Dirt, bread, Spirit

This 20th week of ordinary time, we looked at Ephesians 5:15-20 and John 6:51-58. God is the source of life, and this theme is woven throughout scripture. In creation God breathes life into dirt to form humans. Israelites in the desert received daily manna, bread from heaven. In John 6, Jesus says his followers are to eat his flesh and drink his blood as a metaphorical picture of him as their life source. In Ephesians 5, Paul challenges the church to continually be filled with the Spirit, the breath of God. 

For us to truly live the best life possible, even in ordinary time, we need to be connected to our life source. God desires for us to be connected, but we have a role to play. God isn’t wanting a one-sided relationship so we have to show up for the relationship to happen. Choosing to show up is about walking in the Spirit. Paul’s challenge around this contrasts the kind of life we get. We can choose a life disconnected from God and empty of the Spirit. Paul says that means wasting your life; it’s unwise, foolish, and being addicted to things that negatively affect your mind, body, and attitude. Or, we can show up in our relationship with God. This means paying attention to your life, becoming wise, knowing the will of God, and being filled with the Spirit. 

Being filled with the Spirit looks like something tangible. At times it looks spectacularly miraculous. But, the Spirit-filled life is always about the little things which make up the whole of who we are. It’s about the way we treat people and speak to them. It’s about cultivating a heart of gratitude. And, it’s definitely about having a heart filled with praise that causes you to break into song.