​When you were Baptized you got it, since then you’ve had it, it’s time to better understand it, so you can truly live it.
 
You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.           BCP. Pg. 308
 
What does it mean to be “sealed by the Holy Spirit”?
 
St. Paul writes in the Letter to the Ephesians, “…when you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” (1:13) In the Greek, “promised” (epaggelía) literally means “announces what is fitting.” Here, St. Paul is saying that the Holy Spirit, or the presence of the Holy Spirit, is the announcement of the seal which is the Holy Spirit’s presence. 
 
In adult Baptism this makes sense since the adult “heard…and believed” and asked for the Holy Spirit to come. In infant Baptism it is a bit more complicated in that, since the infant or child could not make such a proclamation, the parents act as a proxy, inviting the Holy Spirit to dwell with the child.
 
Now, my purpose here is not to elaborate on the question of infant Baptism, rather I am addressing the indwelling reality of the Holy Spirit. Suffice to say then, as the Holy Spirit honors the prayers of the parents, the Holy Spirit enters into a new relationship with the child and is the same epaggelía as with the adult.
 
Further along, in St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians he writes, Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a pledge, guaranteeing what is to come. (1:21-22) The word “pledge” in this passage is arrabón in the Greek and literally means, “an earnest-money payment given in advance as a security that the whole will be paid afterwards.” This partial payment or pledge is the presence of the Holy Spirit, assuring the complete communion and fellowship of God in eternity.
 
As this has taken place, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (infant or adult), the individual has access to the Holy Spirit in a blessed and unique Way through which choices can be made. Through the process of growth—the maturity of the years, we grow in knowledge and wisdom through which we make our choices. As people of faith, our choices are to be informed first by our devotion to Christ and this is aided by the indwelling Spirit. This message of Christ first is written throughout the New Testament and is ubiquitous with life. We are sealed, (sphragizo) and in this seal we are marked and Christ’s own, literally we belong to him. This is why St. Paul admonishes us, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30). Our lives are to be lived as Christ’s own possession and our decisions are to be made in concert with the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
 
So great a gift is the Holy Spirit and so available is the companionship of God that we are extolled that “the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11) Every day, every moment we are blessed by God and empowered to give God glory as we witness the Good News of Christ Jesus!
 
By giving us the Holy Spirit, God seals or stamps us as his own and the Holy Spirit continues to testify, authenticating the reality of this relationship by making us more and more like Jesus. To be sealed with the Holy Spirit is the gracious gift of God, whereby he demonstrates the authenticity of the believer’s relationship with him and his authority, ownership, and commitment to his people.
 
To be “sealed by the Holy Spirit” is to live as a child of God and heir of the Kingdom. It is to be aware of God’s presence with us and to make that presence known.
 
Strengthen, O Lord your servants with your Holy Spirit; empower them for your service; and sustain them all the days of their life. Amen      Baptism BCP 309
 
May the Holy Spirit, who has begun a good work in you, direct and uphold you in the service of Christ and his kingdom. Amen                   Baptism BCP 310
 
 Sealed by the Holy Spirit,
 
Fr. Bill†

Come Holy Spirit Come!

As Jesus prepared to lay down His life for us, He promised His disciple, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever” (John 14:16). In this translation (NIV) the word  παράκλητον--paraklēton or paraclete in English, is translated advocate, but just as often is translated comforter or helper. The word paraclete comes from two Greek words, para meaning "alongside of" and clete meaning "come." So, the Holy Spirit comes alongside us to be with us through the course of our lives. The Paraclete is the Advocate, the Counselor, the Helper, not a spiritual force, but the divine person of God who does the work of the Father and the Son here on earth as He walks with us through life.

The person and work of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of Jesus’ divine promise (to send another) and the only Way to grow and deepen our relationship with God. At all times we must remember that the Paraclete is God and that the power of God is present in our lives. Through the Holy Spirit all things came into being, as we are told in Genesis 1 and declare each Sunday through the Nicene Creed. The Holy Spirit is the power which created you and me, as witnessed by Job when he said, “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life" (Job 33:4). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, everyone who believes in Jesus is reborn, and we are empowered to live in obedience to God as the Holy Spirit indwells us (John 3:5-8). And we are assured of our salvation by St. John, “Truly, . . . the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

Most importantly, Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit so that we might know Him. The Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us through the Bible, softening our hearts and opening our eyes to the Gospel Truth, so that we can love, obey, and live for Jesus. Indeed, the Holy Spirit authored all of Scripture for this purpose to inspire all people from different backgrounds, professions, locations, and periods so that we would grow in God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are all called to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus” (2 Peter 3:18) and to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). The Holy Spirit enables us to pursue godliness and to become more like Christ is the process by being conformed to the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ through obedience and trust in God. We are told that

• The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus and shows us our sin so that we may be forgiven and open ourselves more fully to God. (John 16:8, 13; Eph 1:17-18; Luke 24:32).
• That, through baptism, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit declared as God’s own possession and Christ’s own forever. (Eph 4:30; 2 Cor 1:21-22; Gal 4:6; BCP pg. 308).
• The Holy Spirit fills us, gives us life, strength, hope, and freedom (Rom 8:2, 6, 13; Rom 15:13; Eph 5:18; 2 Cor 3:17).
• That the Holy Spirit anoints us to be a royal priesthood, giving us joyful hearts (Eph 5:18-20; 1 John 2:20-21, 27).
• That the Holy Spirit manifests divine gifts in us (fruit) as we abide in Christ, giving us the will to obey (Gal 5:22-23; 2 Tim 1:7; Phil 2:13).
• That the Holy Spirit enables us to truly love, and be a blessing to others and to strengthen the church (1 Cor 12:8-10; Rom 12:6-10; Eph 4:4; Col 3:16).
• The Holy Spirit intercedes, or prays, for us using perfect wisdom in accordance with God's will (Rom 8:26-27; 1 Cor 2:12-14; Acts 6:9-10).
• The Holy Spirit is present in fellowships with us, guiding and refreshing us as we seek for Christ (2 Cor 13:14; Acts 8:29; John 7:37-39).

In every Way, the Holy Spirit exerts unparalleled power and love. With the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and brought the cosmos into being, the Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ with ever-increasing glory—if only we will cast off all our self-sufficiency and surrender ourselves body and soul to this divine person, the Paraclete, the Counselor, the Helper, the Holy Spirit.

Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.
Saint Augustine

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses,
I offer myself soul and body to Thee, Eternal Spirit of God.
I adore the brightness of Thy purity, the unerring keenness of Thy justice, and the might of Thy love.
Thou art the Strength and Light of my soul. In Thee I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve Thee by unfaithfulness to grace, and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against Thee.
Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Thy light and listen to Thy voice and follow Thy gracious inspirations. I cling to Thee and give myself to Thee and ask Thee by Thy compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore Thee Adorable Spirit, helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Thy grace that I may never sin against Thee. Give me grace O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son, to say to Thee always and  everywhere, "Speak Lord, for Thy servant heareth."    Amen.
 
Amen. Amen.

Fr. Bill+

What will Remind You?
     Awhile back, I had a sudden craving for a Big Mac and headed over to McDonalds for one of these delicious, nutritious treats! As I stood in line a man tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to take the money he held in his hand and give it to the cashier. Confused, I thought he was asking me to buy him something, but I was dead wrong. The man quickly explained that he had already eaten his food and was leaving when he saw me. He continued, “When I paid, the cashier gave me too much money in change, but I kept it. When I saw you knew I needed to return it, I am sorry.”

     I love the phrase, God works in mysterious ways because when we think about it, this means we are actively looking for the unexpected and wonderful manifestation of God. The not so mysterious ways of God are around us all the time and we live them every day. Last Sunday we sang “All Creatures of our God and King”, a praise hymn extolling God’s gifts to us and recognizing them as such. This hymn is based on “The Canticle of the Sun,” composed by St. Francis just before his death in 1225;
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessings.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no man is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures;
especially Brother Sun, who is the day, and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
and bears a likeness to You, Most High One.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene,
and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night;
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains us and governs us and who produces
varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord,
through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.

Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.

Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord,
and give Him thanks,
and serve Him with great humility.
Amen.
     Francis prayed to open the eyes of our minds, hearts and spirits to see the wonderous works of God all around us all the time. God sprinkled creation with beauty and wonder to show his love for us and so that we, being ever reminded of this, would give God our love and devotion. To live in a state of godly recognition is to strive to live godly lives. Still, even with all this constantly around us, we forget to look, or looking we forget to see. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the day we who are to live as a reflection of God’s love—even as nature is—are underwhelmed by God as we are overwhelmed by the self.

     J.C. Ryle,  an evangelical Anglican Priest and the first Bishop of Liverpool, (1816-1900) spent much of his time preaching and writing about “practical tools” through which we all could draw closer to God. Accordingly, he offered this list of behaviors and habits through which the individual can practice spiritual-centeredness:

Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgment – hating what God hates – loving what God loves – and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word…

A holy person will endeavor to shun every known sin, and to keep every known commandment. They will have a decided bent of mind toward God, a hearty desire to do His will. A holy person will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience. A holy person will follow after temperance and self-denial. A holy person will follow after charity and brotherly kindness. A holy person will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence towards others. A holy person will follow after purity of heart. A holy person will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, government of the tongue. The fear of God, a holy person will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations in life. Last, but not least, a holy person will follow after spiritual mindedness. They will endeavor to set their affections entirely on things above, and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand. Holiness, pg. 34

     This simple list (much more explained in his book) is a direct reflection of what Jesus taught during His three years of ministry. Bishop +Ryle was hoping that each Christian would exercise a presence of mind that would save them falling into habits or neglects which would lead to a sense of distancing from Christ. The “holy person” in short, is a person amidst the hustle and bustle of the day who is looking for the ways of God in all things, general and mysterious.

     Why did that man ask me to return the money? I was simply a Priest ordering a burger, but that man had the presence of mind to discern the presence of Christ--not in me, but in his self—and he had the humility to act, to practice Practical Holiness. I was simply a reminder of who he knew he was and to whom he belonged.

     Be reminded, and then act! It is NEVER too late to receive forgiveness and the blessing of a loving God. What will remind you?
     
Constantly looking for God,
Fr. Bill+