[andrewlittle]

Zerbie, first I want to say that you've been getting some amazing answers from u-dog. I doubt I could do any better or add much to his remarks.

I'll pick one of your questions, though, and add my two cents worth.

(Now, remember, I am something of a cynic when it comes to church-goers.) Do all Christians think this way. I would say very few. it's not that they would disagree - it's just they don't bother to go there in the first place. It is too deep - too complex - too uncomfortable.

Your questions are the stuff of deep theological reflection, as are u-dog's answers. I have to tell you, give me two or three people like you in a church and I would be in heaven. Your's is an inquiring mind trying to wrap itself around the divine - not stuff the divine in a nice comfy box. I love it.

My opinion on whether the HS is the life force of creatures is a little heretical possibly. We are each made in the image of God. If you look at us, the likeness to God is unlikely to be physical. If we look at the variety of ways people think and the way cognitive processes work and even the different kinds of intelligences, I doubt the likeness to God is in our mental capacities, either.

That is where the soul, for want of a better word, enters into the equation for me. It is the essence of God that is in each of us - the very core of our being that calls us to community (when we listen). That essence has sometimes been called the spark. And I envision the HS to be the breath or wind that fans the spark - that calls us to God and Godliness in our dealings with each other.

Whether the wind is the result of a gentle breeze created by the wings of a peaceful dove, or the powerful gust that fans the spark into flames that engulf us in the firey work of creation, it is still the breath of life. How that is manifest in each life is a little different. In Jenna's it has been a constant wafting breath that has always called her towards a passion for God's justice and mercy. In my case, it was a hurricane that that kncoked me off my feet and instilled in me an awe that I had never had before. (Of course, being as obtuse as I am, it took a little more effort for me.)

Our reaction the the HS is ours to choose. We can feel the breeze in our hair and on our face and react by loving God and neighbor more, or we can turn our back for fear of getting dust in our eyes.

I'll leave it at that for now - I don't know if I'm adding anything or not.