The River Church Community

[While Brad is away on his sabbatical, Mark Phifer-Houseman, our Pastor of Leadership Development will be sharing in this space from time to time.]

Accessing the 3G Network:  Questions About the Holy Spirit

If you have been with us the past two Sundays or in a small group, you know that we have turned our focus as a congregation to the topic of becoming attentive to the Holy Spirit, and especially in our lives of prayer. As we focus our Sunday experience and small groups on relating to the Holy Spirit, there are questions that naturally arise: How do we nurture a real, vitalizing, joyful relationship with the Spirit who is invisible? What are the signs that the Spirit is alive in me if I haven¹t experienced a dramatic encounter like D. L. Moody? What do I do if I am not sure I “received the Holy Spirit when I believed” like those in Acts 19:2 that Paul met in Ephesus.

These were the same issues Paul grappled with in his ministry and in his letters to his churches. Galatians 5, 1 Corinthians 12-14, and Romans 8 are key texts for us as we pursue intimacy with God, God’s power for service, and openness to his manifest presence and leadership, while strongly maintaining the gift of discernment.

An encouraging “aha” in these texts is that the Spirit is at work in us before we even became followers of Jesus. He is at work in us whenever there is any fruit, any God-ward movement, any “laying down my life” kind of love for others. I love Paul¹s language in Romans 8:15-16, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry, 'Abba,  Father.'  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.” When we cry out to God as a humble child, “Daddy! Father!” that is the Holy Spirit in us testifying and proving that we are God¹s children.

One of the most important ways we can grow in our relationship with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, is to recognize that any longing for God, any worship or gratitude to God, any acts of service in Jesus' name done in humility, any longsuffering in a tough relationship, any desire for fellowship with other believers, any love for the lost, any longing for justice for others made in God's image, all these are really the work of the Holy Spirit alive in our hearts. As believers we too often take these movements in our hearts for granted, attributing them to our own growth or character.  When we do this, we actually quench the Spirit by taking Him for granted or attributing His work to ourselves. We deny His present and past relationship with us. (How can we have mature character without it being a work of the Spirit over time?)

If you are wondering how to enter into this challenging area of being attentive to the Holy Spirit, one vital, necessary step is recognizing that as a child of God the person of the Holy Spirit is living in your spirit and body (as Tony preached on 6/14) even if your faith is as small as a mustard seed. Why not in the course of each day welcome the Holy Spirit as Jesus living in you? Begin to converse with the Spirit whenever you hunger for God or become aware of your lack of hunger for God (also a gift of the Spirit), whenever you serve your neighbor, near of far.

Saints and teachers throughout the centuries have pondered whether certain methods could be employed to increase the chance that the Spirit might fall on us as at Pentecost. Because the Spirit is God and not a “force” we can manage or bottle, we cannot just put up signs and hold a “revival tonight!” meeting. But, we can develop a living relationship of praise and gratitude for the Spirit¹s work in our lives and in the lives of those close to us.  This, coupled with a yearning for more of God in our lives, is the best "landing pad" there is for the Spirit's coming.

We can also be honest about our hearts vis-à-vis the Spirit with those closest to us in marriages, small groups or friendships with requests like:

• "What evidence of the Spirit do you see in my life because I feel his absence? My soul is dry right now and I realize I am not hungering for God. Will you pray with me?”
• “I am afraid of losing control so I avoid a real, welcoming relationship with the Holy Spirit. Will you pray with me about this?”
• “I don’t know if I received the Spirit in his fullness, but I have been a Christian a long time and this is embarrassing to talk about. Can you talk with me without judging me?”
• “I am really out of touch with my body, so if the Spirit dwells there, it¹s going to be hard for me to sense Him. Can you pray that I can become more aware of my emotions and what my body is telling me so I can sense the Spirit in me and cooperate with him?”

Our prayer as a staff team, board, and intercessors is that the River would become so attentive to the Spirit, that all our ministry and service would be done in God, that it would be sensitive and responsive to what God is doing in people and situations in our community, and that the Spirit would renew our first love and joy of walking with God in a community that is steeped in the Spirit of Jesus and reaching out to a lost world.

Feel free to email me or call about anything this sermon series brings up for you or your friends ­ , 408-252-5500 X114.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God (Father), and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. ­ 2 Corinthians 13:14

Hello River,

Hope your summer is starting off well!

The Board received several nominations and applications for the vacant Board seats.  They are in the process of reviewing those applications and talking with the candidates.  If you have further questions about the process, please contact .

We are doing a lot of work on MY10 goals, themes, and dates here at the Ministry Center.  Ask your favorite staff person how it's going!

The students had a great time kicking off their summer at Manresa beach last weekend.  They ate food, played in the sand, heard testmonies, and didn't sleep much.  Check out pictures at the youth blog.

Check Tony's blog for a few more cool stories about the community garden.

On a somber note, Shing Fan, father to Jennifer and Emily, passed away unexpectedly in China on June 9.  The family is holding a memorial service at 10:30am on June 20 at Oak Hill Memorial Park 300 Curtner Ave, San Jose, CA 95125.

Dave

Announcements from Sunday, June 14:

Kindness Silicon Valley

You are invited to join us as we expand beyond downtown and spread kindness around Silicon Valley the week of July 5 - 11. Please sign up for any of the following opportunities at the Connecting Table after service.

Sunday, 7/5 - Verbal Witness in the Park. 12 pm or after church.
We will sit at a table in the park and be available to share the gospel with those who are interested.

Tuesday, 7/7 - Fruit Harvest in Central San Jose.  8:30am - 12 pm.
We will be harvesting food that goes to low-income families, seniors, and others in need of food in the wider San Jose area. (Kid Friendly)

Wednesday, 7/8 -  Milpitas Park Service. 5pm - 6pm.
We will pick up trash and hand out water in parks along South Park Victoria Drive. (Kid Friendly)

Thursday, 7/9 -  Prayer Walk in Cupertino. 7:30pm -  9pm.
We will be walking and praying through the streets.

Friday, 7/10 -  Serving Lunch to the Hungry in Sunnyvale. 11am - 2pm.
We will be serving lunch to the homeless and the working poor. (Kids 10 and over welcome.  Child care for younger kids)

Friday, 7/10 -  Groundswell.  6pm - 8:30 pm.
We will be praying for the Kindness Engagements and also for the River to be the Presence of Jesus in the valley throughout the year.

Saturday, 7/11 - Loving Santa Clara’s Bracher School. 1pm – 4pm.
We will be hosting fun games for children in the area and painting a mural for the school. (Kid Friendly)

Saturday, 7/11  - Hosting Lunch For Recent Refugees in Valley.  3pm – 5pm.
We will be hosting a lunch for recent refugees living in Silicon Valley. (Kid Friendly)

All Church Retreat

• Save the Date for the retreat – August 21-23
• This is a Friday to Sunday (2 night retreat) – open to EVERYONE
• We will be retreating at Mission Springs Conference Center in Scotts Valley.