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Sometimes what’s best for us isn’t really apparent in the middle of our journey. It’s only later we discover that an event, though difficult at the time, actually turned out to be the best thing for us. As the old country song says “They hindsight’s 20/20…”

This coming Sunday is the Feast of Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit onto His Church. Today, we still live in the afterglow of the Feast of the Ascension, and we live in that tension between the Promise and the Fulfillment. And this tension is necessary if we are to mature into faithful believers and followers of Christ. There IS NO SHORTCUT! So, stop looking for one!

The Lord tells His disciples that there will come a time when those who persecute and even kill His disciples will think they are doing God’s will! Hold on a second, is this what I signed up for?

Jesus promises He will send The Helper, The Comforter, The Holy Spirit, to empower His disciples and give us all the grace we need to grow in Faith!

Look at Gospel Lesson in John 16:2-13:

The Lord said to his disciples, “The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

“I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”

Here are three insights into just what The Spirit is doing in us and in the Church and the world:

The Counselor (ὁ παράκλητος, the One called alongside to help) “will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment…” (John 16:8) These three ministries of the Holy Spirit in His Church are for three specific reasons.

The Holy Spirit will convince the world of sin (not rule-breaking but impoverished spiritual illness) because no connection with the Incarnate Christ leads to death and the Holy Spirit will, through His Church, cause people to realize that their disconnection from God is causing their spiritual sickness AND they don’t have to stay sick!

And the Spirit will convince the world “concerning righteousness” because the one Incarnate Christ is now ascending to His Father’s side and He is, through the coming of the Holy Spirit, multiplying His Presence throughout the world in the people of His Church!

And finally “concerning judgment” because the Holy Spirit will make it crystal clear through His Church that the kingdom of darkness can’t hold a candle to the Kingdom of Christ! The defeat of death is total and irreversible! And this victory is extended to everyone everywhere! And it is the consistent and faithful witness of His Church to His victory over death that proves the Lord’s victory to every generation.

The Church, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit, will be Christ all over the world. Advantage, Body of Christ!

Today, you were given the Holy Spirit at your Chrismation after your baptism by the Church, and through the authority that Christ gives His Body because of the coming of the Holy Spirit. You possess the potential to participate in this three-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit in the world, and you, in fact, are called to do so. To not participate with the Holy Spirit in this three-fold ministry is to say “no thank you” to the advantage Christ has given His Church at Pentecost! But, if you are willing to see all the temporary hardships you face filled with the sure knowledge that they can and will all work to make you more like Christ, then you are empowered to be such a witness for the victory of the Kingdom of God that your life will shine Light on everyone around you! You can and should be Orthodox on Purpose!

P.S. Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who is everywhere present and filling all things. Treasury of Good Gifts, and Giver of life. Come and abide in us; cleanse us from sin and save our souls, O Good One. Amen

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