Quenching Spirit

Reflecting further on the pastoral applications of Solomon’s phrase “shepherding wind”: Every believer is born of the Spirit, and blows where he wills, and a pastor is in the business of shepherding wind. In this context, “quenching the Spirit” might refer to poor shepherding that tries to suppress the wind.

1 Thess 5:19 lends some exegetical support, since the exhortation “Do not quench the Spirit” is immediately followed by “do not despise prophetic utterances.” Quenching the Spirit would thus involve a refusal to hear the prophetic words of a Spirit-inspired member of the church. (“Grieving the Spirit” in Eph 4:30 has a somewhat different force: Grieving the Spirit happens when we speak in unedifying ways, when bitterness, wrath, and anger characterize our lives and our churches.)

One major goal of pastoral ministry should be to keep out of the Spirit’s way; more concretely, to organize church life ensure that those gifted by the Spirit (everyone!) have opportunities to employ those gifts. Trying to control the Spirit will only lead to frustration (for pastor and people) or will quench the Spirit who is the Life of the church.