Being On Fire
/As I think about the story of Pentecost and prepare for this weekend’s worship, there are a few thoughts rattling around in my head. Young Children and Worship uses wondering questions, and I’m definitely wondering about a lot these days.
In a reverse tower of Babel moment, where the people trying to build their way to heaven to be god are scattered by being no longer able to understand each other, at Pentecost in Acts 2 the sudden ability of the disciples to speak in many tongues draws together Jews from all nations in Jerusalem for the annual festival. I wonder how excluded and left out these people felt before this moment - showing up out of duty but perhaps not understanding what was said. I wonder how their witness to their faith changed because someone was speaking their language and God provided a way and honoured them.
The tongues of fire intrigue me and the wind. This wasn’t a gentle, soft moment. This was a big enough spectacle that it drew the faithful to where the disciples were gathered. Perhaps not quite on the scale of the final scene of Ghostbusters with people gathered in the street, but perhaps with some similarities. It was loud and dramatic and unsettling. I wonder how much those tongues of fire were more than a symbol of God’s presence. I wonder if they were refining, purifying, sanctifying the disciples. I wonder how willing the disciples were to suddenly have the gift of speaking in another language and to be literally set ablaze in their faith. I wonder if they missed whatever the holy flames burned from their souls which didn’t serve God’s purposes.
In recent podcasts and virtual workshops, the buzz words have been ‘hybrid church’, the idea of being ready to continue programs and worship both online and in person long-term. We’re being told that we can’t return to church as normal, and we shouldn’t want to, despite the wishes of the people in the pews. For many of us, normal pre-pandemic church assumed everyone showing up at a set time on Sunday. If you couldn’t come then, due to work or health, too bad. But the pandemic has required us to shift online, and it has opened up anytime access to worship. Phone services can bring audio of worship to those without computers.
The months ahead will require us to have visions and dreams, just as the prophet Joel said and was quoted in Acts 2. Being church has opened up to us new frontiers in a digital age which mean people can find us from their homes or wherever they go with their smart phones. People can participate safely and we can provide ministry in a myriad of ways. This has been called a Pentecost moment in the church - a time to recognize the power of the Spirit and the new ways and languages of doing ministry.
It is exciting to be church right now. While some will bemoan the comfortable known ways of doing things being lost, we need to see this opportunity for what it is. The Spirit is calling us to expand our vision, to dream bigger about who we can reach and serve, and to raise up and listen to the prophets among us pointing the way forward and reminding us of God’s faithfulness and power.
Are you ready to be on fire for God in new ways? Are you willing to move into new languages of digital connection and to find people on social media channels? Are you ready to be refined so that your purposes are more aligned with where God is calling the church to go?
Come Holy Spirit!