Wednesday after Epiphany

Lectionary: 214

This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement in England, taught that the Christian should have a personal knowledge of God's love. His traditional Episcopal theology insisted upon the three legs of faith: tradition, sacraments and scripture. With a warming of the heart, the anxious minister experienced such reassurance in prayer that he believed it was an essential fourth leg. The tripod became a table. For Wesley, the Spirit's presence was assured by a feeling of consolation. If it was brief it was nonetheless a defining moment in one's spiritual life, and a certificate of membership among the saints.

In the centuries following his influential preaching, that reliance on a personal, emotional experience has taken many forms, from a quiet, inner conviction to loud shouts, speaking in tongues and being "slain in the Spirit."

When many Americans grew weary of pursuing that "spiritual" experience, following several "Great Awakenings​" and their inevitable letdowns​, they took with them the expectation that real life is full of real experience. That experience might be as predictable as an amusement park roller coaster or as dangerous as LSD. It could be a virtual experience like an action-packed film or a Facebook "friend." Boredom, on the other hand, must be a sign of failure. Some people suffer an insidious "fear of missing out." Others are trying to fill out their bucket list before they kick the bucket. I have sometimes described my own style as, "Anything worth doing is worth overdoing."

I don't think that's what Saint John meant when he taught, "we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit." The same evangelist tells us, "God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." If we know anything about God we know that "he" cannot be described with words or captured with experience. No one can bottle this. Our best doctrines cannot define our teaching; at best, they only protect it from misunderstanding.

When I think of Spirit I think of how a winning team behaves. Even when they lose they win for they support one another and enjoy playing; whereas the team with the higher score may go home disappointed that they didn't achieve their personal best or measure up to their expectations.

Saint John's Spirit remains confident in us as we listen for divine guidance despite discouragement and apparent failure. We are neither rigid nor irresolute as we assess, plan, act and evaluate our actions. We do not forget that "man proposes and God disposes." We play the long game and we don't expect to see the end of it. When the work is done and the masterpiece completed we will admit we contributed only part of a fraction.

I admire what I have read and heard of John Wesley. An honest, devout man and an inspired preacher, he brought spirit and life to moribund English Christianity. Some of his heirs have exaggerated his teaching. It's good to return to the Scriptures and search again without prejudice for knowledge of the Holy Spirit.