Three Streams: The Spirit
Over the last few weeks, I have introduced the three streams of the Anglican tradition in these weekly emails: the Sacramental, the Scriptural, and the Spiritual. The metaphor of “three streams” flowing into “one river” represents the historical Anglican tradition. Each stream reflects an aspect of our relationship with God that is crucial for healthy spiritual growth. I have tried to make the case that an overemphasis or an underemphasis of any of these streams can lead to stunted growth personally or in a local congregation. The goal is to maintain a healthy spiritual balance.
As a pastor, it is a little like keeping three plates spinning. It is hard to focus on more than one or two at a time. Therefore, as the body of Christ, we each have our distinct gifting and calling, and we rely on each other. Ultimately, we look to God as our leader and sustainer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity is the ultimate representation of these three streams in perfect harmony.
Today I want to talk about the final stream: The Spirit. The stream of the Spirit, or the Spiritual, has also been called the Charismatic stream. This stream represents an openness to the work of the Holy Spirit through spiritual gifts and often features a more emotional and expressive form of worship. In 1 Corinthians (chapters 12–14), Paul had to address the early church because leaders required instruction as the Spirit moved in their services, especially regarding spiritual gifts.
The Spiritual remains a controversial stream today, sometimes giving way to emotionalism and emphasizing subjective experience over scriptural truth. This has been particularly true in the 120 years since the Azusa Street Revival and the rise of the Pentecostal movement. If an experience with the Spirit’s power is overemphasized, worship services can become unwieldy to outsiders and distracting from our core worship. Practiced correctly, however, the Spirit stream is encouraging and empowering.
To me, the Spiritual can be summarized not just by spiritual gifts and miracles, but by the presence of God experienced through prayers, meditation, music, silence, and hearing from Him through Scripture. I see these three streams flowing throughout the Anglican worship service, especially when space is given to listen to God. The presence of God experienced is best practiced with a Bible or a prayer book in front of you, meditating on His Word in prayer. We can experience this when we lean into His loving presence every week during corporate worship and Communion.
How can we experience God in this way on a daily basis?
One of the most refreshing connections I have with God is through Lectio Divina, a Latin term meaning “Divine Reading.” In his book The Good and Beautiful God, James Bryan Smith writes:
“It is a method of reading the Bible that involves listening with the heart. It’s an ancient practice that goes all the way back to the Hebraic tradition of the Shema, which involved reading select passages of the Hebrew Bible with specific pauses and concentration on certain words. Lectio divina was practiced in a communal way by Christians in the early church and was later taught by the desert fathers and mothers with an emphasis on the individual.”
This week, take the time to get alone and be with God in an undistracted, unhurried way. Take out your Bible, daily office readings, or prayer book and read a short passage slowly. Pick just one or two verses that you already know very well. This isn’t about learning something new; it is about understanding His love for you more intimately.
Try these steps of Lectio Divina and see how God speaks to you:
- Silence: Spend a minute or two relaxing and breathing, clearing your mind of the day’s busyness. If distractions come, write them down on a piece of paper to handle later so you can move on.
- Read: Read a short, familiar passage from the Bible (such as 1 Cor 13:4–8, Ps. 23:1–4, or John 3:16). After reading, sit in silence for a minute or two.
- Repeat: Read the passage again, pausing between each phrase. Notice if any specific words or phrases catch your attention or stand out. Write those words down.
- Meditate: Read the passage a third time, repeating the highlighted phrase a few times when you reach it. Let the words interact with your thoughts, memories, or fears. Ask yourself: What might God want to say to me specifically?
- Pray: Turn that question into a prayer. Ask God, “What is the word you have for me today?” Listen, and write down anything you sense Him saying.
- Rest: Be still and silent for a while, moving from doing to being. Simply enjoy resting in the presence of God.
- Respond: Ask yourself and God: What am I being called to do as a result of this word? You may feel challenged to love more, to serve someone, or to change an aspect of your character. Write it down.(Steps paraphrased from The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith, pages 108–110).
Intimacy with God is the key to the Spiritual stream. Without it, the other streams can become stale or simply an exercise of the mind. With the Spirit breathing life, we experience the love of God in fresh ways everyday. Rooted in the Scriptures, alive in the Spirit, and formed by the Liturgy—this is the Anglican way of three streams, one river. May God give us the grace to bathe in this river more and more every day.
Blessings and peace,
Rev. Todd