Texts The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied…The spirit came to rest on two others, who were not present in the tent, but who were blessed in God’s Spirit and then who also prophesied in the camp. Because they had not been in the tent, Joshua complained that they were included, but Moses said: Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!” [Be glad that God brought a couple more into His Spirit.)
Lord give joy to the heart. Thus–From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant; let it not rule over me. Then shall I be blameless and innocent of serious sin. Your perfect Ways refresh the soul! You give wisdom who want to simply follow You.
How can we include many into the Life in the Spirit? How do we get extra people into the excitement of Christ’ power living in them?
First of All, the answer is that God gives it. God gives it forth! It’s not first in what we muster up; or what humans can convince to fellow humans, but it starts in what God does provide. God is the Prime Giver of Gifts. So to answer the Question: How can we include many to live in Christ’ Spirit and power—we have to pray and ask that God gives it out. We have to desire it in prayer and lived meaning.
Does God want to give His spirit out and forth? Yes. Had He heard these exodus pilgrims cries (of the first reading today)? Yes, so He responds to them. Lesson A: We must ask for the Spirit and for renewal and for the guidance of God. Do we want to be brought fully alive in the Spirit, to be renewed, and to be guided to the fullness of life? If the answer is yes, then ask God for it—for He wants your “Amen.”
In today’s first reading, Moses was glad to see the Spirit of God come down from the clouds and rest on people in their tent meeting, as it meant that many elders now were getting inspired and ‘fired up’ by God. He needed that support, and he needed for the movement of people to get blessed by God—so as to share in the work of the community. They need to be stirred up to keep things going. It happened so that His Spirit came in a cloud over the tent meeting.
In a parish, its pastor, staff and parish councils get happy when we see a movement of God happening and a-stirring in the church. We are happy to see renewal and spiritual fervor going on.
We are happy to see more taking part in the work of the Gospel, even in the financial support for good works in the parish. Every one should do their part.
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Like Moses saw, we’d like the Lord to raise up more of His servants in the parish to endow them with an encouraging spirit and join more in the parish’s mission, support and development. It not just about a pastor and a few people in the office and staff or a parish council to make a parish work. Those people have been called and are trying to do a good job. Yet the Spirit of God is over us to bring more faith and zeal and life to a community, beyond a few servant leaders. Thus, so, we are grateful, like Moses, for any cloud or shower of blessing or anointing that can come over ‘our tent.’ In the Numbers 11 text today, 70 people, count them, 70, receive a blessing from the Spirit. In one other way of counting the number, it might have been 72, as two received the Spirit’s outpouring, while being with the others, but on their own. Joshua is suspicious of those two ‘additions,’ but Moses says—let’s be grateful for as many who got the Spirit—and it would be nice to see even many more get the Spirit to become fired up!
We would say so in a parish, too. We like to see more become enthused for God and for service or support to the parish. Lately we have had a few added to the parish from the outside, who became enthused by another parish or ministry, and now they are among us with those gifts. Like Moses’ comments, we are glad to receive their charisma and energy. even if their inspiration came from their prior parish. Like Moses, we are glad to see an extra two or more join into our Knights of Columbus recently, or into our Wednesday morning Mothers of PreSchoolers program, or of having two or more new persons join into the music ministry this Fall, or to see some new children to join our Children’s Liturgy of the Word at 9 a.m. Mass. Two additions can make a difference! Jesus says so, too, in today’s Gospel. “It’s glad to have new persons with us in the work of the Gospel,” He comments, as His apostles wonder about some outsiders join in.
70 new additions are welcome, too, such as in getting 70 to commit to higher giving in the parish, as I have been pleading to happen to mark a difference in our totals. That would make a bump to our getting back to reaching our budget. I can’t diminish what great encouragement it is to have regular financial givers to Resurrection. Thanks for you who do so. When we have it, we can do more for the Gospel and for caring and blessing people and host a dynamic parish.
In another example of people helping the parish, we get a nice support for our annual Christmas Pageant. It comes from parish members who are able to assist me in providing a fresh and meaningful, simple and effective play to feature in our Christmas Eve Family Mass, or in getting new children to come to it.
3 A pageant does not just spontaneously happen; a core of excited adults or teens and parents help it to come together, with communications, rehearsals, ideas for the script, adaptations to the cast, the costuming, and in getting the children here for it. The parish staff and I are grateful for the help that pours in.
As a pastor here, I try to spur you on to things that will make for a dynamic parish. Yet I know that the response will depend on your “Amen” and even first that The Spirit of God to be pouring grace down for your faith. I pray for the Spirit of Jesus to convicting more and more folks of the value of supporting their parish.
As you look at God raising up more help and leadership for the Exodus pilgrims, it was not just to find more hands for service with Moses, but it was an appeal for the Spirit of Grace to come forth to unite people into the holiness of God. It was to add joy to the fold. When we serve the Lord, it brings joy to the heart.
In the Psalm of this Mass. this is what God says to us. He says for us to pray:
“Lord give joy to this heart of mine. In your perfect Ways, refresh my soul. You give wisdom forth to those who simply want to follow You. Well, hear my prayer: I want to follow You as a missionary disciple, as each of us are called to be. My first witness is to be filled up with Your Holy Presence. Thus-deliver me into holiness and from wanton sin especially let it not rule over me. I pray my desire of holiness can restrain me from sinning. Then shall I be blameless and innocent of serious sin. I just want to be Your disciple, Lord, in communion with these brothers and sisters of mine in Christ’ Body.”
I hope this appeal to your ongoing or improving parish commitment bears fruit. It really will if we the people will listen to God in prayer and hear what He wants for us as disciples and as members of one of Jesus’ parishes in the world.