Purifying Fire

Acts 2: 1-21

People from around the Middle East and beyond were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks. This festival occurred 7 weeks and one day after Passover, that is 50 days after Passover. This was time to bring an offering of new grain to the Lord [Leviticus 23: 15-16] people from all over were there:

Turks, Jordanians, Iranians, and residents of Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Syrians, Judeans, and Asians, Kurds and Egyptians, Libyans and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Greeks and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’[i]

This reading starts with this amazing and dramatic scene; the disciples gathered in one place, then wind and noise and fire.

The followers of Jesus who were gathered together, felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in a powerful way, and then people from all around the known world heard the gospel message in their own language.

For me this presents a challenge, how do we speak the gospel, the good news of the love of God through Jesus Christ, in a community where few people know the basics of Christianity or the bible stories. The challenge now is not so much different languages for people living in different countries. The Bible has been translated into many languages.

The challenge is speaking to people of a different life experience,
people who do not see a need for the church
people who see the church as a problem not a place to look for a solution
people who have been rejected or hurt by the church
people who question everything
people who have no or little idea of who Jesus is

This is one of the great challenges for the church in our time. Talking about God and Jesus to people who do not understand the concept of sin, or righteousness or sanctification.

On Pentecost I have often spoken about the Ruach of the Holy Spirit – the wind or breath of the Holy Spirit.

This morning I am focusing on fire.

Here is a poem:

Fire songs

Flame of candle flickering softly,

Alix Brown from Fire and bread p 154

Fire means many things in our lives today:

• ·         Bushfires raging and destroying
• ·         Candlelight flickering and showing the way
• ·         The comfort of glowing coals on a cold evening
• ·         The light and energy of the sun
• ·         Purifying precious metals

There are many places in the Bible where we read about fire:

• ·         Moses heard the voice of God through a burning bush
• ·         The fire that led the Israelites in the wilderness
• ·         Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in a fiery furnace
• ·         The lips of Isaiah were cleansed by a burning coal
• ·         The charcoal fire at which Peter denied Jesus and the fire on the beach where Jesus cooked fish after the resurrection
• ·         Flames appearing on the heads of the disciples

Fire is one of the symbols of the holy Spirit.

I wonder what that means for us?

Fire burns – it can be destructive,
Fire warms and comforts
Fire cooks our meals
Fire offers us light
Fire cleanses and purifies

“Fire has no shape or substance. You can't taste it or smell it or hear it. You can't touch it except at great risk. You can't weigh it or measure it or examine it with instruments. You can never grasp it in its fullness because it never stands still. Yet there is no mistaking its extraordinary power.”[ii]

The Holy Spirit comes into our lives, to illuminate and comfort, to cleanse and purify. “In the pages of Scripture, fire is holiness”[iii]

The Holy Spirit comes to sanctify, to make us holy.

Like a spring clean,
getting rid of the rubbish that clogs our lives,
taking care of the parts that need attention,
checking in the back corners of the wardrobes
and bringing the sunshine and fresh air into the house after being closed for the winter.

Like a spiring clean, except it is for our lives.

Where in our lives do we need the cleansing of a bushfire, cleaning out the rubbish in our lives?

Where in our lives do we need the comfort of a cosy log fire, warming the cold parts of our lives?

Where in our lives do we need the Holy Spirit to show us the hidden parts of our lives – both positive and negative?

Where in our lives do we need the purifying power of the Holy Spirit?

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[i] Jennifer McGlinchey Gingras on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Pastor.Jenn?fref=gc&dti=418160428221344

[ii] ~originally published in Beyond Words http://www.frederickbuechner.com/quote-of-the-day/2016/9/30/fire

[iii] ~originally published in Beyond Words http://www.frederickbuechner.com/quote-of-the-day/2016/9/30/fire