Spirit of the Lord
“A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:1-2).
The Old Testament reading for this morning, the Second Sunday of Advent, is from the Prophet Isaiah, chapter 11. Here the prophet promises that the coming Messiah will grow as a shoot from the stump of King David’s dynasty. This is a branch that will bear much fruit. You might recall from Sunday School that Jesse is King David’s father.
The Prophet Isaiah also promises that the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon the Messiah. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Think about all of the hope and all of the promise that these words from the Prophet Isaiah hold.
These are the words that are illuminated in stained glass, at St. Mark’s, Bowling Green, in the beautiful windows on the North Side of the Nave. When I look at those words cast in colored glass, I am reminded of my baptism and confirmation.
These are the words that the pastor prayed over you on the day of your baptism. When I was a parish pastor my practice was to take the newly baptized child to the altar and pray, “We give you thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give your daughters and sons new birth, cleanse them from sin, and raise them to eternal life. Sustain Hannah with the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen.”
And these are the words that the pastor prayed over you on the day of your confirmation. When I was a parish pastor my practice was to read aloud the student’s confirmation verse, lay both hands on the confirmand’s head and pray, “Stir up in Elijah with the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen.”
Ponder for just a moment all of the hope and all of the promise that these words from the Prophet Isaiah hold.
Let us pray, Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me. Amen
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