Fire In the hole - 5/23/21
Call to worship:
L: Come to
the birthplace, and we shall become one, even as parent and child are one.
P: We come
to the God who gives us life, whose life in the world is borne by our labor.
L: Let us
come singing, and we shall be one, even as melody and harmony are one.
P: We come
to the God who gives us song, and to whose lead we lend our voices.
L: Letus
come dancing, and we shall be one, even as rhythm and motion are one.
P: We come
to the God who gives us dance, and to whose movements we adapt our step.
A: Welcome to the birthplace, and we shall be one. We come to
our God: we shall be one!
Opening Hymn:
Surely the Presence of the Lord
#328
Surely the presence
Of the Lord is in this place
I can feel His mighty power
And His grace
I can hear the brush of angel's wings
I see glory on each face
Surely the presence
Of the Lord is in this place
Opening Prayer:
Spirit, we call! And many are the names by which we call you. You are Creator: father and mother. You are Provider: bread and wine. You are Counselor: guide and beacon. You are Helper: talent and will. You are Reconciler: bridge and the first step. You are Presence: host and guest.
Our names for you gush forth as waters from desert springs; they teem as creatures in the seas. Our God, who art in heaven, hallowed be they names! Come to us, on earth as in heaven! Amen.
Epistle Reading: Romans 8: 22-27
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Hymn: God of Grace and God of Glory #577
Prayer of Dedication:
O wise and gracious God, how intimately you know the creation
that your hand is fashioning, that breathes the wind of your spirit!
Though you have an infinite capacity to preserve, you have so
designed creation that resurrection, not preservation, is the aim of all life.
You have set the seasons turning in their cycle; you have set the earth
spinning.
All is change, all is motion. This is the way of the world.
But we follow your way. For your way is truth and light and we know that your
way is the path we must intend for our lives. Please love us along your
way. Amen.
Gospel Reading:
John 15: 26-27, 16: 4b-15
26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
4 But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Sermon Title:
Fire In the hole!
Fire in the hole!!!! Generally speaking, when this phrase was shouted out, you took cover because there was an explosion coming very soon. And everybody knew that if you waited until you heard, “There she blows,” you were too late.
Today, we are shouting, “FIRE,” but this isn’t just an explosion, or even a fire that consumes everything in its path. The fire that we speak of today is the fire of the Holy Spirit; the fire of taking action after hearing the Word of God. The fire that we are celebrating today is the birth of the church. And make no mistake, I do not say the word, “church” as if it refers to a building or even a place or time. The church; the true idea of the church, is the people who accept the gift of God through the actions of Jesus the Christ and in turn, take action themselves so that all others will have the opportunity to accept this same gift.
We are all told from an early age to be careful or to stay away from fire. It’s hot, it can burn you, you could be hurt or killed. Don’t touch the stove when its on or you will get burned by the heat. I don’t know about you, but I have always been quite intrigued by fire; despite the warnings, it had the power to mesmerize me. But I did learn a healthy respect for it when one fire got away from me and damaged the living room carpet. I couldn’t hide the mark, although I tried, and thus got in trouble for “playing with fire.” I was fortunate that all I got was in trouble. It could have been so much worse.
So today as we hear the message of Pentecost from Acts 2: 1-21, listen closely and decide for yourselves in what manner we should address fire. READ ACTS 2: 1-21.
Imagine the panic that would ensue if we experienced this today. A great rush of wind comes right down the middle of the isle and then tongues of fire rest on every head. And suddenly, everyone talking is able to be understood by everyone else. Even though they are speaking other languages. Surely there would be those who were under the impression that the end of the world was near. Others would just be afraid of what might come next. And then there would be those who thought that it was just one big scam and would scoff at anyone who believed otherwise.
Fire has a power that no other entity has. It single-handedly provided humans to make or break their lives and success. Once we discovered and then became able to produce fire on our own, life on earth changed forever. But beware, power can be a fickle thing.
Power, generally speaking, can be used in at least two ways: it can be unleashed, or it can be harnessed. The energy in ten gallons of gasoline, for instance, can be released explosively by dropping a lighted match into the can. Or it can be channeled through the engine of a Datsun in a controlled burn and used to transport a person 350 miles. Explosions are spectacular, but controlled burns have a lasting effect, staying power, if you will.
The Holy Spirit works both ways. At Pentecost, he exploded on the scene; His presence was like “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:3). Thousands were affected by one burst of God’s power. But He also works through the church -- the institution God began to tap the Holy Spirit’s power for the long haul. Through worship, fellowship, and of course service. As Christians, we are provided with this staying power and the ability to pass it on to others as well.
Along with that ability, we must then look for opportunities to spread the fire. To provide the warmth and comfort that comes with the knowledge of salvation. And whether it explodes or burns in a controlled manner, you will know that you have shared the fruits of the spirit with all of God’s creations.
Amen.
Closing Hymn:
O Church of God, United #547
1 O church of God, united
to serve one common Lord,
proclaim to all one message,
with hearts in glad accord.
Christ ever goes before us;
we follow day by day
with strong and eager footsteps
along the upward way.
2 From every land and nation
the ordered ranks appear;
to serve one valiant leader
they come from far and near.
They chant their one confession,
they praise one living Lord,
and place their sure dependence
upon his saving word.
3 Though creeds and tongues may differ,
they speak, O Christ, of thee;
and in thy loving spirit
we shall one people be.
Lord, may our faithful service
and singleness of aim
proclaim to all the power
of thy redeeming name.
4 May thy great prayer be answered
that we may all be one,
close bound, by love united
in thee, God's blessed Son:
to bring a single witness,
to make the pathway bright,
that souls which grope in darkness
may find the one true light.
