The Work of the Holy Spirit

Jacob wrestled with God...the Restoration Movement has wrestled with the Holy Spirit. Generally speaking, we have been a movement fond of absolutes. Traditionally and historically we have been a very logical and analytical movement that has put great emphasis on knowledge. Even though God is beyond our comprehension, we have still felt more comfortable with our understanding of God than we have with the Holy Spirit. We feel far more comfortable with Christ than the Holy Spirit he sent us. The Holy Spirit and rational, logical, analytical reasoning just don't seem to work out as easily for us as it has with Father and Son.The question of our past has traditionally been "What do we do with the Holy Spirit?" But that is changing. We live in a world that is more open to spirituality than in generations past. We live in a world that is hungry for experience and intimate relationship with God. Information and knowledge is still important but it isn't on the pedastle for post-moderns as it was with modern generations. The question for this generation isn't, "What do we do with the Holy Spirit?" but the reverse, "What is the Holy Spirit doing with us?"This issue on "The Work of the Holy Spirit" will explore the relationship of the Holy Spirit with Christians and congregations today. How is the Spirit moving and working? How desperate are we for the Spirit, to partner with the Spirit and rely whole-heartedly on the work of the Holy Spirit? These are important questions and not always easy ones to pin down. It is vitally important that we wrestle through the relationship we have with the Spirit and cast a real, biblical vision forward for the church's embrace of the presence and work of the Spirit.