Jesus often did the unexpected. Told stories and preached things – unexpected. He broke up the social order frequently. He interrupted people with actions and stories and parables that taught unexpected and surprising things.
He disturbed the social order, disturbed Pharisees, threw people out before raising the dead.
All, virtually all of his miracles were unexpected: surprising.
Churches that had a lot of miracles sometimes become complacent. Get comfortable having done a lot. Routine sets in, local church culture solidifies. Miracles stop happening: fewer risks are taken, less faith acted upon. Fewer opportunities given for Holy Spirit to operate and do what is not usual.
Because the usual is the worldly order of things. Customs. Habits. Safety. Corporate culture where there is gradually less and less creativity and surprises.
Holy Spirit needs freedom to operate. Holy Spirit needs us to make room, to allow, to risk with faith; to listen and obey more than do what is customary and safe.
Rules, safety, comfort, complacency – all get in the way of Holy Spirit having freedom to operate.
To have miracles, for faith to operate well – for us to hear God and do what God says – all require us to make room, to give more space to Holy Spirit to operate.
Requires us to give freedom to Holy Spirit to operate.
Then miracles can happen more often.
Let’s create openings. Tell stories, do things: interrupt what has been normal. So the unusual and abnormal – the miraculous – can happen. Listen to Holy Spirit — and do what we are shown, or what we hear.