SUNDAY SERVICES:

When Paul runs into some disciples in the city of Ephesus, he kicks off the conversation with, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?” (Acts 19.2 MSG)

And then, a chapter later, he says, “We met on Sunday to worship and celebrate the Master’s Supper” (Acts 20.7).

With the Holy Spirit in us, Sunday morning church can be, well, something more.

Five Places the Holy Spirit Is Present

Here are five pieces of our Sunday Service where we can expect the Holy Spirit to be very present.

In the Word - The Holy Spirit

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), known for his work in math and science, visited his sister at a religious community and attended church there on November 23, 1654.

The day mattered to him - His life was changed that day via a sermon preached in a small chapel.

He wrote the following on a piece of paper, sewed it into the lining of his coat, and carried it with him for the rest of his life:

“Fire, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars. Certainly, certainly, heartfelt joy, peace. God of Jesus Christ. Joy, joy, joy, oceans of joy.”

On a given Sunday, we hear more scriptures than most other Christian churches and always have a solid proclamation of the Word of God.

The Holy Spirit has the power and desire to take God’s Word, and not only teach as Jesus said he would, but throw a fastball right over the plate and into our hearts (Barb and I have become Tampa Bay fans).

He can change us from the inside out.

It’s an issue of the heart and the Spirit, not performance or show.

In the Worship - The Holy Spirit

Like the Word, worship is an issue of the heart, not performance.

The question we can ask ourselves: We’re standing by a river of life. Do we wait for it to splash us, or do we jump in?

Scripture tells us that the Lord inhabits the praises of his people. (Psalm 22.3)

There’s the line from the old renewal song, “The Lord is present in his sanctuary, the Lord is present in his people gathered here.”

And even if it’s just two or three people, Jesus tells us he is present in our praises.

I suggest that we jump in!

When our minds turn to, “What’s for lunch?” all we need to do is ask Jesus what he’s serving at the moment and how we can even begin to thank him for what he’s done for us - ETERNAL LIFE!

I often wonder, “What do I have to offer to my Lord at this moment? What can I give?”

Romans 5.5 says that God’s love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who he has given us. Why miss a moment?

In Communion (Eucharist) - The Holy Spirit

I remember a friend and priest who served, all too briefly, at New Covenant. After celebrating his first eucharist, he commented to me, “The veil is really thin at this altar. The communion of saints is very near.”

Over the years, I have seen the Holy Spirit do various things at the altar rail. One time, a person was healed even before I got to pray for them.

Another time, some visitors got “stuck” at the communion rail. I came around again and humorously asked if they wanted seconds, and they said, “No, we just feel a heavy weight on us and can’t move.”

I asked if they were fearful. They almost laughed and said, “Oh no, it’s really comforting.”

The Holy Spirit had their attention.

Here’s an attitude to bring to the altar with your thanksgiving: Jesus has invited his friends to his supper!

Do you realize that the Savior of all that is, considers you a friend?

It’s all in who you know, and He has invited you to his feast in the here and now and in the hereafter!

In Community - The Holy Spirit

This point is best summed up with a couple of awesome quotes.

Here’s a quote from Richard Foster, “A vital feature of the early Christian community was their sense of being “gathered” together in worship. First, they were gathered in the sense that they actually met as a group, and second, as they met, they were gathered into a unity of spirit that transcended their individualism. In contrast to the religions of the East, the Christian faith has strongly emphasized corporate worship.”

This is a quote by Thomas Kelly about what happens in church on a given Sunday morning: “A quickening Presence pervades us, breaking down some part of the special privacy and isolation of our individual lives and blending our spirits within a superindividual Life and Power. An objective, dynamic Presence enfolds us all, nourishes our souls, speaks glad, unutterable comfort with us, and quickens us in depths previously slumbering.”

“Where two or three are gathered - I am there.” -Jesus.

In The Liturgy - The Holy Spirit

I went through a time when I thought it was silly just to read written prayers and always follow the same path, i.e. liturgy.

Then I learned that I could actually do more than just read those prayers, that God sees the heart.

And these ancient, and even not-so-ancient, prayers, along with the liturgy, are the tracks the train runs on. They provide a pathway for power to move in our lives.

Here’s another thing I’ve learned: holy repetition is designed to shape our souls and plant God’s truth deep within us. It’s really powerful.

Years ago, a friend of ours was involved in a serious automobile accident. When we arrived on the scene, he was questionably conscious, but he was praying
the Lord’s Prayer.

The Spirit can work mightily in us in and through the liturgy to shape our innermost being.

Expect to Encounter the Holy Spirit in Sunday Service

Come Sundays Expecting - to encounter the Word of God, to offer wholehearted worship to the King of kings, to gather round his table as a friend, with friends, and to receive new life for our souls now and for always.

It’s really a pretty simple big deal.

Amen.

P. S. Have you ever encountered the Holy Spirit in a Sunday Service? Let me know in the comments below!

You May Also Like:

• Holy Spirit: Strengthen, Empower, and Sustain
• Pentecost: A First Step
• What If the Church Were the 5H Club?