Lately, as a result of recent conversations with Bob Ekblad, author of “Reading the Bible with the Damned” and “A New Christian Manifesto,” I’ve found myself contemplating the Holy Spirit in my life and in the lives of others.

Bob told me about a book written by Francis MacNutt, “Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual.” MacNutt says that folks encounter evil and can sometimes become disturbed by demons within. These people come to the church for help, but most churches are unable to help them because delivering folks from evil spirits simply isn’t in ministers’ job descriptions or training.

According to MacNutt, certain can people become conduits of the Holy Spirit, ministers of healing and deliverance from evil. For some, a catalyst toward entering this type of ministry comes from first being “baptized by the Holy Spirit.” Folks who are baptized by the Holy Spirit supposedly experience a radical infusion of the Holy Spirit. And many find they are then able to deliver people from evil spirits and free them from whatever emotional or physical distress they’re experiencing simply by calling upon the Holy Spirit to do this work for them.

So what it is this Holy Spirit? I’ve felt in the past that all this healing and deliverance stuff was just a bunch of hocus pocus. I’m not so sure any more.

If folks are interested in learning more about healing and deliverance, I suggest they visit Bob Ekblad’s website and look around a bit. He’s busily bridging gaps between conservatives, liberals, charismatics and evangelicals. And every time I talk to him I find my understandings of God’s power get challenged a little more.