Holy Disrupter

We are not accustomed to thinking about the Holy Spirit as a Holy Disrupter. But perhaps we should. Change is coming in the church. Some of us perceive that change as disruptive: The present patterns and customary ways suit the church just fine, we think. Yet others of us welcome the wind, which blows out and blows in and blows down.

The Spirit is engaging in mischief not only within the church but even in our own lives: Just when we think we are settled, just when we believe we have it all together, just when everything seems situated, then the Holy Trickster appears, upheaving our plans, shifting our perceptions, and rearranging everything on our physical and mental shelves.

Recall that Mary, too, was utterly minding her own business when an angel appeared. If an angel popped into my normal life with a “hello,” I, for one, would scream. The Holy Spirit is about surprises, plot twists, sacred upheavals, divine mischief, and yes, a Holy Trickster who makes this world anew.

This message is an excerpt from “Holy Spirit: Trickster” by Anna Madsen in the May 2021 issue of Gather magazine. Today we celebrate Michael and All Angels or Michaelmas, a Christian festival.

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