Open to the Spirit: God in Us, God with Us, God Transforming Us

McKnight (The Blue Parakeet), a New Testament professor at Northern Seminary, makes a powerful case that Christians should refocus on the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. He contends that there is a lack of emphasis on the role of the spirit in the lives of many Christians. After using specific examples (for instance, Peter’s first sermon on Pentecost) to demonstrate the centrality of the Holy Spirit in all of scripture, McKnight suggests new ways of celebrating a spirit-filled existence through examples drawn from his own life. He relates personal experiences, such as his conversion during a high school Bible camp after reading the verse, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” He also tells the stories of his students coming to the power of the Holy Spirit through “pursuit of the Spirit’s power to achieve victory.” McKnight calls for Christian readers to receive love through immersion in the spirit, and then to live out that love in everyday life in this heavily scriptural call for deeper spiritual connection. (Apr.)