Tuesday after Cantate, 5/4/99

Genesis 1: 2,3
The earth was desolate and uninhabitable, and it was dark on the deep
sea, but God's Spirit hovered over the waters. Then God said, "Let there
be light!" And there was light.
Beck

In the name of the Holy Ghost, amen.

For one brief moment the Spirit of all powerful God pauses over the
waters of the earth. The creator Spirit considers for a moment; He
plans. He is over the earth which is desolate, uninhabitable, and dark. 
The moment builds, it is pregnant with expectation and then...the Lord
speaks and by the breath of His mouth He creates light.

This creative activity on the part of the Holy Spirit is played out still
today. Today the Holy Spirit pauses and contemplates not the desolate
earth, but desolate souls. The Holy Spirit hovers over the elect of
God--the ones He has chosen from eternity, and considers His next move. 

We are desolate creatures from our conception in our mother's womb. 
There is no spiritual life in us, nor can there be. We are not capable
of supporting spiritual life. Everything inside of us is darkness. But
the Holy Spirit pauses over our souls and considers. The moment builds,
it becomes pregnant with expectation as the forces of chaos churn all
around and in us. And then...through some person, the Lord speaks and
faith is created in our heart. The person might be the pastor who
baptized us as a child. It might be a friend or relative, or a preacher
we hear on the radio. Whoever it is, it is the Lord who speaks through
the person.

When the Lord speaks, the spark of faith flashes through the darkness and
grows brighter by the day. It's intensity increases as the Holy Spirit
fans the flame of faith with the breath of His mouth--His holy word. We
have become a place of life. The gifts of the Holy Spirit grow within
us. Finally one day we are taken home to heaven. At that time the light
will totally overcome the darkness. At that time our Lord will look at
the work in us which He has completed, and He will praise it and
pronounce it good. You, elect of God, are a creation of the Holy Ghost. 
Amen.

Prayer:
Dear Holy Ghost, thank you for creating light so that there could be life
on the earth. Thank you also for creating the light of faith within us
so that we might have eternal life. Keep us in the true faith by the
breath of Your mouth, amen.