Wind. Scripture, reflection and prayer. We've stepped out of Matthew for the weekend.

John 3:5-8 "Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Reflection. In the UK, we woke this morning to very strong winds battering the country. In some places the winds reached speeds of about 100 MPH. Wind of such speed can be destructive to life and property. It has been. Storm Arwen is still going strong. Jesus said, "the wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.' OK, we have better weather forecasting than when Jesus walked the earth, but we understand what Jesus means. The wind itself is invisible, but we see its effects and hear it as well. 

Jesus uses the wind as an illustration of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit may be invisible, but we see and hear what He does and is. The Holy Spirit is as life changing as the strongest of gale force winds. Yet, unlike the wind, the Holy Spirit  is gracious and let's us decide whether we will let Him change us. My advice, for what it is worth. Let the Holy Spirit blow in and through you. He may work like a gentle breeze. And, then again, he may not...

Prayer. Come Holy Spirit, we welcome you. In Jesus's name..Amen.