Holy Spirit

I was led to a couple of blogs by this post by David on Methodist Preacher.com.  I do have opinions, but I'm not going to enter the fray.

However, in reading these, I was struck by an image I had never considered.  In my mind's eye, Jesus, the human (and he was 100% human, in addition to being 100% divine) was male.  I gather that from what is written in the Bible.  In my mind's eye, when I need an image of God, he is male.  In my mind itself, God has no gender.  I limit him with my male image of him, but I'm aware I do it. 

But, my image of the spirit has no gender at all.  I had never considered that before.  I might call the spirit by the male pronoun, but only because the word "it" is too impersonal.  Truly, I don't imagine any gender at all for the Spirit of God.  Just Spirit.  As close as my breath, part of my breath, living with in me and around me, but not male or female.  Just Spirit. 

Someone, Pam, I think, said the Spirit was a foreign invader, because she could not relate to him (because of the maleness).  Maybe the spirit is a foreign invader (not the way Pam means).  S/he is separate from me.  Foreign at times, but only because we disagree, and we argue until I am convinced. 

When I'm in my chair, praying, God is God.  There is God and there is me, and that's it.  No one else gets to dictate any part of that (not that anyone is trying to).