Who is in control?

The Holy Spirit quietly departed. He simply couldn't stand the boredom any longer. But it really didn't matter to those left behind in the sanctuary. The things they wanted to do did not require his assistance.

Oh he wasn't the first to leave. The only difference was that the others left through the door.

The people left behind were bored with each other, but did not have enough faith to believe God’s Holy Spirit was present and available to empower them and their congregation, so they pretended he didn’t exist until they came to believe their own false thinking. But without faith it is impossible to please God.

There was really no reason for the Spirit to remain. Many other churches make the Spirit welcome and allow him to gain victories in their lives for the Kingdom of God. Those churches are alive with ministry and throbbing with a contagious vitality. The power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed in those congregations. But why does it happen in some places and not in others?

The question is—who is in control?

Human control squelches the Spirit and eventually drives him away so we are left with nothing except our own petty plans and our easily attainable goals. On the other hand, loving and eager surrender to God's will by leaders, both clergy and laity, gives the Holy Spirit freedom to do his awesome work in us and in our congregations.

• Freedom to lift up Christ in the lives of his people and, through their exciting witness, in the community.
• Freedom to release the captives from sins of the flesh  and sins of the spirit and microscopic vision.
• Freedom to unleash the power of God to save a needy world.

Adventurous living and personal control do not go together in any area of life and certainly not in the life of the Spirit. We either live in the adventure of Holy Spirit direction or we languish in the boredom of the Spirit's departure.

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's "My View from Tanner Creek."