Doctor of Spirituality - Lesson 5: The Holy Spirit / coursework and prayer exercises of Stefan Schulz

Name:           Stefan Schulz

Date:             May 21, 2024

Course:         Doctor of Spirituality (ACIM) of ULC Seminary

Lesson:         V – The Holy Spirit

Hello Loretta, hello brothers and sisters of ULC Seminary, please find attached my weekly coursework. This beautiful lesson was very helpful to me with regard to my prayers and to my rational clarity concerning the effectiveness and perfection of the Holy Spirit. In Christ your brother, Stefan

Prayer Exercise: 

1.    Write a short essay describing the ways in which you agree or disagree with the Course's definition of the Holy Spirit. 

As a follower of Jesus Christ, who represents „the Son" of God (the Father) within the Holy Trinity of Christianity, I agree with the Course´s definition of the Holy Spirit as the third person of this trinity, this in his symbolism, in his characteristics and manifestations, in his functions as well as in his approachability.

At first, the description of the symbolism used in the lesson almost completely corresponds to the symbolism used in the New Testament, e.g.

·         Fire (Matthew 3:11)

·         Wind (Acts 2:2-4)

·         Water (John 7:37-39)

·         A dove (Matthew 3:16)

More over, the characteristics and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit used in the lesson are consistent to the „Biblical Trinity", see for example:

·         Genesis 2:7: The Holy Spirit is the „breath of Life"

·         Proverbs 2:6: The Holy Spirit gives „knowledge and understanding"

·         John 14:16/John 15:26: The Holy Spirit is a „comforter" or „advocate"

·         John 14:17: The Holy Spirit is the „Spirit of Truth", who „dwells with you" and „shall be in you"

·         John 14:26: The Holy Spirit is a „teacher"

·         1 Corinthians 12:7-11: The Holy Spirit gives „wisdom", „knowledge", „faith", „healing", „working miracles", „prophecy", „discerning of spirits", „divers kinds and interpretation of tongues"

·         Romans 8:11: This Holy Spirit who „raised up Jesus from the dead" is same that „dwell in you"

·         Romans 8:16: The Holy Spirit „bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God"

·         Galatians 5:22-23: The Holy Spirit brings fruit, that is „love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance"

Furthermore, the functions of the Holy Spirit used in the lesson are congruent to its biblical record (highlights by the author), e.g.

·         Ephesians 2:18: The Holy Spirt gives „access by one spirit unto the Father" and is therefore the link back to God

·         2 Corinthians 10:5: By the Holy Spirit one is able to „cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God". In this regard the Holy Spirit ends illusion and duality, in other words the separation of God and His creation

·         John 6:63: Therefore the Holy Spirit brings „life", not death

·         John 16:13: The Holy Spirit „will guide you into all truth" and will end all unnatural, egoic programming

·         2 Corinthians 3:17-18: As a result the Holy Spirit brings „liberty" and „transformation": „Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Another very important aspect of the Holy Spirit which is congruent to the biblical perspective, is his approachability. The definition of the Course that the Holy Spirit resides in every human being (this is why the Holy Spirit can be activated by the „washing of regeneration und renewing", which is in turn a description of the biblical „being born again" - experience), is also the key principle how to turn to and to communicate with, in and by the Holy Spirit (highlights by the author):

·         Jesus says in Luke 17:21 „the kingdom of God is within you". By using metaphorical language Jesus depicts the fact that the Holy Spirit resides in every human being

·         Titus 3:5 shows in this context: „Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost"

·         The same one can find in 1 Corinthians 6:19: „your body ist he temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you"

·         Jesus says in John 3:5-6: „Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Asking for and praying in the Holy Spirit (as well as through meditation and contemplation) are the most important tools for every human being to turn to and to access the Holy Spirit, e.g.

·         Luke 11:13: Jesus Christ spoke: „If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

·         John 14:14-17: Jesus Christ spoke: „If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

·         Ephesians 6:18: Paul wrote to God´s children in Ephesus: „Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit"

2.    Give a personal example of how you believe the Holy Spirit has functioned in your own life? 

Since I was a child, I have always felt and known that the Holy Spirit resides in me, even if I could not express or make this understandable to me and others with words or thoughts at that time.

On March 15, 2015, I had an initial awakening experience through Jesus Christ, who revealed himself to me in a personal encounter. Without asking and without any prior notice, He broke through my ego-induced consciousness overlays for the first time. Since then, I was initally able to emotionally and rationally understand and describe what it means when the Holy Spirit resides and works in, by and with me. After that experience, the Holy Spirit constantly had taught, protected and guided me to the point where I understood through his spiritual revelation that as a child of God and follower of Jesus Christ, I actually always was, am and will be one with God and His universe. In turn, I understood at this point, that I am not "just" a "child" or a "random being" who has experienced, respected and idolized God so far, but can otherwise continue to live and act autonomously, i.e. to be a creature that can exist split-minded or exist in a status of „duality".

In other words, over time, the Holy Spirit started to cleanse me of all unnatural, ego-driven programming of my various levels of consciousness and evolved me into what I always was, am, and will be: an eternal Son of God brought into this world after His spiritual image. This to celebrate, multiply and share true life in a spiritually open, experiential garden of love, joy, forgiveness, peace, justice and wisdom, as a creation and expression of God, and as such to be spiritually connected to the entire universe as well as to my forerunner and brother Jesus Christ, who is the light, the way and the truth.