​PREACHING AND
THE HOLY SPIRIT

The person who preaches the gospel makes a statement about the Holy Spirit just by entering the pulpit. Even before the first word is uttered, presuppositions and definitions from across the centuries speak volumes about the Spirit-led event to be experienced by the preacher and the community of worshipers. The preaching event itself - without reference to specific texts and themes - is a living, breathing, flesh-and-blood expression of the theology of the Holy Spirit.

Consider how the Holy Spirit has been at work to make possible the traditional preaching situation: It is the Spirit who has inspired the scripture lessons of the day. It is the Spirit who has shepherded the word through compilation, translation, canonization, and transmission to the present time. It is the Spirit who convenes a congregation to hear the word of God. And it is the Spirit who opens our hearts and minds to receive anew God’s self-disclosure as the living word.

The preaching event is an aspect of the broader work of the Spirit to nurture, empower, and guide the church in order that it may serve the kingdom of God in the power of the Spirit. It is a process in which the divine-human communication is activated and focused on the word of God and is led by a member of the community of faith who has been called, anointed, and appointed by the Holy Spirit to be an agent of divine communication. That ​person’s authority is grounded in the self-revealing will of God as articulated and elaborated in the biblical witness. In addition, the preacher’s authority is confirmed or ordained by the community of faith in response to the continuing counsel of the Holy Spirit.

Such pneumatological affirmations reflect the general understanding of a vast majority of Christians, with the emphasis being on Holy Spirit presence and action in the congregational settings where the preaching takes place.

Given this understanding, it seems to follow that the quality of the preaching is affected most significantly by the level of awareness of the movement of the Spirit shared by those in the pulpit and pew.

Although the church generally has subscribed to this view, the proper place of the Holy Spirit has been neglected in its life and work. Indeed, the history of the church records a pattern of ebb and flow of its attentive-ness to the ministry of the Spirit. Sometimes various communities are in states of vigorous excitement, mild acceptance, or benign neglect of the Spirit as the vital source of strength and guidance for the life of the church. It is only through periodic renewal and recovery of spiritual depth that the power and grace of the Holy Spirit actually can be appropriated.

In A History of Preaching, Edwin Dargan draws on his comprehensive review of preaching through the centuries to make this general observation regarding the life of the Spirit and the quality of preaching:

Decline of spiritual life and activity in the churches is commonly accompanied by a lifeless, formal, unfruitful preaching, and this partly as cause, partly as effect. On the other hand, the great revivals of Christian history can most usually be traced to the work of the pulpit, and in their progress they have developed and rendered possible a high order of preaching. (Vol. 1, page 13)

During recent years, we have seen some signs of spiritual revitalization. Still, it would be premature to celebrate ​the arrival of the long-awaited renewal. While we have heard periodic declarations about how the church is on the threshold of a spiritual revival, it seems evident that a considerable breakup of old patterns and perspectives is necessary before a significant breakthrough can come.

We can hope and pray that each aspect of the life and ministry of the church will be open to the revitalization the Spirit seeks to bring - especially in the area of preaching.

Jesus came preaching in the power of the Spirit. He shared with his disciples his awareness of power, rooted and grounded in God, which was at work in him and in the context in which he ministered.

The great prophets of Israel who came before Jesus also proclaimed, “Thus saith the Lord,” as the Spirit moved them. They addressed their times out of a definite sense of divine appointment and empowerment.

The Apostles, whom Jesus initiated into the continuing work of the kingdom, were told to expect the coming of the Spirit, in whose power they were to bear witness to Jesus. Through the centuries, enthusiasts, as well as guardians of institutional forms of ministry, have found ways to account for that mysterious presence which touched their efforts with grace.

To preach today in Jesus’ name, and to do so with power, still requires the enabling presence of the Holy Spirit. I do not know a conscientious preacher anywhere who would claim to preach without at least some acknowledgment of the aid of the Spirit, even if the minister did not tend to speak of it in that way. There are many preachers who are waiting for and depending on the power from beyond themselves - and there are many who are aware that if that power is not present, the preaching will not be effective.

Increasingly, clergy and lay persons are hearing more about the Spirit. Their sources may be television, periodicals, evangelists or church members who attend charismatic conferences. But many Christians are Holy Spirit— shy. For some, conversations about empowerment of the ​Spirit in one’s ministry are occasions of anxiety and intimidation. Some preachers hesitate to speak of the Spirit in relationship to what they do. Others talk about the Spirit in traditional language of faith, but without personal meaning. Hence, many of the biblical provisions for Holy Spirit empowerment often are left unrealized like unclaimed packages or unopened letters.

In the church and society today, there are forces working to prevent us from fully receiving the power of the Spirit for preaching. Let us consider some of the reasons why preachers often feel the need to avoid Holy Spirit language and why many steer clear of claiming the Spirit as the power at the heart of their preaching.

In our secular, post modern age, we risk appearing unsophisticated if there is too much talk about a spiritual dimension of reality, or if we make too much space for the presence and activity of the Spirit in our day-to-day experiences. In fact, in some traditions there are well-defined, sacramental systems that rigidly insist that all talk of the experience of the Spirit be limited to the official means of grace. Even though word and sacrament are always appropriately viewed under the Spirit’s guidance, we are cautioned against hints of enthusiasm or special, personal unctions. Sometimes ecclesiastical leaders fear that private and personal spiritual visitations will lead to excesses and potential conflict in the community of believers.

In other places there is reticence about referring to the Holy Spirit because of doctrinal positions and stereotyped manifestations, to which some ministers take serious exception. Some preachers would rather avoid discussing the Holy Spirit altogether lest they be understood in terms of popular notions that aren’t consistent with their own doctrinal views, or that reflect reductionist understandings.

Often, mainline Christians are willing to leave the Spirit-talk as a special vocation for the Spirit-filled folks. “Let them talk that way,” they may say. In such a response, avoidance of Holy Spirit themes or references are intended to defend against what could be exaggerated or ​distorted claims.

But there is another reason why some of us shy away from the Spirit. Many of us fear being grasped by an invisible presence we cannot control. In this regard, we share the problematics of spiritual experience throughout all ages.

We may wonder, “What am I likely to do? How will I behave if I surrender my control to the Divine Spirit? How can I be sure that some other spirit won’t actually take over my mind?” Rudolf Otto in Idea of the Holy(pages 12-13) calls this strange feeling of attraction and dread “mysterium tremendum.” It is the awe-filled experience of the majesty of God - overpowering and yet enrapturing - both thrilling and chilling. But it nevertheless envelopes the longing for the Spirit with deep emotive ambiguity. In any event, respectful distance - not only from experiencing the Spirit, but also from language about the Holy Spirit - may seem to be the better part of wisdom, especially for moderns who are given to quantification and control. Consequently, the Holy Spirit is less understood, less experienced, and doesn’t have a meaningful place in the world view or the sacred cosmos of most of us.

In his book Christian Spirituality(page 83), Wolfhart Pannenberg accounts for this trend by noting that in the “death of God” generation there was a philosophical and theological statement of the lost sense of spirit perception, but what we have now is an actual, existential living out of the fact that God’s presence in the world, active in form of Spirit, is not a normal perception for most of us today.

Louis Dupre in Spiritual Life in a Secular Age makes a similar observation as he describes experiences of the Spirit in our secular age. He maintains that the ability to experience the sacred and to have some immediate sense of its authenticity has eroded for most people. No matter what we experience, our way of thinking requires us to try to give a scientific explanation of the factors that could have contributed to the phenomenon in question. And if we are led to affirm that an experience was caused by the ​presence of the Spirit, we take on the added burden of seeking its verification as we live out the implications of the faith claim we have made. Dupre says, “In our time, the religious interpretation comes as a result of further reflection, and only rarely with the experience itself. Since the interpretation remains separate from the experience, the doubt about its correctness can be resolved only by a subsequent, full commitment to it. Hence the experience receives its definitive meaning only in its final, voluntary act of assent” (page 5). All the while we hope that life’s experiences will corroborate our spiritual sensitivity so that we can joyfully say, “Surely, that was the work of the Holy Spirit in my life.” In a secular society, such affirmations become more difficult to make. This fact may be a persisting problematic of most serious proportions for spiritual development in our age.

Indeed, Dupre makes a disturbing observation which should be a source of special concern for those who serve in religious vocations.

The search for a deeper spiritual life is, in fact, more than a passing phenomenon on today’s religious scene; it is a movement for religious survival. For without the support of a sustained personal decision, a religion that remains unassisted by the surrounding culture and is constantly under attack in the believer’s own heart is doomed to die.… The doctrines, lifestyles and methods of a previous age were conceived within the reach of a direct experience of the sacred. This has for the most part ceased to exist, (page 13)

I am convinced that Pentecostals and charisma tics, as well as mainline Christians - be they conservative or liberal - face a common problem. Given the predominating view of reality in which we live, many find it difficult to know with certainty that it is indeed the Spirit of the Lord who shapes our personal and religious experience. Even those who have that deep and abiding certainty about the action of the Spirit in their lives sometimes find ​they too question the justification for their strong affirmation.

It is about this general problem that I write because I believe it isn’t just a minority of people who are Spirit-shy. My sense is that most of us find it difficult to experience the sacred - which may explain why the high calling to live out the mandates of the kingdom (righteousness, justice, joy, and peace) finds decreasing compliance. To rise above preoccupation with, or fixation on, our own interests, or to respond to the mandate to give to others, presupposes strong assurances about Holy Spirit support.

To live as if we could indeed trust God places a strain on all who live in the time of scientific verification. If the religious foundation, the sense of the sacred, the visitation of the Spirit no longer is real for us, then we would begin to expect that the secular domination of our thought patterns would render moral and ethical patterns of life subject to steady decline. Given this situation, it would seem that the church as a whole shares the need to search for ways by which we may be in touch once again with the power of the Spirit.

If we intend to preach the gospel of Jesus the Christ, who calls us to serve the kingdom in our time, we need all the power that is available to us. Given the reality of a culture that has lost contact with the living Spirit of the one who announced to us the vision of the kingdom in the first place, we need preaching that is more than aesthetically delightful. Mere ranting and raving and excitation from some spirited pastor will not suffice. We need some sense of the Spirit accompanied by power sufficient to interrupt a decline in the sense of the reality of God.

Paul’s testimony captures the sense of what is needed in our time:

When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear ​and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of humankind, but in the power of God. (I Cor. 2:1-5)

The primary issue here is not how much one talks about the Spirit. Rather, the concern is that those forces that reduce our freedom to speak of the Holy Spirit also may be working against any diligence in seeking the guidance and the empowerment of the Spirit. It is not that preachers do not know the place of the Spirit. Rather, it is that those attitudes which urge silence or privacy regarding the role of the Spirit in our preaching also tend to rob us of the full empowerment crucial for all who preach the Word. Barriers to such anointings are very real and need to be faced if we are to experience additional dimensions of Holy Spirit power for more effective preaching.

What might it mean for preachers today if when we stand to preach we could say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, because the Lord hath anointed us to preach the gospel?” This is the question at the heart of our quest. It is my goal that preachers all over this nation, regardless of their denominational background, piety, or theological perspective in general, would be able, with integrity, to say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me for the preaching of the gospel.”

There is a way in which all of the church can experience the reality of the Spirit. The decline in the sense of the spiritual presence reflected in our age may be confronted by a new power in the life of the church. Let us seek that way by focusing on the anointing of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus.

The Anointing of Jesus

The anointing of Jesus can be viewed as a model of spiritual formation. If experientially appropriated, this same anointing will promote a renewal of the awareness ​of the Holy Spirit and the empowerment necessary for more effective preaching.

Once we understand more clearly what this anointing means and stand under its continuing influence, we will observe a marked difference in the way we preach, and the objectives of the gospel will be manifested more abundantly.

In conducting preaching workshops and conferences across the country, I have spoken with many members of the clergy and laity who have expressed eagerness to probe more deeply into the implications of the concept of anointing. Their questions reveal sharp differences of opinion about how the Spirit equips the church for ministry today. The development of the ideas presented here is in large measure an attempt to think through the many perplexing problems that have been discussed in ecumenical settings.

While we could profitably consider what effect the anointing has on various aspects of ministry, it is hoped that by focusing on preaching, the larger inquiry will be stimulated.

Jesus came to Nazareth. He unrolled the Scriptures and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). He then gave the scroll to the attendant, took his seat, and said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (verse 21).

In Jesus’ use of the text, it is clear that he was making some kind of claim about himself, the nature of his mission, and the kingdom he came to announce. His use of Isaiah 61 as the basis of his ministry - quoting these words that are so familiar to all of us - should be instructive for us. The question to be raised is, “What did Jesus mean by the words, ‘because the Lord has anointed me’”? What specific meaning can be affirmed when Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me”?

In general, the verb “to anoint” by biblical definition means to pour, rub, or to spread, as an ointment, an oil, or ​a fragrance. Such could function either as religious ritual, or medicinally, or cosmetically. But the basic idea is that when this special ointment was used, something significant happened. In most cases the basic intent symbolizes and concretizes divine authorization, within religious ritual. It gives evidence of the impartation of wisdom and knowledge, and the communication of the grace and power of God. Such persons who were so anointed, by virtue of their anointing, were expected to serve as representatives of God in whose name and power they were so anointed.

An interesting passage reflecting the multiple uses of the term can be found in Exodus 30:22-33:

Moreover, the Lord said to Moses, “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred and fifty, and of aromatic cane two hundred and fifty, and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin; and you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; a holy anointing oil it shall be. And you shall anoint with it the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the laver and its base; you shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them will become holy. And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. And you shall say to the people of Israel, This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. It shall not be poured upon the bodies of ordinary men, and you shall make no other like it in composition; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people’”

​Notice that the items that were to be used in religious ritual, and even the people who were to serve, were to have the holy anointing oil. This is a special, holy anointing oil. It was not to be used for non sacred purposes. The formula was given by God. And anyone who took it lightly was to be separated from the community.

In the course of the development of the concept of the anointing, it came to be identified with the restoration of power and might, by which the servant of the Lord would usher in the age to come. Isaiah is frequently quoted to link the anointing of the Spirit with the “coming one.” There is some ambiguity in these renderings as to whether that means the whole people of God, or a person of God who will be anointed in the New Age. However, in Joel 2, it is clearly announced that all flesh shall be the recipient of the pouring, the anointing of the Spirit.

In the fourth chapter of Luke, when Jesus stands to speak of his anointing, his action and his speech either explicitly indicated he was the Anointed One, or gave rise to the church’s affirmation of Jesus as the Anointed One.

In traditions where the language of anointings has been used, the discussion has tended to be identified with a particular one-time experience or a moment of heightened excitement. It also has been related to empowerment for a particular vocation or ministry for healing from a specific illness.

I propose that what Jesus meant by the anointing, as he applied it to himself, is retained by the apostolic tradition. In Peter’s sermon at Cornelius’s house, the following perspective is given: “You know the word which is sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; and how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10: 36-38).

Although there is the mystery of messianic fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth, there are indications of what Jesus ​might have experienced before and following the baptismal experience. These experiences within his community of faith may have confirmed in his consciousness that indeed he was anointed with the Holy Spirit. Perhaps confirmation came from the quality of his nurture in the various communities that had helped him with his self-understanding and his sense of mission. It may have come from a moment of heightened awareness or a series of concentrated encounters, all of which had the cumulative impact of confirming his anointing. Or it may have been a combination of these factors.

As difficult as it is to pinpoint the central features of our own inner experiences, it is even more difficult to identify the central foundational experiences of Jesus. In each of us there is a unique unfolding of God-consciousness that defies analysis because it is safe guarded by the mystery of human interaction within the heart of God. But in the light of details found in the Gospel accounts, several dimensions of growth may be suggested as aspects of the anointing, which is a continuous process.

The first thing to be said about what the anointing might have been in Jesus is the affirmation of his unique relationship to the God whom he chose to call Father. This is foundational to what we can say about the meaning of the anointing. That is, when the church affirms that Jesus is conceived by the Holy Ghost, it is underscoring a singular, unique reality. We do not expect to explain our own biological conception in that way because Jesus is the “only begotten of the Father.” According to our faith, every Christian is conceived by the Holy Spirit, but this points to spiritual rebirth.

But in Jesus’ conception, we find a very important clue with which to begin our analysis and discussion. For if what we say about the anointing of Jesus begins with his unique relationship, it would very well suggest that the most important beginning for the ecumenical conversation regarding the anointing of the Spirit is to affirm the uniqueness, not only of Jesus’ relationship, but the relationship of any one of us with the God whom we call Mother or Father.

​There is no way to meaningfully discuss the anointing of the Spirit without acknowledging that all of our lives in relationship with God are unique expressions. There are no clones in the community of faith - not denominationally, nor theologically. Although there is a tendency in every tradition to make strong suggestions regarding prescribed patterns of spiritual formation, there is little to suggest that there is only one approach to spiritual growth. For an ecumenical conversation, individuals must perceive that their counterparts are willing to affirm their faith. Otherwise, the conversation is likely to be skewed from the beginning by defensiveness or inordinate amounts of energy used to ensure mutuality of respect.

It is important that we also rise above the tendency to arrange stages of spiritual growth in rigid patterns of ascending and descending values. How wisely Tillich warned us against the use of “steps” with regard to spiritual growth. His word “dimensions” is preferable because it avoids the temptation to play the game of “I am more anointed than thou.” To qualify for the ecumenical conversation about the anointing, we must be able to say “Amen - so let it be” to the God-affirming uniqueness of the lives and growth of others.

Such a requirement has been a problem. In the conversations I have experienced through the years, there has not been sufficient affirmation of the uniqueness of personal relationships to let the conversation go anywhere other than in the direction of greater defense for one’s own orientation. I have observed rigidity in various theological circles. Hence, the importance for all of us to examine our attitudes toward other perspectives. That’s the first point to be made about the anointing of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’s life as well as in ours. Affirmation of the uniqueness of our relationships with God is foundational for all other dimensions of spiritual growth.

Second, the anointing of Jesus cannot be separated from his nurture in his family and in his faith community. In his book Christian Nurture, Horace Bushnell alerts us to the power of the atmosphere, instructions, and valuing processes in the formative stages of a person’s development. ​Luke 2:52 gives attention to the growth process in Jesus: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and [humankind].”

In reflecting upon Jesus’ relationship with Mary, we cannot discount or fail to appreciate what he learned at her knee or by her side. Did her countenance reflect to him the things she pondered in her heart? And consider Jesus’ relationship with Joseph. When authorities sought the young boy’s life, Joseph acted promptly by taking his family to safety in Egypt. And Jesus, during time spent with Joseph, not only learned about carpentry, but also about his self-identity. It is certain that Jesus’ personal and spiritual development were significantly forged by these relationships.

We must abandon the notion of a weekend experience that achieves an overwhelming experience of God, but would deem everything that came before it as absolutely unimportant. Jesus seemed to have spent a prolonged period of nurture. How eager he was, at age twelve, to get on with the business, but the time had not come because it was necessary that the nurturing process continue. So he went home with Mary and Joseph to be under their parental influence.

It is possible that Jesus felt the urge to get on with his ministry at various times during those so-called silent years. Still, he took time to allow circumstances and nurture to come to full fruition.

In addition to parental influence, Jesus was deeply affected by the religious leadership in the synagogue and community. This served as a broader context of nurture. The account of Jesus engaged in conversation with the teachers in the Temple in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-51) reflects his keen interest in learning from those who were masters of the tradition. It seems altogether plausible that the quality of respect Jesus received from those mentors of the faith awakened a sense of his own destiny.

I imagine a conversation of twelve-year-old Jesus, standing there asking questions of the rabbis: He asked, “Sirs, when will that day come?”

“The day will come when time has been made ready ​according to the will of God,” one rabbi answered.

“And, how will we know that that time has come?”

“Well,” one rabbi said, “one will be sent who will declare unto the world the moment of readiness for all that the people of Israel have waited for through the centuries.”

Then, I suppose, Jesus said, “Sirs, how will that person know that he is the one chosen to announce that day?”

Whereupon a rabbi may have responded, “Young man, it may very well be that you will be the one to announce that age.”

It should not be surprising to learn that Jesus was annoyed when Mary and Joseph interrupted this conversation of destiny (Luke 2:48). Mary chided him: “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” And Jesus’ prophetic reply: “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

Who Jesus was to become cannot be separated from the intimations of his mission gained in his childhood and synagogue education.

Though little is known about the religious training of Jesus during his youth, general patterns of his day provide some clues. The so-called silent years (from ages twelve to thirty) have been the subject of much speculation. Nevertheless, we do know that at about age thirty, Jesus had reached the point of vocational readiness - an issue often overlooked in consideration of the anointing of the Spirit. Popular concepts have tended to focus on heartwarming experience for the sake of personal fulfillment, rather than preparation for ministry.

Central to the anointing process, however, is the preparation of persons for the tasks to which they have been called. The emphasis on vocational readiness provides a more helpful point of conversation in ecumenical dialogue. Where the focus is on personal spiritual formation or character development, more narrow and particularistic interests prevail. What this dimension highlights is the importance of moving beyond the ready room like astronauts awaiting launch time. The longing is to come ​forth to yield ourselves fully to that to which we are called.

Jesus’ eagerness to go forth to his task may have placed this sentiment in his heart: “Whatever my life is meant to be, O God, who sent me into the world, let me get on with it. Let me be fully engaged, publicly, in that to which you have called me.” It was a time of vocational readiness with such an urgency that he was not willing to accept John’s expression of respect, suggesting that he was unworthy of baptizing Jesus. Instead, Jesus insisted, “Let it to be so now …” (Matthew 3:15).

For Jesus, readiness manifested itself in obedient action in response to the guidance of the Spirit. Readiness leads to moving out from where we have been to getting on the path of promise… the path promised as the source from which one’s insight, energy, and guidance will come. Thus Jesus went down to join those who were waiting to be baptized by John in the Jordan River.

Events surrounding the baptism of Jesus are at the heart of the New Testament understanding of the anointing. In Peter’s sermon at Cornelius’ house, the identification of baptism and Holy Spirit anointing is made.

“You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10: 36-38)

When John the Baptist consented to baptize Jesus, he was administering an aspect of divine preparation for Jesus’ prophetic and messianic vocation. Various schools of thought will offer different interpretations of the sacramental nature of baptism as well as the precise mode or formula to be invoked. A vibrant exchange of ideas on these matters now centers around the World Council of ​Churches—sponsored consultation on baptism, eucharist, and ministry. Whatever the outcome of these discussions, the apostolic tradition and the symbolism of immersion, pouring, or sprinkling, all link baptism and anointing in the spiritual formation of Jesus for his salvi-fic work.

But the actual baptism does not constitute the totality of the anointing experience. As Jesus comes up from the waters of the Jordan, we observe two additional dimensions of the anointing: “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, ‘Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased’” (Luke 3: 21-22).

In this account, Luke identifies the descent of the dove as symbolic of the Holy Spirit coming to rest upon Jesus. This makes available to Jesus, not only the power that had been at work by virtue of his unique relationship, but power from beyond himself. The sense is communicated that the same power that was at work at the beginning of the creation now is flowing through the chosen servant of God. It is the coming together of the power within and the power from beyond that signals a growing sense of the anointing.

Also, when the heaven was opened a voice was heard: Thou art my beloved Son - with thee I am well pleased. At that moment, Jesus experienced divine acceptance, approval, and appointment. There was no need for him to consult with the rabbis or even with Mary about his readiness for ministry. He had heard the word of confirmation from heaven. The work he was called to do would expose him to serious assaults against his sense of mission. He had to be fortified from the beginning with authority of the highest order. Without this word, his anointing would have been incomplete.

Then there is another unexpected development. One might have expected Jesus to move fully into his mission following baptism, empowerment from on high, and the word of divine acceptance, approval, and appointment. ​Instead, we read: “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil …” (Luke 4:1-2a).

Jesus does not rush to population centers to announce the Age of the Kingdom. He remains in the wilderness. I call this a time of suitability testing in which we face the pressures that we will encounter in the work that lies ahead. It is the time in our development to seek clarity about our mission, to determine the appropriate methodology and to discover the system of guidance by which we will go about our work. Although it is a time of pain and struggle, it is nevertheless a very important aspect of the anointing. Some people would overlook this aspect of spiritual growth. They may feel that moments of wilderness wanderings must be the time in which we lose our anointing. But this is not so. The wilderness-the time to find clarity - is an indispensable part of preparation for ministry. What am I to do? What method will I use? Will my method be razzle-dazzle and will it make a big splash now? How will I distinguish the voice of God from the promptings of the adversary? Wrestling to clarify these issues will strengthen us for the struggle to be encountered on the journey.

In Luke’s Gospel, the temptation comes to an end “when the devil… departed from him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). However, the Matthean account includes a detail that is one of the more comforting dimensions of the anointing: “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him” (Matthew 4:11).

The “ministry of angels” is heavenly refreshment after such an ordeal. It is the balm of Gilead that soothes the weary traveler along the way. It is release from pain and relaxation of tense muscles. It is an uplift of spirit. It is a ministry of encouragement and congratulations for having endured the assault. It is assurance that all will be well, for the tempter has been forced to retreat for a while. It is a time for recharging for the liberating activity that is about to begin.

​And then, at long last, Jesus returned to his home to experience a crowning moment of the anointing. He gave witness to his community of faith that the Spirit of the Lord has anointed him for his vocation of liberation.

Unless a person finds courage to share what his or her pilgrimage has been and what she or he is called to do, the anointing cannot be realized. The power of the community to restrain our freedom in the Spirit can be most intimidating. As Jesus’ experience at Nazareth reveals, the anointing will not always be valued by those who have nourished us in faith. To be able to experience the tension between the limited vision of the community of faith and the ever- expanding contours of the kingdom agenda is to discover why the anointing is necessary. The power to be obedient to God’s will in the face of human opposition is foundational for prophetic ministry.

James D. G. Dunn in Jesus and the Spirit, a comprehensive analysis of the religious and charismatic experience of Jesus and the first Christians, comes to this conclusion: “Jesus believed himself to be the one in whom Isaiah 61:1 found fulfillment; his sense of being inspired was such that he could believe himself to be the end-time prophet of Isaiah 61: he had been anointed with the Spirit of the Lord. Luke is quite justified therefore when he depicts Jesus as opening his public ministry in the full conviction and inspiration of the Spirit upon him” (page 61).

In the light of our discussion, the anointing of the Holy Spirit is that process by which one comes to a fundamental awareness of God’s appointment, empowerment, and guidance for the vocation to which we are called as the body of Christ. It is that process that leads us to yield fully to the revealed will of God. Out of a sense of divine power working within us, we are made ready to go forth to be about the task of ministry.

Once again, I list the dimensions of the anointing of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus:

1. Jesus had a unique relationship to his heavenly parent. As only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, he stands in a class by himself.

2. Jesus was nurtured in his family and the family of faith.

3. Jesus reached the point of vocational readiness to get on with doing that for which he was sent into the world.

4. Jesus acted upon the impulse of the Spirit by obediently following the guidance to submit himself for baptism.

5. Jesus experienced sacramental grace, which comes when one acts in obedience, ie., the baptismal experience.

6. Jesus experienced divine approval, acceptance, and appointment.

7. Jesus experienced power from beyond the self, from on high.

8. Jesus was tested in the wilderness where he was able to come to clarification of mission, methodology, and the system of guidance by which his work would be done.

9. Jesus experienced the ministry of angels.

10. Jesus demonstrated strength to bear witness in his community of faith regarding his spiritual formation for the vocation to which he had been called.

In listing these dimensions of the anointing process, I do not presume precision or some exact formula. The intention is to call attention to specific aspects of Jesus’ development so that we can use these insights for enriching our understanding of spiritual formation. A special concern has been to point out that this listing of dimensions of development is broad enough to provide points of identification with the major traditions of nurture and formation. At least at this point in our deliberations, no particular path of spirituality is selected as the preferred route. Following our Lord is the approved route to faithfulness and fulfillment. Can we make that path together toward the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit?

The call to the church to claim the language of anointing finds support in an excellent study by Professor Gary ​M. Burge. In his detailed review of the place of the Spirit in the Johannine Gospel and Epistles, he comes to the conclusion that the hallmark of the Johannine community was the fact that each member was anointed by the Holy Spirit. Thus he entitles his book The Anointed Community: The Holy Spirit in the Johannine Tradition. He acknowledges that the occurrence of the term “anointing” is relatively infrequent (I John 2:20, 27), but its significance exceeds the number of times it is mentioned. In commenting on the two verses in I John he says: “In the present texts this anointing forms a part of the overall picture of possession of the Spirit (3:24; 4:13) and divine birthing promised in the Gospel. In John 14: 26, it is promised that the Paraclete ‘will teach you all things, and this promise is fulfilled in the anointing described in I John 2:27’” (page 175).

It is only as the members of the community stand in the power of the anointing that they will be able to fulfill their commission. Even as Jesus served in the light of his anointing, so will disciples bear faithful and true witness as that same Spirit indwells believers in community.

The symbolism of the anointing is present in one form or the other in all Christian communities. Consider the following: baptism, confirmation, ordination, the laying on of hands for healing, the consecration and dedication of persons for the work of the church, and even the anointing of emblems and implements within the life of the church - all these in a sense preserve the symbolism of the Divine Presence, bringing power, authority, and grace into the body of baptized believers.

Given the challenges of the secular age, can we continue to talk about our own sense of empowerment and authorization in isolation? The task of calling the church and the age to revitalized spirituality is such that we cannot do it alone. The challenge before the church is to find a way for all of its members to talk together about the anointing of the Spirit and to seek the depth of experience to which it points.

Interestingly, the anointing of the Spirit has not been the specialized language of formation of any particular ​tradition. Even in the days of Jesus, the anointing of the Spirit was not a popular term to claim. Perhaps the term has been waiting for us to come together to look at what it can mean in a secular age. What promise of revival does it hold for those who no longer experience the sacred in a very vivid way?

My intention is to press for serious exploration of the meaning and the consequence for the church of an openness to the anointing power of the Holy Spirit. What great promise of renewal we would experience if laity and clergy from all denominations could discover new power, new strength, and new courage for the work of the kingdom.

Harry Emerson Fosdick’s hymn “God of Grace and God of Glory” expresses well the petition for the anointing proposed here.

God of grace and God of glory,
On thy people pour thy power;
Crown thine ancient Church’s story;
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.