JOHN 16:12-15
12 "I still have many things to say to you,
but you cannot bear them now.
13 When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you into all the
truth;
for he will not speak on his own,
but will speak whatever he hears,
and he will declare to you the
things that are to come.
14 He will glorify me,
because he will take what is mine
and declare it to you.
15 All that the Father has is
mine.
For this reason I said that he
will take what is mine
and declare it to you.
I.
It makes sense to me that this
scripture reads like poetry,
for are not our hopes and dreams
themselves poetry?
Is there not a poetry in looking
toward the future
and claiming a truth to be known there?
The poetry of blessings, the
poetry of toasts, the poetry of promise,
the poetry of commencement speeches, and
inaugural addresses,
the poetry of asking a child,
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
or of assuring a little girl,
“Someday you will appreciate your height.”
the poetry of reminding a friend,
“This too shall pass.”
or of assuring a brother in
Christ,
“God is with you.”
the poetry of hope, the poetry of dreams, the
poetry of the Spirit.
It makes sense to me that this
scripture reads like poetry,
because it is a scripture which assures us
of the Spirit’s work in the future.
II.
There is a poetry when the Spirit
whispers through the scripture,
"I
still have many things to say to you,
but you
cannot bear them now.”
Can you imagine, if at this
church’s founding, 129 years ago,
the Spirit spoke all the good things this church would do?
We would not be able to bear it.
Can you imagine, if at this
community’s founding, 139 years ago,
the Spirit spoke all the loving things this
town would do?
We would not be able to bear it.
Can you imagine, if at earth’s
founding, 4.5 billion years ago,
the Spirit spoke all the awesome things the
world would do,
we would not be able to bear it.
There is a poetry in the future
coming piece by piece,
in the Spirit working to create good, upon
good, moment by moment,
despite the chaos, healing the pain, light in
the darkness.
III.
It makes sense to me that this
scripture reads like poetry.
Is not the gentle tug on our
hearts poetry?
Is not the preciousness of our children in
this church poetry,
because it reminds us of what’s important.
Is not the pain we feel at an
image of tornado victims poetry
because of the empathy we feel?
Is not the glory of sunshine and approaching
summer poetry,
because it reminds us of the glory to come, and the glory above?
Is not truth spoken in kindness
poetry?
There is a poetry when the Spirit
proclaims through the scripture,
“When the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you into all the
truth;
for he will not speak on his own,
but will speak whatever he hears,
and he will declare to you the
things that are to come.”
You can imagine the truth spoken
to this church,
through the life of Christ feeding the poor,
and our life feeding the hungry.
Can you imagine how the Spirit
today is
declaring to this church the things that are
to come?
You can imagine the truth spoken
to this community,
about loving your neighbor as yourself,
when you walk through the grocery store
and people care to stop mid-aisle and catch up.
Can you imagine how the Spirit
today is
declaring to the community the things that are
to come?
You can imagine the truth spoken
to disciples,
not to draw the sword, but to bring peace,
and the importance of earth’s peacemakers on
this Memorial Day weekend.
Can you imagine how the Spirit today is
declaring to the world the things that are to come?
There is a poetry in the ways the
Spirit has spoken
to the church, the community and the world,
and there is poetry in the Spirit declaring to
us
the things things that are to come.
IV.
It makes sense to me that this
scripture reads like poetry,
for is not the gift of life from the Father
poetry?
Is not the life of the Son poetry?
Is not the promise of the Spirit at work in
our life poetry?
There is a poetry when the Spirit
declares through the scripture,
“ He will glorify me,
because he will take what is mine
and declare it to you.
All that the Father has is mine.
For this reason I said that he
will take what is mine
and declare it to you.”
Christ has taken the glory of the
Spirit and declared it to you.
Can you imagine what glory Christ
through the Spirit
is declaring to this little church?
All the Father has is the
Spirit’s and it will be declared to you.
Can you imagine what the Father
through the Spirit
is declaring to this community?
The Spirit is speaking through
this scripture.
Can you imagine what is declaring
the world?
V.
It makes sense to me that this
scripture reads like poetry,
and if you listened to that Spirit,
and if you shared its declaration,
your hopes and dreams would sound like poetry
too.
If you shared your dreams for our
church, our community, and our world,
they too would sound like poetry,
the poetry of the Spirit,
declaring what is to come.
What is to come?
What poetry does the Spirit stir inside you?
What is the poetry the Spirit is
speaking through you
to this church, this community, and this
world?
What is the poetry of your
dreams, your hopes, and your prayers?
