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
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 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
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?
[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
