I’m not sure if you know this, but you're on fire! That’s not meant to alarm you – especially after lighting up the baptismal font. "You're on fire!" is a phrase that comes from a restaurant I used to work in.
Just like most restaurants, every server had a station of three or four tables that they were primarily responsible for, but every server was also responsible for every customer they walked by. You did not walk past a dirty dish without picking it up unless your hands were full. You did not walk by a table that had not been greeted without taking a drink order and seeing that it got to them.
If two or more were gathered at the dish pit, I would say “Drop and go!” and take the responsibility of scraping dishes. The response was always, “What do you need?” If I needed anything for my tables they would get it, but not before taking clean dishes to the cooks before checking and checking for any hot food to go out – whether it was for their table or not. We were never idle. It was high energy! We worked hard, and it was fun! We had a code language that helped us get things done with minimal confusion, and the most prized comment of all was, "You are on fire!" which meant, "I can be better at being who I am because you are who you are." Though there were a variety of believers and non-believers represented in that place, that attitude exists for me today as a model for the Holy, Pentecostal, and Apostolic church.
Another notion of being "on fire" that comes to mind is from a hardly known song called Kid Fears by the Indigo Girls. In this song, they lace harmonies around questions about what we wouldn't give to be released from the fears that haunt us from childhood, the things done to us, and the mistakes we make. They ask, "Are you on fire from the years?"
It seems to me that it comes down to motivation. They are asking if we are more motivated by our pain or by our potential for joy. Being "on fire" can just as easily mean that you are consumed by your pain as it can mean that you are a force of beauty because of who you are and how you relate to others. Right now - in this space today - I want you to know that I see you as a force of beauty because of who you are and how you relate to others. When you leave this place it is up to you to determine why and how you burn. Right now, we are here because of our relationship with God and with each other. And you, my friends, are on fire!
Now let's talk a little about Pentecostal fire. My reaction to the term Pentecostal is tied up in my own baggage regarding the "Pentecostal" movements in modern Christianity. Most of these are relatively new and are often associated with fits of frenzy and wild speech that are supposed to be indicators that the Holy Spirit is present.
On the surface, it might seem that there is precedent for this in the Acts passage, but I think a deeper look says that this was actually quite an orderly affair in which people heard clearly what God had to say to them. Perhaps it was out of order for what they expected to hear, but it was not out of order for God's will. So, when we talk of the church needing to be more "Pentecostal" we are simply saying that we need to be more in tune with God's Spirit.
All of us probably know of someone that we hold as an example of someone who is more “in tune” with God’s spirit, Rick Ufford-Chase is someone who has done that for me. He is a Ruling Elder (not a Pastor) and an advocate for peace. He has served in a variety of ministry positions ranging from developing border ministries in Arizona to accompanying civilians in areas torn by violence.
In 2004 Rick was the moderator of the 216th meeting of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) in Richmond, VA. The Moderator's position exists for two purposes. The first is to ensure a faithful process for decision-making. The second is to become somewhat of an ambassador for the church, helping congregations and governing bodies to discern the will of God in light of the decisions made at General Assembly.
During that time he was quoted in the Richmond Times-Dispatch as having said, "We have to live mission rather than go one week a year. Are we willing to become God's truly Pentecostal multi-cultural church? Classism in our churches makes it uncomfortable to welcome new immigrants. I ask people: 'What makes your church special?' The number one answer is: 'We are very friendly.' Forgive me, friends. If we are so friendly, why are we a dying church? Jesus calls us to be friendly with those no one wants to be friendly within our community."
Those are some harsh words, and there is some truth to them. Yet this is a congregation that "gets it." We have a rich history of involvement in the community. We care deeply and actively for our members. We engage our community through active partnerships with Meals on Wheels and Family Promise and United Christian Outreach. We support the Wesley United Campus Ministry, were active in Presbytery, and we are constantly looking for new partners to extend our reach.
That translates to even more generosity as well through special and denominational offerings – which we participate in more faithfully than some congregations that are many times our size (even if only through our spare change). I’m telling you, you are on fire!
Not only that, but look at the fruits we produce. Jordan, who is our Lay Reader grew up here and provides care to young mothers and babies. She and Leigh Rachal used to sing in the children’s choir. Now Leigh is Pastoring the Abbeville church and is the Director of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference. Likewise, Norma Jean Luckey (who still comes by to do our recycling and manage the Library) is Pastoring the church in New Iberea!
I could go on all day about all the other things that members do inside the congregation as well, but did you know that this June there are members of the church (thank you Allison Brandon and Wonderland Performing Arts) hosting events to join our community in celebrating Juneteenth and others who will hold a space of welcome downtown during the Pride event. We have also been recognized for our care and concern for God’s creation as an Earthcare congregation, and recently we appointed a task force to help us ask and answer the question of what is next for us as a group of people who follow the way of Jesus.
Wow. You guys are on fire, and because of that, the Pentecost story comes to us today not as a historical event, but as a reminder of the presence of God in our midst. The Holy Spirit of God did not just show up that day as though the active presence of God had never been there before. Neither was it God dropping a mic and saying, “Holy Spirit activated. Peace. I’m out.”
What we find in this event is God’s great “Drop and go!” moment – like I described earlier in the dish pit – not only that but we find its extension in the words of Paul and the promises of Jesus in John’s Gospel.
In Paul’s letter, he describes a certain kind of balance provided by the gifts of the Spirit, and perhaps that is what we might pray for as we continue to pray for the church. I don’t mean the type of balance that we tend to find in the world. I mean the type of balance described by Peter as he quotes Amos and by Paul as he describes the way that gifts are given counterbalancing one another.
Speaking of Amos, this is the part where we have to ask ourselves if we really want the gift of the Spirit. In the "glorious day of the coming of the Lord," things get messed up. Things follow the order of God rather than the will of a people. Even the structures we build to provide order may get challenged and broken if they are found to limit people instead of empowering them. But don't worry. It's not all gloom and doom. The Spirit of God is in the business of building people up into a community.
For Jesus stood among them and said, “Peace,” and he breathed upon them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” and gave them authority to forgive or retain sins. Matt Skinner of Luther Seminary (don’t worry, he’s a Presbyterian) said that he understood that to mean that God is trusting us to remove the barriers between us and God and cautioning us against ensuring them.
Let that sit for a minute, but not too long, because we have dreams and visions to work out – and we’re on fire! As long as we remember that these dreams and visions must be in tune with God’s and that God’s vision is about removing the barriers that we tend to build between us.
Breathe deep. Let God take your burdens and involve you in God’s priorities until such a time as yours and God’s become the same. Know of God’s love, and let us continue to revel in the Spirit of truth as God’s people together. Amen!
Just like most restaurants, every server had a station of three or four tables that they were primarily responsible for, but every server was also responsible for every customer they walked by. You did not walk past a dirty dish without picking it up unless your hands were full. You did not walk by a table that had not been greeted without taking a drink order and seeing that it got to them.
If two or more were gathered at the dish pit, I would say “Drop and go!” and take the responsibility of scraping dishes. The response was always, “What do you need?” If I needed anything for my tables they would get it, but not before taking clean dishes to the cooks before checking and checking for any hot food to go out – whether it was for their table or not. We were never idle. It was high energy! We worked hard, and it was fun! We had a code language that helped us get things done with minimal confusion, and the most prized comment of all was, "You are on fire!" which meant, "I can be better at being who I am because you are who you are." Though there were a variety of believers and non-believers represented in that place, that attitude exists for me today as a model for the Holy, Pentecostal, and Apostolic church.
Another notion of being "on fire" that comes to mind is from a hardly known song called Kid Fears by the Indigo Girls. In this song, they lace harmonies around questions about what we wouldn't give to be released from the fears that haunt us from childhood, the things done to us, and the mistakes we make. They ask, "Are you on fire from the years?"
It seems to me that it comes down to motivation. They are asking if we are more motivated by our pain or by our potential for joy. Being "on fire" can just as easily mean that you are consumed by your pain as it can mean that you are a force of beauty because of who you are and how you relate to others. Right now - in this space today - I want you to know that I see you as a force of beauty because of who you are and how you relate to others. When you leave this place it is up to you to determine why and how you burn. Right now, we are here because of our relationship with God and with each other. And you, my friends, are on fire!
Now let's talk a little about Pentecostal fire. My reaction to the term Pentecostal is tied up in my own baggage regarding the "Pentecostal" movements in modern Christianity. Most of these are relatively new and are often associated with fits of frenzy and wild speech that are supposed to be indicators that the Holy Spirit is present.
On the surface, it might seem that there is precedent for this in the Acts passage, but I think a deeper look says that this was actually quite an orderly affair in which people heard clearly what God had to say to them. Perhaps it was out of order for what they expected to hear, but it was not out of order for God's will. So, when we talk of the church needing to be more "Pentecostal" we are simply saying that we need to be more in tune with God's Spirit.
All of us probably know of someone that we hold as an example of someone who is more “in tune” with God’s spirit, Rick Ufford-Chase is someone who has done that for me. He is a Ruling Elder (not a Pastor) and an advocate for peace. He has served in a variety of ministry positions ranging from developing border ministries in Arizona to accompanying civilians in areas torn by violence.
In 2004 Rick was the moderator of the 216th meeting of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) in Richmond, VA. The Moderator's position exists for two purposes. The first is to ensure a faithful process for decision-making. The second is to become somewhat of an ambassador for the church, helping congregations and governing bodies to discern the will of God in light of the decisions made at General Assembly.
During that time he was quoted in the Richmond Times-Dispatch as having said, "We have to live mission rather than go one week a year. Are we willing to become God's truly Pentecostal multi-cultural church? Classism in our churches makes it uncomfortable to welcome new immigrants. I ask people: 'What makes your church special?' The number one answer is: 'We are very friendly.' Forgive me, friends. If we are so friendly, why are we a dying church? Jesus calls us to be friendly with those no one wants to be friendly within our community."
Those are some harsh words, and there is some truth to them. Yet this is a congregation that "gets it." We have a rich history of involvement in the community. We care deeply and actively for our members. We engage our community through active partnerships with Meals on Wheels and Family Promise and United Christian Outreach. We support the Wesley United Campus Ministry, were active in Presbytery, and we are constantly looking for new partners to extend our reach.
That translates to even more generosity as well through special and denominational offerings – which we participate in more faithfully than some congregations that are many times our size (even if only through our spare change). I’m telling you, you are on fire!
Not only that, but look at the fruits we produce. Jordan, who is our Lay Reader grew up here and provides care to young mothers and babies. She and Leigh Rachal used to sing in the children’s choir. Now Leigh is Pastoring the Abbeville church and is the Director of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference. Likewise, Norma Jean Luckey (who still comes by to do our recycling and manage the Library) is Pastoring the church in New Iberea!
I could go on all day about all the other things that members do inside the congregation as well, but did you know that this June there are members of the church (thank you Allison Brandon and Wonderland Performing Arts) hosting events to join our community in celebrating Juneteenth and others who will hold a space of welcome downtown during the Pride event. We have also been recognized for our care and concern for God’s creation as an Earthcare congregation, and recently we appointed a task force to help us ask and answer the question of what is next for us as a group of people who follow the way of Jesus.
Wow. You guys are on fire, and because of that, the Pentecost story comes to us today not as a historical event, but as a reminder of the presence of God in our midst. The Holy Spirit of God did not just show up that day as though the active presence of God had never been there before. Neither was it God dropping a mic and saying, “Holy Spirit activated. Peace. I’m out.”
What we find in this event is God’s great “Drop and go!” moment – like I described earlier in the dish pit – not only that but we find its extension in the words of Paul and the promises of Jesus in John’s Gospel.
In Paul’s letter, he describes a certain kind of balance provided by the gifts of the Spirit, and perhaps that is what we might pray for as we continue to pray for the church. I don’t mean the type of balance that we tend to find in the world. I mean the type of balance described by Peter as he quotes Amos and by Paul as he describes the way that gifts are given counterbalancing one another.
Speaking of Amos, this is the part where we have to ask ourselves if we really want the gift of the Spirit. In the "glorious day of the coming of the Lord," things get messed up. Things follow the order of God rather than the will of a people. Even the structures we build to provide order may get challenged and broken if they are found to limit people instead of empowering them. But don't worry. It's not all gloom and doom. The Spirit of God is in the business of building people up into a community.
For Jesus stood among them and said, “Peace,” and he breathed upon them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” and gave them authority to forgive or retain sins. Matt Skinner of Luther Seminary (don’t worry, he’s a Presbyterian) said that he understood that to mean that God is trusting us to remove the barriers between us and God and cautioning us against ensuring them.
Let that sit for a minute, but not too long, because we have dreams and visions to work out – and we’re on fire! As long as we remember that these dreams and visions must be in tune with God’s and that God’s vision is about removing the barriers that we tend to build between us.
Breathe deep. Let God take your burdens and involve you in God’s priorities until such a time as yours and God’s become the same. Know of God’s love, and let us continue to revel in the Spirit of truth as God’s people together. Amen!
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