A New Spirit of Truth
June 9, 10
John 16:12-15

Some of you are planning summer trips and family vacations soon. But I wonder if you'll have an experience like this one? A mother and father and their young son were driving along the coast of Florida on a vacation. The mother was a conservationist-and no, that is not a denomination or brand of religion. She had a great interest in biology and loved to take little side trips and detours while they traveled. They noticed a sign that said "Naturist Camp." They drove in, parked their car, and headed toward the beach. It didn't take long to realize that they had stopped-not at a "Naturalist Camp"-but at a "Naturist or Nudist Camp." A group of folks, all decked out in their birthday suits, rode right past them on their bicycles! Mom and dad tried to shield their son's eyes from this un-"bare"-able sight. But it was too late-he stared in amazement and wonder. And you'll love what this little five-year-old said. "Look, mom and dad! They're not wearing their safety helmets!" Sometimes signs can be confusing. And if you happen to have reservations at a "Naturist Camp" this summer… Make sure to bring your safety helmets!

Of course, some of the other signs around us point to much more serious moral and ethical and environmental problems. In some parts of the world, countries are experiencing significant changes in the climate. Recently meteorologists in Britain recorded their warmest November in more than 300 years. Some of us might think "big deal." But it is a big deal-it seems that sometimes you CAN fool Mother Nature. Normally, November in Britain brings chilly winds and severe storms. Instead, average temperatures were in the 50s. Plants began to react as if it were summer. Hibernating animals and birds which usually headed south for the winter hung around. Much of Europe experienced the warmest November on record. In Holland, daffodils and tulips and trees began to blossom.

Now I realize that there are some who see these signs and still deny that there is any truth to global warming. Some folks confess that it is a complicated, confusing issue. And yet I wonder? Do we ignore the signs-knowing that if we pay attention to them-we will have to change our lifestyle or make sacrifices? Life can become extremely confusing for us. Whether the signs point to a "Naturist Camp" or global warming…Or whether the signs point to a host of other moral and ethical challenges that we face in our local and global communities… We're bombarded with information-technology has spawned an outbreak of information overdoses! How do we know what to believe, what to do, what is true? Where do we go? To whom do we turn? How do we even begin to discern the truth about some of the great moral and spiritual issues of life today?

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT THERE IS A LINE IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE PASSAGE THAT REALLY JUMPS OUT AT ME. Jesus says, "When the Spirit of truth comes, this Spirit will guide you to the truth." Today I would like for us to think about another facet of this jewel, this gift of the Spirit that God has given to us. As we celebrate the beginning of the season of Pentecost, we continue to give thanks for God's gift of the Holy Spirit to us. In the church, we often talk a lot more about God and Jesus than we talk about the Spirit. So I hope it will be helpful for us to devote some attention to the qualities and characteristics of the Spirit.

Last weekend we recognized the Holy Spirit as a spirit of peace. Next week we'll identify the Holy Spirit as a spirit of hope as we explore a passage from Romans 5. Today, the text from John 16 describes "the Spirit of truth." Where do you turn for the truth? We know that are lots of options-CNN, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Fox News… We are experiencing an epidemic of publications of self-help books. One that has been on top of the charts for quite a while now is The Secret. Now we hear that Karen Kelly is coming out with a new book in late July called The Secret of the Secret: Unlocking the Mystery of the Phenomenal Bestseller. And as we would expect, not everybody is all that crazy about The Secret, saying that it just leads us down the well-worn path of self-indulgence. So, also in July, Nations Books will publish Jim Gerard's Who Moved My Secret: The Ancient Wisdom That Tells You It's OK to be Greedy.

There are lots of places to turn, but Jesus says, "When the Spirit of truth comes, this Spirit will guide you to the truth." In an effort to comfort the disciples, Jesus emphasizes the coming of the Comforter, the Counselor, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit-and the connection between this Spirit and God and him. His words come after the Last Supper, after Jesus has humbly washed their feet, after the prediction of their betrayal. They have serious questions-and he is trying to prepare them. Both the nature and the role of the Spirit are emphasized. It is the Spirit of truth because it is coming from Jesus. It is the Spirit of truth because it will lead the disciples to the truth. This Spirit can be trusted because it is not a "free agent," but is a messenger who passes on guidance from God. This Spirit is the emissary of Jesus, which will guide them and reveal to them the things of God. Doesn't that sound great? Give your life to God, listen to Jesus, let the Spirit be your guide! That all sounds wonderful! That sounds so easy-three easy steps!

But many of us-even those who have a rock-solid foundation of faith-have found it to be a challenge to put into practice. Sometimes it is easier to look elsewhere for our security and approval and answers to our questions. You may remember the Peanuts cartoon that showed Charlie Brown making one of his regular stops at Lucy's psychiatric help stand. He confesses, "My trouble is I never know if I'm doing the right thing; I need to have someone around who can tell me when I'm doing the right thing." Lucy says, "Okay. You're doing the right thing. That'll be five cents, please!" Charlie Brown walks away with a smile on his face. In a few minutes, he returns with a frown. "Back already?" Lucy wonders, "What happened?" Charlie Brown says, "I was wrong." "It didn't help." "You need more in life than just having someone around to tell you when you're doing the right thing." Lucy says, "Now you've really learned something! That'll be another five cents please."

Some years ago Charles Sheldon wrote a book titled, In His Steps. In that book he describes the revolution that will occur in the lives of a church and congregation when the people decide to put every moral issue to the test of one question-"What would Jesus do?" Sheldon's book experienced a resurrection of sorts a few years ago when it became popular to plaster "WWJD" on all kinds of gizmos and gadgets and banners and bracelets. Again, this all sounds well and good, but could it be that the concept is a bit naïve? Can we always be sure of what Jesus would do in every situation? Some of us have watched the dialogue and discussion among the presidential candidates-and the topic of faith has been on the agenda. On one hand, we find comfort in knowing that our political leaders pray and have a foundation of faith. But on the other hand, we know the painful lessons of history when political leaders confuse the plans and purposes of God with the plans and purposes of a particular person or political party or religious group or nation. Can politicians and the leaders of nations always be sure of the way and will of God in every circumstance?

Many of the moral issues we must face today were never part of Jesus' first-century world. Our culture and society and context for living are much different. God, through the gifts of science and study and research, has taught us a great deal in the past 2000 years. Perhaps a better form of the WWJD question would be something like this: "Given what I know of the mind and spirit of Jesus Christ, given what I know about the grace and love of God, what would Jesus have me do?" Given the checks and balances of serious study of scripture, prayer, interaction with people inside and outside of the church, recognition of the universality of the Golden Rule-what would Jesus have me do? Will this gift of the Holy Spirit lead me to the truth? I believe Sheldon was on target when he talked about the possibility and potential for a spiritual revolution if people took these kinds of questions seriously! And so, we continue our spiritual journey seeking the truth. And yet, we see "in a mirror dimly," to use a phrase from the Apostle Paul. And that's OK.

In his classic devotional book My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers cautions Christians against thinking of uncertainty in this life as a bad thing. He says, "The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty." "The spiritual life is the life of a child-we are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what God is going to do next." "If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled." But when we open ourselves to God's Spirit of truth, "life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy." In any case, when we welcome the fresh winds of the Spirit of truth into our lives, we will no longer be the same-life will be different. Some of you are familiar with the story of the conversion of Augustine. Some of you may remember his eloquent prayer: "You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." After turning away from an incredibly amoral lifestyle, Augustine went on to become a significant influence on the spirituality and theology of the Christian Church. Soon after his conversion, he was walking down the street in Milan, Italy. There he met a prostitute whom he had known very intimately. She called but he would not answer; he kept right on walking. She cried out again, "Augustine, it is I!" Without missing a beat and with a sense of a new Spirit of truth in his heart, he said, "Yes, but it is no longer I."

When the Spirit of truth comes, this Spirit will guide you to the truth. Come, Holy Spirit, come!