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welcome to the commons cast we're glad

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to have you here we hope you find

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something meaningful in our teaching

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this week head to commons dot church for

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more information

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last week we started a new series called

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the forgotten god

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and we are talking about the holy spirit

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in this series

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and we're going to look at a number of

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different areas today we're going to

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talk about god's spirit in us and

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through us and what it means to trust

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that god's voice is not just surrounding

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us

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but also somehow guiding us through the

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world

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next week we'll look at spirit in

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community and how we navigate our

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choices together and then we're going to

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talk about how spirit

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expands our imagination of the divine

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adding more complexity but also more

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beauty into the metaphors that are

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available to us

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but last week we began the series by

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talking about trinity

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because i figured if we're going to talk

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about god as spirit then we need some

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framework for that and this is what

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trinity provides for us

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i also said last week that i'm not

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particularly interested in adjudicating

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theological spats in this series

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all of our language of god

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but particularly when we talk about

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something as mysterious as spirit this

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language is provisional

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if you think about it

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as soon as we start to talk about god in

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any capacity

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we are necessarily using language that's

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drawn from our experience of the world

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to describe something someone

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who is fundamentally other

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and so we always have to hold our god

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talk open handed

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there's a theological stream called the

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apophatic tradition

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and the core of apophatic theology is

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the idea that we can only ever say what

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god is not

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god is just too big too great for us to

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ever speak definitively of

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and so in this tradition even if you

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were to say god is love you could say

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okay well as human beings we experience

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love and that orients us toward the

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divine

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it helps us understand that god is not

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avarice or selfishness or greed or wrath

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because those things are not love but

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even our very concepts our experience of

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love are always tilted even if slightly

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so divine love is something we can never

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ever perfectly describe

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we can only know what god is by noticing

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the brokenness in our own experiences of

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love

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now i'm not a theologian in the

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apathetic tradition but i do think they

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are on to something there

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by the way gregory of nazianzus who we

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talked about last week

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and who gave us that image of trinity as

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the eternal dancing around

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he came from the apaphatic tradition of

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the cappadocian fathers

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now one more footnote here

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if you really want to tie yourself in an

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apathetic knot listen to this quote from

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the 9th century irish theologian john

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the scot we do not know what god is

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god does not know what god is

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because god is not anything

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god is not because god transcends the

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very idea of being now all he's saying

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here is that even our language of being

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and knowing all of this is too narrow

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for god

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and so when we talk of god

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we have to remind ourselves to keep

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pushing ourselves to expand our thinking

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that's his point now why is this

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important when it comes to trinity well

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it's important because we have sometimes

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these deeply ingrained images and

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metaphors

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god is father son and spirit they are

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beautiful

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sacred even because they are gifted to

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us by god

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but those images can also if we're not

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careful

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close down rather than open up our

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imagination of god

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god is like a father but god is not your

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dad and god is like a son but in

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christian theology we have this belief

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that the christ is eternal in both

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directions

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so jesus was born and lived and died and

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rose again ascended to heaven to prepare

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a place for us and that jesus

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demonstrates divine love for us alive

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and breathing in human history

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but the christ the logos the word that

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was with god in the beginning as john

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says

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that has always existed never been born

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therefore not an offspring and therefore

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not at least literally a son

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and look that gets kind of heady

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and you might be right to ask what's the

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point of all this does it even matter

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truth is

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you can very rightly keep jesus at the

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center of your faith journey and model

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your life around his example and

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teachings and that is enough

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but there are reasons that i think

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talking about the nature of god

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is worth the discomfort it brings from

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time to time

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first

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as i said it keeps our god talk

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provisional

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it reminds us that theology is useful

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but theology can never completely define

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god

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and so theology at its best is not about

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definite answers it's about becoming

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more like god more loving

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and any theology that doesn't help you

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become more loving is by definition bad

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theology

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second

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this is why we're opening the series

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this way

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is that i believe

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that reminding ourselves of the grace of

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god that extends even beyond our

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language

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this is what creates the room for us to

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experience the presence of god spirit in

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the fullness of what jesus invites us to

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as i said last week

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i tend to live in my head a lot

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and that can really be a gift i'm pretty

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comfortable with myself and my

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idiosyncrasies at this point in life

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but reminding myself

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that i can't think my way to god

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that helps me to open myself to spirit

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in new ways every day

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and so today we want to talk about god

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as spirit in us through us speaking to

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us

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but first let's pray

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good morning heavenly father

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good morning lord jesus good morning

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holy spirit

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we worship you today as creator of the

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universe a savior of our world as

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sustainer of all that is

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and we ask that you would continue to

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invite us to know you in ever more

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expansive ways

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may our lives look more and more like

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love

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may our intentions be shaped by your

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imagination

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would our very existence sing of your

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presence around us this moment

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as we speak today of triune being in

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spirit that enlivens and animates all

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life

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might we begin to see more love and joy

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and peace and patience

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more kindness and goodness and

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faithfulness more gentleness and

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self-control might we see all of this

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growing up in us

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and extending out into your world

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through us

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and if in order for that to come

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our imaginations need to be expanded

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or our welcome of spirit needs to be

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opened

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and holy blessed glorious god in three

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persons

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have mercy upon us

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and be present to us in a new way

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today

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and the strong name

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of the risen christ we pray

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amen

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okay forgotten god part two today we're

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going to talk about jesus and the father

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jesus and the spirit our felt experience

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in the world and the peaceful voice of

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spirit in our lives first though let me

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say this there's lots that i want to

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cover today so buckle up because we are

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going to jump straight in i got no

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stories for you but we're going to start

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by looking at how jesus talks about

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spirit and in john 14 jesus is starting

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to prep his disciples for his departure

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the story is getting closer and closer

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to the cross and jesus is becoming more

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and more aware of how that story is

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going to go

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and so he wants to prepare his friends

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for this

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there's a lot going on in this chapter

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it comes right on the heels of jesus

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explaining to peter that he will disown

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jesus three times that very night

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but then jesus launches into this

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section by saying look i know this is

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bad news

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but don't let your hearts be troubled

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you already believe in god trust also in

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me

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my father's house has many rooms and i

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am going there to prepare a place for

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you

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and if i'm preparing a place for you

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that means i will come back for you

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so that we can be together

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don't lose heart

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you know the way to where i am going

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now again there's a lot going on here

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and we're going to keep reading and

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we'll get to spirit a little later

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but let's parse this first

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jesus says

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guys this isn't going to end well

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i'm going to die some of you are even

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going to desert me tonight

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but trust me i'm doing all of this for

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you for your good

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now

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sometimes we get a little caught up here

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on wondering exactly what jesus means by

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preparing a place for us i mean what are

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all these rooms and where exactly are

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they

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i know that we have this popular

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imagination of jesus as a carpenter but

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i do not think that we should be

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picturing him building houses in heaven

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in this moment

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this isn't intended as a technical

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explanation of angelic living quarters

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the idea here is simply that the cross

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which is what he's been talking about

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prepares a place for us in the presence

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and the welcome of god

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okay but then he says you know the way

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to the place where i'm going and that

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sounds kind of cryptic

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but if you think about it

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the place he is going is heaven and the

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way there is the cross

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so

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this is just jesus saying guys i've told

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you it's coming we've talked about this

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before i've tried to prepare you please

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don't lose hope

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to which thomas says

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actually

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we don't know what you're talking about

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00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,839
and we certainly don't know the way

287
00:10:30,560 --> 00:10:34,160
and this is a theme all through the

288
00:10:31,839 --> 00:10:35,839
gospels right jesus keeps explaining

289
00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:38,560
what's going to happen and the disciples

290
00:10:35,839 --> 00:10:41,040
keep pushing back saying we don't get it

291
00:10:38,560 --> 00:10:42,160
we saw this just a couple weeks ago with

292
00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,720
peter

293
00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:46,640
in a vulnerable moment jesus opens up

294
00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,720
about his death and his fears and peter

295
00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,560
says oh get out of here that's never

296
00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:52,800
going to happen

297
00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:54,959
and we can read that as the disciples

298
00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:57,600
not understanding not getting jesus

299
00:10:54,959 --> 00:11:00,720
that's definitely part of the story

300
00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:02,640
but there is another level here i think

301
00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:04,560
all of us none of us we never want to

302
00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:06,320
hear bad news

303
00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:08,320
and so our tendency sometimes i think is

304
00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:11,600
to push back against what we don't want

305
00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:13,519
to hear and hold on to what we hope for

306
00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:15,760
i think that's at least part of what's

307
00:11:13,519 --> 00:11:17,680
happening here thomas doesn't want to

308
00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,440
think about the path that jesus is going

309
00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:22,560
to take the suffering and the pain and

310
00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:24,079
it's just easier to plead ignorance

311
00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:26,240
and honestly that feels a little too

312
00:11:24,079 --> 00:11:28,560
familiar at times

313
00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,680
but jesus responds by saying you don't

314
00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:32,240
know the way

315
00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:34,640
thomas i am the way

316
00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:36,240
and the truth and the life no one comes

317
00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:38,480
to the father except through me if you

318
00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,680
really know me you will know my father

319
00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:41,040
too

320
00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:42,560
from now on

321
00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,800
you do know him

322
00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:47,360
and you have seen him

323
00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:49,279
now pretty famous passage

324
00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:50,959
one that we get pulled out of context

325
00:11:49,279 --> 00:11:53,680
all the time to listen to i couldn't

326
00:11:50,959 --> 00:11:55,680
tell you how many times i've heard this

327
00:11:53,680 --> 00:11:56,800
weaponized against someone who's outside

328
00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:58,880
of faith

329
00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,800
rather than used as an invitation to

330
00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:02,800
explore jesus

331
00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,000
but a couple things here

332
00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:06,639
first of all

333
00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,959
notice the kindness that jesus extends

334
00:12:06,639 --> 00:12:10,880
to thomas in this moment

335
00:12:08,959 --> 00:12:12,800
thomas says jesus i don't get it i don't

336
00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:16,480
understand and jesus responds and says

337
00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:20,160
actually thomas you do

338
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:23,519
from now on remember you know me you

339
00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:25,200
know god it's going to be okay

340
00:12:23,519 --> 00:12:26,720
and there's a lot that's going to come

341
00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:29,040
in the story much of it's going to be

342
00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:31,440
tragic but i find jesus instinct to

343
00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:33,680
reassure his friend here

344
00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:37,279
incredibly comforting in those moments

345
00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:38,399
when i'm not sure about my own faith

346
00:12:37,279 --> 00:12:40,240
i mean just try

347
00:12:38,399 --> 00:12:42,959
to imagine yourself in a moment of

348
00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:46,079
anxiety and doubt and hearing jesus say

349
00:12:42,959 --> 00:12:48,959
it's okay you know me you know god we'll

350
00:12:46,079 --> 00:12:51,519
get through this together

351
00:12:48,959 --> 00:12:53,760
there's a tenderness to jesus that i

352
00:12:51,519 --> 00:12:55,200
find magnetic hold on to that we're

353
00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,720
going to make our way back to there

354
00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,760
later

355
00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,160
but

356
00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:02,240
think about this moment for a second

357
00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:04,240
jesus has been talking about the cross

358
00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:06,880
he says this needs to happen he says the

359
00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:08,720
way it's going to happen is painful and

360
00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,880
thomas says we don't know the way and so

361
00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:12,880
jesus says thomas

362
00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,560
i am the way

363
00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:16,639
in other words

364
00:13:14,560 --> 00:13:19,600
everything i have shown you through all

365
00:13:16,639 --> 00:13:21,920
of my life all of the love all of the

366
00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:24,000
selflessness and sacrifice for others

367
00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:25,760
that i've shown you

368
00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,760
all of the ideas that i've taught and

369
00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:29,760
i've lived out in front of you that's

370
00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:31,200
who i am and this

371
00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,839
is the way

372
00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:35,040
all apologies to the

373
00:13:32,839 --> 00:13:37,440
mandalorian but that's essentially all

374
00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:39,120
that jesus is saying here

375
00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:41,360
the way of the cross

376
00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:44,959
is just another example of who he has

377
00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:48,560
always been all through his life

378
00:13:44,959 --> 00:13:51,519
because that way of generative love is

379
00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:53,120
the truth that life itself is grounded

380
00:13:51,519 --> 00:13:55,360
in

381
00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:56,880
and if you've seen that like thomas

382
00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,639
living and breathing in the world in

383
00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:00,639
front of you then you have seen the

384
00:13:58,639 --> 00:14:04,079
father because god is

385
00:14:00,639 --> 00:14:06,720
the eternal dance of gift and reception

386
00:14:04,079 --> 00:14:08,399
self-giving love in relationship from

387
00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,959
before there was

388
00:14:08,399 --> 00:14:12,079
anything

389
00:14:10,959 --> 00:14:14,320
last week

390
00:14:12,079 --> 00:14:16,399
i said that trinity is not an explicitly

391
00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:18,720
biblical concept it's the product of

392
00:14:16,399 --> 00:14:21,680
biblical reflection

393
00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:24,560
this is what i'm talking about

394
00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:28,320
at no point does the bible or jesus ever

395
00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:30,320
neatly explain trinity for us

396
00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:32,480
yet as we reflect on the story of jesus

397
00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:34,800
we keep finding ourselves drawn back to

398
00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:39,199
this idea of divine love expressed

399
00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:40,000
within the community of god self

400
00:14:39,199 --> 00:14:41,519
but

401
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:45,040
we haven't even gotten to spirit and

402
00:14:41,519 --> 00:14:46,560
that's our agenda so let's keep going

403
00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:48,480
after the way in life and truth bit

404
00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:50,240
philip decides to jump in

405
00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,680
and he says okay one more thing lord

406
00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,680
show us the father and that'll be enough

407
00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:55,040
then we'll leave you alone

408
00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:56,639
and i don't know if a lot of people know

409
00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:59,360
this but this right here is the moment

410
00:14:56,639 --> 00:15:01,760
when the palm was invented

411
00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:04,639
just kidding jesus is far too gracious

412
00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:07,519
for that instead he responds very calmly

413
00:15:04,639 --> 00:15:08,959
and very patiently well philip

414
00:15:07,519 --> 00:15:11,120
as i said

415
00:15:08,959 --> 00:15:13,120
if you've seen me you've seen the father

416
00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,800
and if you follow me you are following

417
00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,959
the way and if you live the way that i

418
00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,880
have lived i promise you will find your

419
00:15:16,959 --> 00:15:20,639
way back to god

420
00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:22,560
you can read his full response to philip

421
00:15:20,639 --> 00:15:25,360
it's in verses 9 to 15

422
00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:27,120
i want to pick up again in verse 16

423
00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,839
because that's where jesus now expands

424
00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,959
the conversation to spirit

425
00:15:29,839 --> 00:15:32,399
he says

426
00:15:30,959 --> 00:15:34,160
i am going

427
00:15:32,399 --> 00:15:36,320
but i will ask the father and he will

428
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:38,839
give you another advocate to help you

429
00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:41,199
and be with you forever the spirit of

430
00:15:38,839 --> 00:15:43,040
truth the world cannot accept him

431
00:15:41,199 --> 00:15:43,920
because it neither sees him nor knows

432
00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:45,680
him

433
00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:48,720
but you know him

434
00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:50,639
for he lives with you and will be in you

435
00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,959
i will not leave you as orphans i will

436
00:15:50,639 --> 00:15:56,000
come to you before long the world will

437
00:15:52,959 --> 00:15:58,560
not see me anymore but you will see me

438
00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,959
because i live you also will live

439
00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:03,279
and on that day you will realize that i

440
00:16:00,959 --> 00:16:04,959
am in my father and you are in me and i

441
00:16:03,279 --> 00:16:07,279
am in you and if that sounds confusing

442
00:16:04,959 --> 00:16:10,000
you are not at all wrong

443
00:16:07,279 --> 00:16:12,720
because this is a mess

444
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:14,639
jesus is going and another is coming

445
00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:16,240
and when that one comes they will be in

446
00:16:14,639 --> 00:16:18,320
you and jesus will be gone and no one

447
00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,759
will see him but you will

448
00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:22,880
because jesus is in the father and you

449
00:16:19,759 --> 00:16:24,399
are in him and he is in you my goodness

450
00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:26,480
a couple things here

451
00:16:24,399 --> 00:16:28,880
the niv which is what i'm reading from

452
00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:31,759
has opted for masculine pronouns for

453
00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:33,920
spirit here that's an interesting choice

454
00:16:31,759 --> 00:16:36,000
because spirit here is not a masculine

455
00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:38,720
noun and therefore none of the pronouns

456
00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,480
that jesus uses are masculine

457
00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:41,839
that said translators are in a tough

458
00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:45,120
spot

459
00:16:41,839 --> 00:16:48,160
because well ruach the feminine word for

460
00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:50,959
spirit in hebrew and spiritus is the

461
00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:53,040
latin term which is masculine there

462
00:16:50,959 --> 00:16:54,480
panuma which we're reading in greek is

463
00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:56,079
neuter

464
00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,720
and in english

465
00:16:56,079 --> 00:17:00,560
neuter pronouns like it tend to be very

466
00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:02,240
depersonalized

467
00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:05,520
so you can understand why they didn't

468
00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:07,679
want to use that interestingly though

469
00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,839
since the niv was first published in

470
00:17:07,679 --> 00:17:11,360
1973 they

471
00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:12,959
have actually become a more common

472
00:17:11,360 --> 00:17:15,280
singular pronoun in english and that

473
00:17:12,959 --> 00:17:18,319
might actually be the closest to the

474
00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:19,919
intent of the greek language in john 14.

475
00:17:18,319 --> 00:17:21,360
at the same time probably shouldn't read

476
00:17:19,919 --> 00:17:23,520
too much into that

477
00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:26,000
greek like french assigns grammatical

478
00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:28,079
gender to words that has nothing to do

479
00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:30,960
with gender identity or expression

480
00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:33,200
that's just a linguistic phenomenon

481
00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:35,679
and so we are much better off

482
00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:37,280
building our imagination of spirit

483
00:17:35,679 --> 00:17:39,200
through the multiplicity of biblical

484
00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,799
images and metaphors even the feminine

485
00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,880
ones it gives us rather than just a

486
00:17:40,799 --> 00:17:44,720
linguistic analysis still it's kind of

487
00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,880
an interesting note

488
00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:49,200
a bigger focus here though

489
00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:51,760
is the way that jesus

490
00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:54,160
in the gospel of john at least

491
00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:55,679
weaves together his presence in the

492
00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:58,160
world

493
00:17:55,679 --> 00:18:00,480
with the creator of the universe

494
00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:03,520
with the experience of spirit that runs

495
00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:06,320
throughout all of our lives

496
00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:09,360
and again this section by no means

497
00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:11,760
offers us a nice neat tidy definition of

498
00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:13,520
trinity but it does show that at least

499
00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,520
by the time that john was written in the

500
00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:17,760
late 1st century

501
00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:20,160
the christian community was forming an

502
00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:22,080
identity not just around the historical

503
00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:24,080
jesus

504
00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:27,200
but around the post-resurrection

505
00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:31,039
experience of jesus spirit that welcomes

506
00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:32,880
all of us into the presence of god

507
00:18:31,039 --> 00:18:34,400
and you could see this beautifully in

508
00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:36,640
the opening sometimes called the

509
00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,720
prologue of john

510
00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:41,600
in the beginning was the word and the

511
00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:43,760
word was with god and the word was god

512
00:18:41,600 --> 00:18:46,480
the word was with god in the beginning

513
00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:49,120
through him all things were made without

514
00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:50,640
him nothing was made

515
00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:53,120
that's talking

516
00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:55,280
about a connection between jesus and god

517
00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:58,640
but it's using language that is very

518
00:18:55,280 --> 00:19:00,720
clearly drawn from genesis

519
00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:03,120
and there the poet writes that in the

520
00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:05,760
beginning when everything was formless

521
00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:08,320
and void and god began to create it was

522
00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:11,840
the spirit or the ruach of god that

523
00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:11,840
hovered over creation

524
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:17,520
so we have creator that shapes us and

525
00:19:15,039 --> 00:19:20,320
christ that transforms us and spirit

526
00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:22,720
that indwells and animates all of us

527
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:25,840
entwined inseparably together in this

528
00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,840
christian imagination

529
00:19:25,919 --> 00:19:30,080
now why is any of this important beyond

530
00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:31,760
a debatably interesting theological

531
00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:34,960
lesson

532
00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:37,280
well here's why it's important to me

533
00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,799
because jesus talks and the scriptures

534
00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:42,720
speak

535
00:19:38,799 --> 00:19:45,120
about our felt experience of the divine

536
00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:48,320
the spirit that lives and moves through

537
00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:53,280
us in the world as equally valid with

538
00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:54,799
any other expression of divine encounter

539
00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,160
spirit

540
00:19:54,799 --> 00:19:57,600
and emotion

541
00:19:56,160 --> 00:20:00,000
and encounter

542
00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:02,320
these are not secondary ways to speak of

543
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,320
god

544
00:20:02,559 --> 00:20:07,840
with every breath you have access to the

545
00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:10,480
same creative force that has shaped the

546
00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,480
universe

547
00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:15,840
and that's beautiful

548
00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:18,720
but that's also sometimes a little bit

549
00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:20,320
scary isn't it

550
00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,840
i mean who's to say this is spirit but

551
00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:24,720
this is not

552
00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:27,280
and i have spirit but you don't

553
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:31,039
much easier sometimes to clamp back down

554
00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,039
on what we can say for sure

555
00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:35,520
to elevate scripture or let's be honest

556
00:20:33,679 --> 00:20:37,520
our particular interpretation of

557
00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:40,159
scripture

558
00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:42,559
above the living breathing spirit of

559
00:20:40,159 --> 00:20:46,880
jesus that is at work in all of us

560
00:20:42,559 --> 00:20:46,880
leading us steadily back toward love

561
00:20:47,360 --> 00:20:51,520
i mean you and i we've all seen the

562
00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:55,039
expressions of christianity that we know

563
00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:55,039
and our bones are not loving

564
00:20:55,120 --> 00:21:00,559
but sometimes we would rather that

565
00:20:58,159 --> 00:21:02,799
in its absoluteness than the complexity

566
00:21:00,559 --> 00:21:06,559
and the subjectivity of trusting spirit

567
00:21:02,799 --> 00:21:06,559
to guide us when it comes to love

568
00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:09,440
and look

569
00:21:07,679 --> 00:21:11,600
i'm talking to myself here because often

570
00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:13,600
times when i've seen things that looked

571
00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:16,240
like religious abuse my default response

572
00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:18,240
has been to step back or away or to

573
00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:22,320
intellectualize my faith rather than

574
00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:22,320
lean on spirit to guide me forward

575
00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:27,120
and yet i also know

576
00:21:24,799 --> 00:21:30,799
that some of my experiences with spirit

577
00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:32,559
have been absolutely formative for me

578
00:21:30,799 --> 00:21:36,080
that shaped me and pointed me in

579
00:21:32,559 --> 00:21:38,000
directions that have defined my life

580
00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:39,520
and i went into ministry as a career and

581
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,520
then a few years later i left that

582
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,799
career

583
00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:44,240
a couple years after that i moved to

584
00:21:42,799 --> 00:21:46,400
calgary to work for a church all over

585
00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:48,480
again and then i left that position one

586
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:51,840
that i had held for a decade to start a

587
00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,840
church here in kensington

588
00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,400
and at each of those junctures there was

589
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,799
some sense of spirit that was guiding me

590
00:21:56,400 --> 00:22:02,159
i know that i trust that but none of it

591
00:21:58,799 --> 00:22:02,159
ever was simple

592
00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:07,600
yet looking back reflecting on the most

593
00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:10,320
important decisions of my life the ones

594
00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:12,559
where i know spirit was leading me i've

595
00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:15,760
come to realize that none of them ever

596
00:22:12,559 --> 00:22:15,760
felt like an obligation

597
00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:21,360
like i've made some hard choices

598
00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:23,919
but it's always only ever been

599
00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:26,240
invitation and adventure and possibility

600
00:22:23,919 --> 00:22:30,320
in front of me this loving welcome of

601
00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:30,320
spirit into what comes next

602
00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:35,679
and slowly over time

603
00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:38,080
this is how i've come to identify that

604
00:22:35,679 --> 00:22:40,880
softer more subjective voice of god in

605
00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:42,400
my life

606
00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:43,760
ironically

607
00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:46,400
probably what i should have known from

608
00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:48,159
the start is that it is the slow steady

609
00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,240
gentle welcome of jesus that i've

610
00:22:48,159 --> 00:22:52,720
learned to listen for when it comes to

611
00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,720
spirit

612
00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:57,840
because here's the thing

613
00:22:55,280 --> 00:23:00,000
to welcome the guidance of spirit is a

614
00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:01,919
risky thing

615
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,440
and i've taken some big leaps in my life

616
00:23:01,919 --> 00:23:05,679
based on what i thought the spirit was

617
00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:09,840
saying to me but whenever i've seen the

618
00:23:05,679 --> 00:23:09,840
idea of spirit used in manipulative ways

619
00:23:10,159 --> 00:23:14,720
like the times particularly earlier in

620
00:23:13,120 --> 00:23:16,799
my christian journey when i saw the

621
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:19,120
threat of spirit used to intimidate

622
00:23:16,799 --> 00:23:21,760
someone

623
00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:24,400
or to bolster authority by elevating one

624
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:27,200
person above another that was never

625
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:28,960
gentle like jesus

626
00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,760
and it was never an invitation to

627
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:34,640
explore it was always a demand it wasn't

628
00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:37,640
a risk it was fear that dominated those

629
00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,640
moments

630
00:23:37,919 --> 00:23:43,200
and that is not the way nor the truth

631
00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:45,679
nor the life that was embodied by the

632
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,679
christ

633
00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,799
the one who

634
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:53,919
welcomes us to witness the union of

635
00:23:50,799 --> 00:23:58,640
creator and spirit and savior in our

636
00:23:53,919 --> 00:24:01,360
world the one who reveals god to us

637
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:05,840
a self-giving dance of gift and

638
00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:05,840
reception from before time

639
00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,720
see

640
00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:12,640
spirit is active in you right now

641
00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:15,120
evidenced by the very fact that you

642
00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,120
breathe

643
00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,000
and god is so much more than just an

644
00:24:17,919 --> 00:24:22,720
idea to understand or even a teaching to

645
00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:26,480
embrace god is speaking to you in every

646
00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,480
moment guiding you to love

647
00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:32,960
but the way to filter out that voice

648
00:24:30,799 --> 00:24:34,960
from the many that speak to all of us

649
00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:37,520
constantly every day is to train

650
00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:39,760
ourselves to listen for the most gentle

651
00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:43,600
the most peaceful voice we can possibly

652
00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:43,600
distinguish from everything else

653
00:24:43,919 --> 00:24:49,600
that spirit

654
00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:51,679
the best way to discern spirit is to

655
00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:54,320
listen for the voice that gently listens

656
00:24:51,679 --> 00:24:54,320
back to you

657
00:24:54,559 --> 00:25:00,880
the one that says from now on

658
00:24:57,679 --> 00:25:03,120
you do know me you do know god you do

659
00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:06,320
know love i know it's difficult but we

660
00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:06,320
can do this together

661
00:25:08,159 --> 00:25:12,320
and sometimes

662
00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:13,520
i find myself wishing i could trade a

663
00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,320
spirit

664
00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,320
for answers

665
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:20,320
and i know that would make a lot of

666
00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:23,200
things easier for me but i also know

667
00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:26,000
that will never reflect the god that has

668
00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:29,159
only ever known community

669
00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,159
and love

670
00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:34,159
and so i'm left

671
00:25:31,039 --> 00:25:34,159
learning how to love

672
00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:39,279
trusting that spirit is as real as my

673
00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,279
mind

674
00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:43,919
and knowing that with every small step i

675
00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:46,000
take every time i give myself away in

676
00:25:43,919 --> 00:25:50,640
the model of jesus i move closer to

677
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:50,640
everything that god imagines for me

678
00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:57,840
so may you sense spirit in you and near

679
00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,840
you today closes your breath

680
00:25:57,919 --> 00:26:02,320
may the most gentle voice in the world

681
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,880
slowly become the one that you learn to

682
00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:04,880
listen to

683
00:26:05,039 --> 00:26:10,080
and may you learn to trust the guiding

684
00:26:07,120 --> 00:26:13,279
of spirit that leads you steadily toward

685
00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:17,360
self-giving love inviting you

686
00:26:13,279 --> 00:26:17,360
to love the way that the christ did

687
00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:23,279
my spirit lead all of us

688
00:26:19,919 --> 00:26:25,840
into more grace today

689
00:26:23,279 --> 00:26:25,840
let's pray

690
00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:31,919
three-in-one god

691
00:26:29,360 --> 00:26:33,440
who has always existed as self-giving

692
00:26:31,919 --> 00:26:36,400
love

693
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:38,799
shared gift and reception give and take

694
00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:41,360
inhale and exhale

695
00:26:38,799 --> 00:26:43,520
the god who speaks and listens within

696
00:26:41,360 --> 00:26:45,840
god's self

697
00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:49,120
might that imagination of love become

698
00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:51,360
the imagination from which we live

699
00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:53,360
with the cacaocophany of voices that

700
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:56,000
speak to us and yell at us demand

701
00:26:53,360 --> 00:26:59,279
allegiance from us might we slowly begin

702
00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:01,520
to parse out your voice

703
00:26:59,279 --> 00:27:05,600
the gentle peaceful voice that teaches

704
00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:07,760
us what it means to love each other

705
00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:09,600
in all of the complexity of life and

706
00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:12,080
relationship

707
00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:14,080
may we slowly hear your voice more

708
00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,360
clearly and may the courage rise up

709
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:17,360
inside us

710
00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:19,919
to follow it

711
00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:21,840
and step by step as we follow your way

712
00:27:19,919 --> 00:27:24,559
in the world

713
00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:28,880
might we trust might we know

714
00:27:24,559 --> 00:27:30,720
that we are being drawn closer to you

715
00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:33,600
in the strong name

716
00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:35,679
of the risen christ we pray

717
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:36,799
amen

718
00:27:35,679 --> 00:27:40,520
all right

719
00:27:36,799 --> 00:27:40,520
two more weeks of spirit