Shaped by the Spirit

Carving a Future, We are all shaped by our circumstances our culture, our surroundings, and quite literally the things we eat. The Clip from Michael Jacksons video “Black or White” is a great example of how our various world cultures and traditions are learning to morph into each other. Learning to understand and appreciate our differences is a good thing. The video continues to ask questions of us through the visual language. What is good about being unique and what is important about being different? In our corporate world social commentators talk about the danger of Macdonaldisation. While in the world of religion others promote syncretism as the way forward. The danger with this kind of philosophy is that we end up with a world full of people who all look dress and talk alike. Being shaped by the Spirit of God takes us beyond all this to celebrate our uniqueness as individuals and also our interconnectedness or our interdependency upon each other. This month we want to talk about and explore what it means to be shaped by the Spirit of God. Jesus told us that the things that really shape us are the thoughts that we allow to develop into actions. Paul one of the great writers in the Bible once said that we have to have our mindset renewed. He talked about not allowing the circumstances around us to shape us into fearful and distrusting people. One of the great physical shapers in the world around us is the Wind. The wind can completely transform a landscape. It can be destructive and creative at the same time. It’s interesting that the Bible often describes Gods Holy Spirit in terms of the Wind. We thought it would be an interesting idea to engage with the idea of wind as the shaper during our worship service this month. Take time this week to find a secret place where you can encounter the living Spirit of God and invite him to reveal the shape he is carving out for your life. In week one this month our prayers are inviting readers to “meet your shaper”. It is an invitation to think upon the nature and character of God. Christians talk about God in terms of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We look in week two at how the Spirit takes us from death to life, we are “shaped to new life” by the Spirit. It is a call to leave self behind and serve others. Following on from that our lives as Christians are marked by the changes in our lives, our attitudes to situations and circumstance. We are “Shaped to Purity of Heart”, to justice and mercy for all. The prayers this week are about inviting God to re shape our attitudes. Finally we look at the Spirit’s preparing us to be people who look beyond time into eternity. In other words we are “Shaped to Eternity” Too often we live our lives for material wealth and possessions. We need to think beyond things to the eternal.