterian Confession of 1967)
"God the Holy Spirit fulfills the work
of reconciliation in us. The Holy Spirit creates and renews the church as the community in which we are reconciled to
God and to one another. The Spirit enables us to receive forgiveness as we forgive one another and to enjoy the peace
of God as we make peace among ourselves. In spite of our sin, the Spirit gives us power to become representatives of
Jesus Christ and his gospel of reconciliation..." (from the Presbyterian Confession of 1967)
The
early church believed that the Holy Spirit was given to the community of believers for the building up of the work of Christ.
Individuals received the power of the Holy Spirit, but it was always ratified by the community and did not operate for individual
gain or glory. Even the Apostle Paul, who had an encounter with the risen Christ, received the power of the Spirit when
he was being cared for by a community of believers.
The Holy Spirit makes new understanding possible. When
"tongues as of fire" were distributed over the disciples on Pentecost, they were given the ability to be heard and
understood by everyone around them, in every language and in every condition of life. Differences were resolved and
the community of faith shared everything in common, devoting themselves to the work of Christ without worrying about rank
or credentials. We are told that miraculous healings and casting out of demons took place.
So it's fair
to ask, in the 21st century, if the Holy Spirit is still at work. At least in the Presbyterian church, we
don't have the ecstatic gifts showing up in worship, with people speaking in tongues or being slain in the Spirit.
Miraculous healings occur out of the sight of the believing community, and demons seem better suited to popular movies than
confrontation by people of faith.
But I believe the answer is yes-the Holy Spirit is still at work. Our
community in the South Bergen Larger Parish is "tuned" to hear and see its work, not in ecstatic gifts, but in the
fellowship what we share, and in the lives that are touched by our ministries, and in the power of prayer. Every time
we take a bag of food to the food pantry, every time we offer a community meal to someone who is hungry, in body or in Spirit,
ever time we find a new opportunity and people light up with the possibilities for glorifying God, the Spirit is at work.
