I hope that our church will never give an image to people that we, who claim to have experienced the power and warmth of God’s presence, are only interested in masses or large numbers of people but are not interested in individual persons. I think we have missed the essence of the gospel itself and the spirit of Christ when we do not care for individuals and love them and minister to them.
Fire as Encouraging
Fire has always been an encouragement to me. I love a fire in the fireplace. When I used to camp a lot, there was nothing friendlier or more encouraging than to have the warmth of a fire at night or early morning on a camping scene. Fire is a sign of encouragement, and we all need encouraging. Who among us does not have low moments? There are times when somebody else needs to lift us up and to say the right word. I hope, as a congregation which has been tested by fire, difficult experiences, and having been displaced, that now we shall be better people because of what we have been through. I hope that we shall be more encouraging to others and more caring because of what we have learned in our trial by fire.
John Killinger tells of a regionalist writer in Maine whose name was Sarah Ome Jewett. She wrote once about an old spinster named Miss Tempey. In her account, she described the watchers who had come to “watch” on the night before the burial service for Miss Tempey. Two elderly women were talking about the spinster and they began to reminisce about the marvelous quince jelly that she used to make. They agreed that it was the best jelly they had ever eaten. Then they began to wonder about the thorny, half-dead, old quince tree from which she got the fruit for her jelly. They confessed they didn’t know how she did it, but she always seemed to be able to encourage that old tree to bear one more year. She always seemed to be able to encourage it to give one more crop.
We need more encouragers. We need those who will say the right word at the right moment, those who will give an embrace at the right occasion. We need more people who will show concern to us at the needed time. We all need to have a strong sense of the warmth of encouragement.
Fire as Inspiration
But fire is also a symbol for inspiration. We speak of persons being “on fire.” They are filled with the fires of enthusiasm. The “tongues of fire” recorded in the Book of Acts came upon the disciples and filled them with inspiration and enthusiasm to go preach and serve in the name of Christ.
Those who have caught something of the illumination of Christ will have the fire and zeal of his spirit filling their lives. There is nothing worse than trying to warm up frozen spirits. It’s much easier, I think, to try to cool a volcano than it is to try to heat up an iceberg. Sometimes I would rather have people who are overly enthusiastic than those who don’t have any enthusiasm. Jesus Christ has come to ignite us with the zeal of His spirit. He has come to set us aflame as his people in the world to work and serve in his name. We are to be, to use Elton Trueblood’s phrase, “The Incendiary Fellowship.” In his rousing hymn, Trueblood has challenged us to be aglow with God’s spirit.
Thou, whose purpose is to kindle:
Now ignite us with Thy fire;
While the earth awaits Thy burning.
With Thy passion inspire.
Overcome our sinful calmness,
Rouse us with redemptive shame;
Baptize with Thy fiery Spirit.
Crown our lives with tongues of flame.6
Ignited by the Flame of Christ
Jerome Ellison, in a book entitled Report to the Creator, tells about an experience he had as a youth in his home church. While he was at worship, he had an experience with the power of God’s spirit that touched his life. He said he became so excited that he could hardly wait for the benediction to discuss his feelings with his parents and some other adults and to tell them about the excitement that had been created in his spirit by God. But everybody was busy talking about other matters, and nobody had time for him. Finally, someone did notice him but only remarked that he looked pale. Another said that maybe church was too much for him and laughed. He was deeply crushed and concluded that all adults were hypocrites. This experience led him to years of religious indifference and doubt. Years later, after much study and thought, he returned to church and said the amazing thing was that as an adult God reached down and touched him again in that worship service and his experience was ignited again by the presence of God. But he said, “Now I was an adult, I would not remain silent. Whenever there was an opportunity I spoke shouting, “Look who is here!”7 Look who is here in this place of worship and many of you have not seen him. He is come that we might experience the power of his presence. Look he is here!
Walter Russell Bowie wrote a book several years ago entitled Men of Fire, which today would have to be retitled Men and Women of Fire. In his book, Bowie traced twenty-six exciting biographies of torchbearers of the Gospel from biblical days to the present. He writes about Jesus’ statement: “1 have come to cast fire upon the earth.” “So, Jesus said to his disciples; and the fire indeed was kindled. It would be a fire of affliction in which their courage would be tested, as gold in the furnace is tried, a fire on the altar of sacrifice where fear and selfishness could be burned away. It would also be like the light of a lamp to illuminate their minds and consciences; and a flame within their hearts to burn there as an unquenchable devotion.”8
Jesus Christ comes into our lives. His presence comes as a flame to make us different. The flame of his presence refines us, cleanses us, directs us, empowers us, and inspires us. It comes and touches us in such a way with the power of is grace and love that other people can see that the torch of His experience has ignited us.
Harry Emerson Fosdick tells about a young man whom he was counseling who was a borderline alcoholic. He worked with that young man for months before he was able to control his drive. When this young man came to Fosdick he was not a believer, but when he left Fosdick after his last counseling session he said: “If you ever find anyone who doesn’t believe in God, send him to me. I know.’’9 He was living proof that God can make a difference in a person’s life.
Your life and my life, when the experience and power of God have ignited it, should be radically different. I hope that the enthusiasm and the power of God’s spirit will permeate your life and mine. I pray that we will be excited about God’s presence in our lives. I hope that you and I will be ignited by God’s flame and excited about our church as the place for us where God is seeking to work in our community.
Jesus said, “I have come to cast fire on the earth.” If you and I are really going to minister and be the kind of church that Christ wants us to be, there has to be that fiery glow within us that comes from the presence of a living Lord who makes all things new within us.
One evening Emily and I were walking down the main street in Edinburgh, Scotland. As darkness began to fall on the city, I remembered a story I had heard years ago. This story was about a stranger who came to Edinburgh around the turn of the century before the city had electric lights and the street lamps were lit with gas. The visitor to the city was standing on the balcony of his hotel when he saw the lamplighter approach. The lamplighter reached up to the lamp with his torch and thrust it into the gas light. The lamp exploded into a flame. The visitor watched the lamplighter as he continued to walk down the street and stop and set his torch to touch another light, and it began to glow. He seemed to be punching holes in the darkness. He watched the lamplighter until he finally disappeared. He could see the lights bursting into flames here and then there. Another lamp burst into flames,