When the Spirit Hovers (05/09/2026)

Thursday and Friday of this past week, I was blessed to be among a group of individuals who are instruments of the LORD in parish ministry serving in various capacities. We were on retreat. And from the moment I arrived to this very moment hours after we said our goodbyes, there was one thing I couldn’t miss seeing, the Spirit hovers over us drawing us to life in Christ.

They came from different directions, different parishes, different towns and cities. Their experiences in ministry were varied but the sense of the LORD’s calls was unified. We spent time with prayer, breaking open scripture texts, talking about our experiences of encountering the LORD in our brokenness as well as our joy. We prayed the prayer from Jeremiah 17:14 “Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me, O LORD, and I will be saved for thou are my praise.”

We pondered the powerful words of Luke 24 and the story of the Road to Emmaus. We wrestled with the question of when Christ had been with us and we’d missed seeing Him, recognizing Him. We shared our stories. We shared our faith. And in the process, our stories opened up for us and our faith increased.

When we invite the Spirit into our moments, our lives, our hearts and our minds, the Spirit does what the Spirit does. From Genesis 1:2 we learn that creation began with the Spirit “hovering” some say. But if we look into the actual Hebrew word, we find the image of brooding like when a hen broods over the egg – the potential is brought forth – life emerges.

I was blessed to be the facilitator of the retreat, so I had an excellent view of the Spirit’s impact on those faithful individuals. As the retreat facilitator, it was my role to go where the Spirit was leading and then get out of the way. And the LORD does not disappoint.

As we said goodbye, I believe we all realized the gifts the LORD had brought to us individually and collectively. I believe we all came to appreciate more that sometimes the most difficult moments tenderize us so we might be more receptive to the LORD’s loving graces and to the needs of those in our future whom we are called to accompany.

As we complete yet another week of our spiritual journeys, may we take time to ponder the gift of Him whom we call LORD and where that faith is drawing us. May we allow the hope of His promise to buoy us, to give us the resiliency of trust in One who does not disappoint, One who is constantly present to us. And may we allow His love to fuel our journeys and illuminate our paths. And may we slow down a bit and allow the Spirit to hover over us and in that loving brooding draw for the goodness from the potential within us.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.