Can’t embrace the wind!
Even if we think we would like to…
It can’t be contained!
Yesterday I delivered some paperwork to a friend
who is doing Bible Study with me once a week.
It was a quiet Saturday morning –
no wind (unusual for our windy valley).
My friend wasn’t home, so I left the papers
on her doorstep and texted her.
When she returned home,
the paperwork was long gone.
The wind had come up and blew
the packet to heaven only knows where!
Today’s sermon at the ZOOM meeting of
Madison Valley Presbyterian Church
here in Ennis, Montana
was titled, “The Wind Blows Where it Will.”
Inspired by the scripture:
John 3:1-17
(the story of Jesus & Nicodemus & the Holy Spirit)
here are my sermon notes
taken as I listened to
Rev. Steve Hundley
this morning:
The Wind Blows Where it Will
In the conversation between
Nicodemus and Jesus, two worlds collide.
One is worldly and the other is
Focused on where the Holy Spirit abides.
We often try to shrink our God
Into something we can understand.
But, we can’t fit God’s image
Into something in this earthly land.
The dilemma we face is that
We can’t think of God beyond
Our own human capacity.
That’s why it’s hard to respond.
John paints a picture of Nicodemus
As a man of great knowledge.
“Rabbi, we know…” he says,
Addressing Jesus with a nudge.
Nicodemus thinks he has God
Sized up and understood.
He’s sure he knows how He fits
Into this world… Oh, that we could!
Nicodemus tries to rope Jesus
Into the narrow realm of “We know…”
But every attempt fails.
Jesus is a mystery – a wind that’ll blow.
It blows beyond our knowing.
The Spirit blows beyond our capacity
To understand with our finite minds.
Does that surprise you and me?
We all have questions about the hereafter.
No one can refute the image we hold,
For our God’s life-giving grace
Is bigger than can ever be told.
The wind of the Spirit blows
Into darkness and brings light.
But we cannot see clearly
What God makes possible in His sight.
This scripture asks Nicodemus
To let the Spirit carry him to
A place beyond his imagination.
It asks the same expansion of you!
Ah, such assumptions!
John 3: 1-17
3:1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[d]
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[g]
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Can’t embrace the wind!
Even if we think we would like to…
It can’t be contained!
Let’s try to embrace
The beauty of God’s Spirit
As it blows in us!
His Spirit is Love personified.
His book is “Love Does.”
Do you know it?
And how about this oldie but goodie?
Blowin’ in the Wind…
Questions Nicodemus might have asked Jesus:
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
And with Easter upon us,
the answer was hangin’ on a cross.
Praise God, He is risen indeed!
The wind of the Spirit blows
Into darkness and brings light.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
May the Wind of the Spirit
Blow Light into your darkness today.
See ya tomorrow.
Comments on: "Embrace the Wind" (5)
I’m so glad that we’re unable to put God into words.
Have you seen this, Jan?
“The Word” by Isaac Wimberley
If there are words for Him then I don’t have them.
You see, my brain has not yet reached the point where it could form a thought that could adequately describe the greatness of my God,
and my lungs have not yet developed the ability to release a breath with enough agility to breathe out the greatness of his love,
and my voice, you see, my voice, is so inhibited, restrained by human limits that it’s hard to even sing the praise of… You see,
if there are words for Him then I don’t have them.
My God, his grace is remarkable,
mercies are enumerable,
strength is impenetrable.
He is honorable, accountable, favorable.
He is unsearchable yet knowable,
indefinable yet approachable,
indescribable yet personal.
He is beyond comprehension,
further than imagination,
constant thru generations,
king of every nation.
But if there are words for Him then I don’t have them.
You see, my words are few,
and to try to capture the one true God, using my vocabulary will never do,
but I use words as an expression,
an expression of worship to a savior,
a savior who is both worthy and deserving of my praise, so I use words.
My heart extols the Lord, blesses his name forever.
He has won, my heart captured my mind and has bound them both together.
He has defeated me in my rebellion, conquered me in my sin.
He has welcomed me into his presence, completely invited me in.
He has made himself the object of my sight,
flooding me with mercies in the morning,
drowning me with grace in the night.
But if there are words for Him then I don’t have them.
But what I do have is good news,
for my God knew that man-made words would never do.
For words are just tools that we use to point to the truth.
So he sent his son Jesus Christ as “The Word”, living proof.
He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation.
For by him all things are created,
giving nothingness formation,
and by his words he sustains, in the power of his name, for He is before all things and over all things he reigns, holy is his name, so praise him for his life…
The way, he persevered in strife, the humble son of God becoming the perfect sacrifice.
Praise him for his death…
that He willingly stood in our place,
that he lovingly endured the grave,
that he battled our enemy and on the third day rose in victory.
He is everything that was promised,
praise him as your risen king,
lift your voice and sing,
for one day he will return for us and we will finally be united with our savior for eternity, eternity.
So it’s not just words that I proclaim,
for my words point to “The Word” and “The Word” has a name,
hope has a name,
joy has a name,
peace has a name,
love has a name and that name is Jesus Christ.
Praise his name forever
I had not seen that before, {{{Lesley}}} – thank you for sharing it. These lines especially resonated with me: “He has made himself the object of my sight, flooding me with mercies in the morning, drowning me with grace in the night.” Blessed we are, indeed! I love that song” “Hope Has a Name… Jesus!” <3
Our Head Gardener does have difficulty in seeing the wind as benign 🙂 – although your metaphor is sound.
That wind that carried off my paperwork was anything but “gentle and kindly!” I’m with Jackie! <3
Jan, thanks for sharing your poetic verses. May we continue to embrace all of our Creator’s world, including the wind. He’s just nudging us to hang on to His Word. Blessings and best wishes for your coming week.