Emphasis Preaching Journal

"It is ... quite easy to say both too little and too much on this subject [the Holy Spirit]. To express the conviction that the Spirit is everywhere is too little, for 'everywhere' is often an acceptable way of saying 'nowhere.' Yet it is too much to guarantee the Spirit's presence, as though we had an effective technology in matters of the Spirit, creating the conditions that assure the Spirit's arrival among us. The church is forever warned by the attempt of Simon the magician to purchase the power of the Spirit to freshen up his act (Acts 8:9-13). 'The wind blows where it wills' (John 3:8). The Spirit is of God and not contingent upon our willing or doing. The truth is, and by this the church sometimes feels embarrassed, there is no agreement among Christians as to the canons for ascertaining the Spirit's absence or presence at the time of an event. Afterward, of course, the evidences of love, hope, trust, truth, and justice can be read clearly as footprints that say, 'Yes, the Spirit was here.' In fact, we do not know where to look for the Spirit's presence in preaching, even though many voices are saying, 'Lo, here,' or 'Lo, there.' ... To express the conviction this way is not an acknowledged lack of faith but is rather a hesitation to walk too far on a path where certainty shades into blasphemy. There are some areas of experience that come as gifts of God but about which no one is qualified to give expert commentary." (Fred Craddock, Preaching [Nashville: Abingdon, 1985], p. 29.)