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Young Amos was a servant boy who, as an orphan, had attached himself to the Galilee travelers. He drew water, did washing, ran errands and always answered to the call, Young Amos. On a special day with that traveling company the intensity of the house was matched only by the heat of the hour. As the disciples remembered it years later, it was as if Jesus was speaking his final teaching. Everything he had tried to convey needed to be packed tightly into his lesson. Jesus kept alluding to a time when he would be gone from them all. The more he talked about it the closer it seemed that moment would be. "I go to the Father," he said. "This is the command I leave with you," were words of introduction to his constant theme of self-giving love. "Now I am going to him who sent me."Young Amos did not understand it all, except for the heat of the room and the sense of urgency in Jesus' voice. Months later he would understand. Months later he was years older! Months later Jesus was gone from that old disciple band. He had been crucified, declared dead, was buried - only to rise in new consciousness to the very men who had listened so intensely. And Young Amos, in his new growing, was numbered a believer. That promised Counselor was now part of his daily life. That Spirit-presence was a close companion to him in life's experiences - even as the words of Jesus had been to his ears months earlier. Amos was now understanding Jesus' work as he had not understood before. It was work such as God would do. Because of his new understanding, the disciples no longer called him Young Amos. Now, in the life opening to all of them, he was simply Amos, an equal in the special work ahead.One of the mysteries of your life and mine is how God's spirit can take hold of us, and change us! Everyone here can know that mysterious Presence - that Counselor, as Jesus taught of it - and in that acquaintance can be changed in very blessed ways. One of the great themes that weaves through scripture is the working of this mystery.I ask you to think of this present force in your own life as the Spirit's tether. Although I'm not a horse person, I do know that a tether is that loose line holding the animal in place. A tether can allow for movement, for choosing this drink of water or that bit of shade, this morsel of grass or that succulent weed. The tether can allow for freedom, but within some guidance, some protection. The tether can allow for standing or lying down, yet the constraints - if properly secured - will not allow for harm to occur. Now in my mind, a tether is the image of the Counselor that Jesus promised. It is the experience of God's Spirit that has been part of my living: the Holy Spirit's tether.In the scriptural report of Jesus' final conversations with his chosen disciples, the day's lectionary text, he speaks of three ways by which this spiritual tether can be part of our lives. May it be a sort of test! Ask yourself, does God's Holy Spirit affect the person I am. in these ways?The Spirit's tether guides us to recognize sin.When an inner-city youth takes a gun in hand and shoots another teenager because he wants the teenager's high-style sneakers we see the presence of sin. To think of another's life as so expendable is sin. To be so self-centered is sin. To value material possession over human life is sin. That is the easy recognition. But don't you believe that the Spirit's tether also condemns the conditions of urban rot in which that gun-toting youth came to maturity? There is sin in the societal drive to possess those sneakers, a drive coming at that youth from all sides of our society. There is sin in the lack of parental strength and guidance, maybe even in the lack of parents? The Spirit of God forces us to look through and beyond that exploding gun shot.As Christians we are called upon to see the sin that is about us, that affects us, that can be part of us - and thus, through us, sin of the world. The headlines of child abuse in affluent homes describes sin, as does child abuse anyplace. Spouse abuse and white collar crime are manifestations of sin just as much as is armed robbery. There is violence in act and word that is sin. We people of the Bible say that "sin raised the cross" upon which Christ was crucified. But such a truthful affirmation is also to recognize that crucifixion takes place in a thousand ways today as then.God's Holy Spirit guides us to recognize the many individual sins - and the collective sin - that is part of our human story.The Spirit's tether also allows us to value righteousness. That is the second word Jesus spoke on that special day.For the last couple of weeks Karen and I have been traveling. On our 2,000-mile vacation sojourn through the lands of our nation's beginnings we came to Highland in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was the home of James Monroe, on a location chosen by his friend and mentor Thomas Jefferson. Highland and Monticello were within signal distance of each other. Throughout his lifetime, James Monroe held more major offices than any other President. He was a senator and minister to England, Spain and France. He negotiated with Napoleon for the Louisiana Purchase. He was governor of Virginia and, at different times, both Secretary of State and War in the Federal government. He was the fifth president of the United States (1817-1825). "The Monroe Doctrine" told the European powers that we meant to keep our independence, and to protect others in our hemisphere so that they might keep theirs. He gave of himself to this country in its formative years. And he saw it as his obligation in life. He died in 1831 - on July 4th.We drove the winding road from Monticello and parked next to a strutting peacock, then walked up to the front door of Monroe's 19th century plantation farmhouse. He had moved there in 1799, but because of his continual giving of himself to his state and country he did not live there much. In his last years as President he often said that he looked forward to retiring to his cabin castle at Highland. But there is a sad footnote. When he left the presidency after a lifetime of giving of himself for the country, he was broke. We saw the ad he placed in the Charlottesville newspaper, inviting buyers. He had to sell his cabin castle to pay the debts he had incurred as a servant of the people. But he did so without regret.I suppose we can think of many ways in which good living and righteousness leaves its mark upon life - upon our lives. After our vacation visit, James Monroe's gift of himself to the struggled beginning of this nation becomes one more example. In ways that neither he nor I could fully understand, I think God's Holy Spirit was present.I tell of it, though, in order that you might think of how a holy righteousness is part of your life. That was part of Jesus' last message to his followers.The Spirit's tether further calls us to stand under judgment.How does the Spirit's judgment fall? Let me count the ways - or, at least, mention one? With all the talk of "family values" these days, with talk of morality and ethical behavior, consider but a single teaching by our Lord: "In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12 and Luke 5:31)How blessed we all could be if that was more universally accepted as a family value, as a moral precept for human behavior. We Christians live under that judgment!But there is more, I believe, more work by the Spirit, by the Counselor. That Golden Rule is part of every living religion. Listen: Confucianism: "What you don't want done to yourselves, don't do to others." Buddhism: "Hurt not others with that which pains thyself." Plato, speaking Classical Paganism in the 4th century before Jesus: "May I do to others as I would that they should do unto me." Hinduism: "Do naught to others which if done to thee would cause thee pain." Judaism: "What is hateful to yourselves, don't do to your fellowman." Sikhism: "Treat others as thou wouldst be treated thyself."I think one can say, God's universal spirit holds us in judgment.When Jesus' earthly ministry was finished he promised that God's presence - God's counsel - would continue to be with his followers. That Holy Spirit reveals sin, empowers righteous living, judges us all. That blessed Holy Counsel is a gift from God. If I could borrow from Karl Malden, "Don't leave home without it!"There is a poem by Percy Dearmer, an English song writer, that talks of this guiding presence of God. It is a beautiful image of God's Holy Spirit. The tether is the guiding cord. Although it is often a communion hymn, we sing it as our closing hymn now.Draw us in the Spirit's tether;For when humbly, in thy name,Two or three are met together,Thou are in the midst of them:Touch we now thy garment's hem.