God’s life-giving spirit
Daily Scripture
Psalm 33:6-9, 18-19, Genesis 1:2, 26-27
DID YOU KNOW?
“The Old Testament uses the term ‘Holy Spirit’ (rûaḥ qādoš) only three times (Psalm 51:11; Isaiah 63:10–11; in contrast there are some 90 instances in the New Testament)…. The word rûaḥ itself perhaps originally denoted air in movement, but by the time of the earliest OT writings it carries a variety of senses…. God’s rûaḥ is represented: 1. as God’s power in the creation of the cosmos (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 33:6, etc.); 2. as God’s sustaining power immanent in all life (Genesis 6:17; 7:15; Job 33:4; Psalm 104:29–30, etc.); 3. as the invisible activity of God in power through and amongst his covenant people, whether in dramatic irruptions or more sustained endowments; and 4. as his presence in many types of revelation, charismatic wisdom and invasive speech.” *
Psalm 33
6 The skies were made by the LORD’s word,
all their starry multitude by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathered the ocean waters into a heap;
he put the deep seas into storerooms.
8 All the earth honors the LORD;
all the earth’s inhabitants stand in awe of him.
9 Because when he spoke, it happened!
When he commanded, there it was!
18 But look here: the LORD’s eyes watch all who honor him,
all who wait for his faithful love,
19 to deliver their lives from death
and keep them alive during a famine.
Genesis 1
2 the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea, and God’s wind [or breath or spirit] swept over the waters—
26 Then God said, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.”
27 God created humanity in God’s own image,
in the divine image God created them [Hebrew has singular him, referring to humanity]
male and female God created them.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
The psalmist of Psalm 33 likely knew the archetypal Hebrew creation story (probably put into its final written form later) of Genesis 1. As noted above, the Hebrew word rendered “breath” in Psalm 33:6 is the same as the one rendered “spirit” or “wind” in Genesis 1:2. Long before anyone imagined the word or concept of “Trinity,” the poetic creation liturgy used uncommon plural pronouns ** to show the one God speaking of creating humans in “our” image, made to resemble “us” in character.
- We live in a culture in which many believe our very existence, as individuals and as a world, is just a gigantic cosmic accident, free of any divine direction or purpose. The biblical assertions about the meaning of creation point us in a significantly different direction. How does it change your sense of why you exist to believe that the fulness of God (“us”) brought this world, and the scientifically observed life processes that led to you, into being?
- Some wrongly think the Holy Spirit didn’t appear (or even exist) until Pentecost after Jesus’ rose from the dead (cf. Acts 2:2-4). We’ll see this week that in the Hebrew Scriptures “the concept rûaḥ is an existential term. At its heart is the experience of a mysterious, awesome power—the mighty invisible force of the wind, the mystery of vitality, the otherly power that transforms—all rûaḥ, all manifestations of divine energy.” *** How did this suggest that the Holy Spirit is an aspect of the eternal God, not a divine afterthought?
Prayer
Holy Spirit, you are the spiritual air I breathe. During this series, help me to grow more aware of the spiritual strength and vitality you offer me as I make you the “oxygen” of my life with God. Amen.
GPS Insights
Emily Stirewalt
Emily Stirewalt serves as Resurrection's Silverlink Pastor specializing in pastoral care of elderly adults. She is an ordained Elder in the Missouri Annual Conference and has served since 2007. She is married to Randall, a special education teacher. They have two daughters, Elliott and Marlowe. When Emily is not in a care home sharing communion or with her family on another Kansas City adventure, you can find her curled up on the couch at home binge watching "Friends" or "Golden Girls."
I am trying something new in my ministry on Wednesday nights. I needed something that was a bit outside of both my family and Silverlink for a season, I think. Small groups have been formative to my faith before, and I was missing the close relationship that you can build with people when you are intentionally meeting with a common goal each week. So, I started a small group for women of all ages, and of any marital or relationship status.
And wow! God delivered. There are seven of us and our stories are varied–single moms, women who yearn to be moms, women who are taking care of aging parents, women who are mothering small children and some who have elementary aged ones. Three adoptive moms and one mom who bravely gave a child up for adoption years ago. Women who work in caregiving professions and women who work at home full time. We had a powerful first meeting, everyone was open and kind to each other’s stories and challenges. And I am prayerful they all come back again this week!
The most powerful moment for me as their leader makes me think about our sermon series focus for the rest of this month. At the end of our meeting, I told the group that there would be no required reading for the next meeting and no work outside of our group ever. The deep breath they all took heartened me. It was as if God was reminding me that I am indeed called to make space for the Spirit to be felt and absorbed. The relief on all their faces was palpable. No need to buy a book. No need to read anything outside of our time gathered. Nothing required of them but just to be. For one hour and thirty minutes each week, they get to just be. No one asked them for anything. The Spirit was there with us, and we breathed it in. Deeply. I am looking forward to seeing how the Spriit continues to be with us on this journey!
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Max Turner, article “Holy Spirit” in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, USA, 2000, p. 552.
** “The word for God is ’elohim (see verse 1), and this word is plural in form. Elsewhere God speaks of himself using plural pronouns only in Genesis 3:22; 11:7; and Isaiah 6:8.” – from William D. Reyburn and Euan McG. Fry, A Handbook on Genesis. New York: United Bible Societies, 1997, p. 50.
*** J. D. G. Dunn, article “Spirit, Holy Spirit” in The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, USA, 1996, p. 1126.
