An Itchy Trigger Finger

...eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy
1 Corinthians 14:1

Christians have different opinions about what is really important in practice. No one could deny the centrality of love, for God and for each other; faith is absolutely essential, for whatever is not of faith is sin; holiness cannot be done without, for without it no one will see the Lord, thankfully it's derivative. Why do we rarely see "that which is of the Spirit," i.e. Spiritual things (pneumatika), even be given a seat at the table, despite what the Apostle Paul says about it in the verse above?

Eager desire is no where near the description that most Christians' pursuit of spiritual things could be tagged with. At best, our pursuit is hit and miss, or completely negligent. What is called for, scripturally, is zealousness. Some folks complain, and some are just perplexed that God doesn't move in his church the way he used to. I say why should he, it's not like we care. Do we even want the Holy Spirit to move amongst us? Zealousness is needed-- a roiling, boiling, heated passion to see and experience the things Holy Spirit can inspire.

We can't, and we're not meant to, do this alone. The scriptural pattern is zealousness in concert. There were 120 in the upper room, and the verse above is addressed to the church in Corinth. As much as God loves any of us individually, there are promises and experiences in the Holy Spirit he intends for us to realize together. Together we are the coals, aflame, that set the pot a-boiling!

The expressions, the sensible exertions, the remarkable evidences of the Spirit's presence and activity are not going to rain down on the indifferent, nor drop on the doubtful, nor inspire the insipid. Religion is truly a vain, sickening spectacle. Are we satisfied to go through motions, and rituals, and lifeless assemblies, when according to the plan, we're meant to experience and demonstrate the very presence of God. Either God is real, alive and well, intervening in the affairs of men, or we need to find a new hobby!

Faith embraces the promise of God-- not one of those hands on the shoulder dip inward facsimile hugs, but one of those bear hugs my old friend Dimitrios used to lift me off the ground with. We have been promised more than we have let ourselves be satisfied with. We have found comfort in the comfortless. It's time for some passion. When faith puts its finger on the trigger, it either gets itchy or it dies.