"The Fire That Consumes Us"

(Please read Acts 1:4-5 and Acts 2:1-4)
Lectionary Scriptures - The day of Pentecost

Moses saw the fire – a fire that did not consume the burning bush yet consumed the remainder of his life. Out of the fire, he heard the words, “Remove your sandals. You are standing on holy ground.” Out of the fire, he heard, “I AM GOD.” Just as the burning bush marked the ground as holy for Moses, the tongues of fire that separated and rested on each of the disciples on the day of Pentecost marked that very moment and place as holy ground. For those disciples, as it was for Moses, this was a fire that consumed the remainder of their lives.

There were 120 gathered in a room, waiting for the "gift" that had been promised. They had been told by Jesus to wait in Jerusalem, and so they did. They came together in one place and waited in expectation, but for what? These disciples and followers would soon discover that this "place" where they waited was a place where the Holy Spirit would fill their whole being and where their Lord's own prayers for them would be answered. But first, they found themselves together - waiting and praying.

There was a hodge-podge of people gathered together for sure - good, yet stumbling disciples. There were those who had once admonished Jesus and denied him and those who had fled in fear after his crucifixion. There were doubters. Some had stood sobbing yet steadfast at the foot of the cross. Others had returned to their sameness for a while. These were the men and women who had walked with Jesus, who had heard his words and who had witnessed miracles. Among those in this gathering were the very ones who first looked directly into the eyes of our Risen Lord. All had different pasts and bumblingS and shining moments. All had their own personal encounter with Jesus.

In this room, they waited and prayed. They were shaped, molded and transformed much like babies yet to be born. The disciples found themselves, at last, to be moving toward one accord as was Jesus’ prayer for them (and for us). A sound like a violent wind filled the whole house and what seemed to be tongues of fire rested upon each of them. The fire consumed the very hearts of those who are present yet burned nothing around them. There was an immediate empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The place where Jesus' prayers were and are answered is not to be found in the square footage of this gathering room. This "place" of answered prayers is to be found deep within each believer. The gift of the Father is given and the Church begins to take shape as a living, breathing entity in this world and those who gather are "birthed" into Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered and Spirit-led disciples.

This is the story of the birth and empowerment through the Holy Spirit of our own churches and of our own lives as disciples. And so we gather together in our churches just as Jesus commanded his disciples to gather together. We too are disciples with very different pasts. We gather. We worship. We pray in earnest that we might be of ONE accord - free from attitudes of who is the greatest, free from trivial pettiness, free from prejudices, from fears and from apathy. Perhaps our greatest focus in renewal and revival is to be gathered together in worship and expectant prayer, to move toward the body of Christ that is truly with "one accord" and to prepare our own hearts so as to make a welcomed home for the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. It is then when the doors of our churches will fling open, and we, the gathered, the hodge-podge of disciples, will go out into the world as Spirit-led disciples of Jesus Christ with hearts consumed by this holy fire within us.

Gracious and Giving God … Your Son has said that this fire that consumes is your gift to us. Perhaps we are too hesitant to pray for such all-consuming fire for our lives and for our churches. Forgive us for not reaching out to receive this incredible gift. In this moment, in both our alone times and in our gathering-together times, we pray that we might have willing hearts to receive your great gift. May each of us be consumed by your Holy Fire so that we might be a part of bringing the impassioned Church into this world, fueled by the flames of your Spirit and fanned by holy winds of your very breath. Come, Holy Spirit, Come. Amen.

anna