Archived Articles by Father Rob Smith

New Life in the Old Church

Christianity is now the fastest growing religion in the world. In the Anglican Communion, of which the Episcopal Church is a part, there is tremendous church growth in third world countries. This growth is marked by an awakening of the personal experience of Jesus and the Father marked by the creative power and joyful life of the Holy Spirit. The theological root of this new outpouring is implicit in creation itself.

In the beginning of creation "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep," (Gen. 1:2a). Chaos and emptiness ruled all things. Over this tumultuous emptiness, "the Spirit of God was brooding," waiting to give birth to creation through the Word of God. ""And God said let there be light;' and there was light. . . and God divided the light from the darkness."

Through the hovering Spirit, God spoke creation and order into being giving us our first example of the role of the Spirit in our lives and in the life of a healthy congregation. Two things flow from the Spirit. First flows exuberant, abundant, glorious life, light, excitement, love, power in a never ending rush of creativity, leaping, rushing, tumbling over itself in an excess of vitality. Second flows order into the chaotic void, for the creative rush of the Spirit flows out day by day imposing order on chaos, but an order dominated by very personality of the Spirit himself.

Between the exuberant rush of creation and the ordered life of the creative Spirit himself we find a place of balance that marks the nature of the Church both biblically and historically. That place is a place of balance but not of stagnation. The surging waters of the Spirit of life well up from deep within the human heart with warmth and deep emotion. But it is that same Spirit who seeks to channel and direct the exuberance in human hearts into channels of creative power. He does so tenderly to nurture it and not to quash it. The model is Jesus who himself "exulted" in the Holy Spirit as he prayed.

The early Church responded to its historical situation with the classic formula that has guided Apostles from the beginning. "They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." The four classic elements of teaching, fellowship, Eucharist, and times of shared prayer mark the life of Apostles in its Care Groups and Sunday worship. It is not a matter of religious life, but a matter of personal relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Not since the early days of the Church has their been such an awareness of the possibility of relationship with the Holy Spirit, as well as with the Son and the Father.

-Father Rob+

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