On my right wrist, I wear a small silver bracelet. It was an ordination gift. Inside, it's inscribed Veni Sancte Spiritus, the words of a Taize song we sang during the service. It means, "Holy Spirit, come to us." I'll be honest, without the bracelet, I probably wouldn't think about the Spirit much. But it's a daily reminder that the Spirit is at work in the world, and in me.
When did you last pray for the Holy Spirit to come to you? Lutherans typically don't tend to pay as much attention to the Spirit as we do to the Father and the Son. But the early believers were very conscious of the Spirit as Christ's promised gift. They actively looked for signs that the Spirit was with them, giving them strength, courage, wisdom and faith.
The early believers found that the Spirit isn't something you can control. Then again, as we see often in Acts, incredible things happen when the Spirit shows up. Perhaps we all need to ask ourselves: am I ready to pray veni sancte spiritus?
Holy Spirit, come to us. Shake us up. Set us free to serve. And remind us that thy will, not ours, be done. Amen.
Shelley Cunningham
Zumbro Lutheran Church, Rochester, Minn.
Master of Divinity , 1998
