1 Kings 18:20-39
June 2, 2013
In Memory of Roger P. Mann, Grace Mann Miller and their family
Are you on
fire? Turn and ask your neighbor this
question. Are you on fire?
When I was still
in seminary a new Superintendent was appointed to my United Methodist district
here in New England and when I met him for the first time he asked a question
that stuck with me, “What gives you fire in the belly?” I don’t think I’d ever heard that term
before so it stuck with me. Fire in the
belly; energy and determination, stamina, vigor, a drive to take action. It is a good question to ask when we think
about the ministry of the church – both the individuals who are part of the
church, and congregations as a whole.
Do we have fire in the belly?
A consultant sat
in a circle in the church hall with members of a small congregation that wanted
to grow. She started the meeting by
having each person state what he or she thought the church should be doing and
made a long list of activities, many of which they used to do when they had
more members. The consultant followed
this by saying, “This time we will go around but only tell me those things you
have passion and energy to do now.”
When it comes to life
in the church, a life of faith, being on fire with passion and energy makes all
the difference, both for the church as a whole, and for the members. The sense of being on fire often marks the
beginning of a new and exciting ministry.
In the 1700s the church in England was weak and lifeless. After years of bloody wars and conflicts
between Protestant and Catholic, Puritans and Anglicans folks had just stopped
going to church. John Wesley, a new Priest in England was struggling with his
faith, feeling like a failure when he attended a prayer meeting one evening in
London and felt a little fire, he wrote, “his heart strangely warmed.” This event was the catalyst that fired up
all the elements God had given him to show the people of England a new way of being
and doing church. Wesley understood
that fire in the belly was vital to the Methodist movement. And not just the fire made of paper; intense
but short-lived. But fire in the belly,
hot coals that are constantly tended and fed and thus cannot be easily
quenched.
For this reason
early Methodists had two stages of membership.
When people were at a revival and the preacher inspired them to become
Methodist they would start attending weekly class meetings and become
Probationary Members. But they needed
to stick around, engage in works of piety like scripture reading, prayer and
worship, and works of mercy caring for the sick and poor and imprisoned. If after several months or a couple of years
the class leader could see evidence that the fire was still burning, that
person was made a Member in Full Connection with the Methodist society.
The probation
period shortened over time but this was still how it was here in South Walpole
when Sanford and Ella Mann became members in full connection on October 7,
1877. They had been through a period of
probation. Even children who had grown up in the church had to go through a
probationary. Harry and Walter Mann
became probationers when they were teen-agers and full members five months
later. The church wanted to make sure
that their members were on fire.
Passion
and energy, fire in the belly; it’s an important ingredient in the spiritual
life. The symbol of fire is key to the
life of the church, not only the United Methodist Church which adopted the
cross and flame as our logo, but the church as a whole from the time of
Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on the followers of Jesus setting each
one on fire. And the fire of God was
there before Pentecost – in Old Testament Times: in Moses’ burning bush, in
Daniel’s fiery furnace and there is fire in today’s story about Elijah.
But
the Bible knows, and we all have experienced that fires can grow cold, burn
out. This is where we find Elijah. He was a prophet of Israel when the fire of
faith was nearly out. King Ahab was not
very faithful. He married Jezebel, who
had no interest in serving the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This union led
Ahab to start dabbling with Jezebel’s god Baal, and the people followed
suit. Baal was the exciting Assyrian
god of thunder– he was called The Prince, the Powerful, The Rider of
Clouds. Where there was thunder there
was also rain so Baal also got credit for being the god of fertility – both
agricultural and human fertility. So
the Jews in the kingdom of Israel were sitting on the fence, still thinking of
themselves as good people who loved God, but also devoting much of themselves
to the worship of Baal. Faithfulness to
God had dwindled so much that there were 450 prophets of Baal to one prophet of
the Lord, Elijah.
But
at this time Ahab’s kingdom was in the midst of a drought. Nothing was growing and the people were
starting to get desperate. Elijah
convinced Ahab to gather the prophets of Baal together with the people of
Israel and hold a contest. One ox would be sacrificed to Baal and one to the
Lord, and the people promised to stop sitting on the fence and become 100%
loyal to whichever god answered by fire.
Elijah
was gracious and he let Baal’s prophets go first. They killed their bull and began their rituals (putting on their
lucky socks, tugging on their sleeves) and prayed to Baal all morning even
dancing their lucky dance steps and singing Sweet Caroline in the 8th
inning stretch. But nothing
happened. In the afternoon while Elijah
mocked them, they prayed even harder and louder, finally shedding their own
blood by cutting themselves to persuade Baal. “They
used every religious trick and strategy they knew to make something happen on
the altar, but nothing happened—not so much as a whisper, not a flicker of
response.”[1]
Then
Elijah took his turn. First he took
twelve stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel and rebuilt an altar –
making it clear that this altar was for the Lord of Israel - of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. Then he dug a trench around
the altar, laid the firewood, cut up the ox and put it on the wood. Then he surprised everyone when he asked
that four buckets of water be poured over the ox and the wood – and had them do
this three times until everything was soaking wet. Then Elijah offered his prayer, affirming that he was there as
the Lord’s servant, ready to lead the people to full faithfulness. Immediately the fire of the Lord fell and
burned up everything, the ox, the wood, the stones the dirt and even the water
in the trench.
When
the people saw this they worshiped the Lord with awe singing “The Lord is the
true God; The Lord indeed is God.”
This
is good news for us. If the Lord can
set a soggy altar on fire so that even the water burns up, surly the Lord can
set us on fire. It doesn’t matter if we
are burned out, depressed, tired, old, young, too busy or not busy enough – the
Lord can set us on fire, and rekindle our fire over and over again. A church
can go through divisive conflict and loose members until it feels like there are
only a few smoldering coals and the Spirit of the Lord can fan the flames and
lead new people to join until the church becomes a bonfire again. We can let our attention be divided so much
that other things take primary place in our life, but the Lord can set a fire
that draws us back, cleanses us of our sins and create a powerful change in our
hearts so that we know that it is the hand of the Lord touching us, and
reclaiming us for a life of service to God and to our neighbors.
In
preparation for welcoming the Manns today I reached out to some of the pastors
who knew Roger, Grace and their parents Walter and Marion. Rev. Jim Winn wrote that Marion was, “a
person whose faith gave her life an inner and outer beauty.” And Vivian Winn added that, “Grace's beautiful music and bright personality enriched so
many lives.” Marion’s passion for the church led her to teach Sunday School,
and to invite the neighbor children, including the Potters to walk with her to
the church. Grace took the fire of God with her and together with Bruce they
made their churches and communities in Natic and Templeton brighter and warmer.
We will take some more time to share more memories of Roger, Grace and their
family after the next hymn.
But for now we need to ask ourselves the question I
started with. Are you on fire? Do you
have fire in the belly? Are you
involved with a ministry, an activity that gives your life purpose, something
for which you have passion and energy? I invite you to take time this week to
meditate on the nature of your fire. Is
it burning brightly, or is it a bed of dying embers? If it’s the latter, do not despair. God can set a soggy altar on fire! Perhaps you have been focusing
your attention in the wrong direction?
If what you are doing gives you no results, if God is not blessing it,
perhaps it’s time for a change. Loyally
serving without passion is recipe for burnout.
Notice where the fire seems strongest, what issues arouse your
passion. Start to make changes to put
more of your energy there and by the grace of Jesus the flames will rise up.
Pray to the Lord – the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, the Lord Jesus Christ who sends his Holy Spirit like fire on his
disciples. Pray like Elijah with faith
that God will give you the same gracious answer – and set you on fire, until
you feel so powerful a change in your soul that you are sure that it is God’s
work. Let the next hymn be your prayer
– let us first read it together and then sing it with all our hearts.
See how great a flame aspires,
Kindled by a spark of grace!
Jesus’ love the nations fires,
Sets the kingdoms on a blaze:
To bring fire on earth He came;
Kindled in some hearts it is:
O that all might catch the flame,
All partake the glorious bliss!
When He first the work begun,
Small and feeble was His day:
Now the word doth swiftly run;
Now it wins its widening way:
More and more it spread and grows,
Ever mighty to prevail;
Sin’s strongholds it now o’erthrows,
Shakes the trembling gates of hell.
Saints of God, your Savior praise!
He the door hath opened wide!
He hath given the word of grace,
Jesus’ word is glorified;
Jesus, mighty to redeem,
He alone the work hath wrought;
Worthy is the work of Him,
Him who spake a world from naught.
Saw ye not the cloud arise,
Little as a human hand?
Now it spreads along the skies,
Hangs o’er all the thirsty land:
Lo! the promise of a shower
Drops already from above;
But the Lord will shortly pour
All the spirit of His love.
Kindled by a spark of grace!
Jesus’ love the nations fires,
Sets the kingdoms on a blaze:
To bring fire on earth He came;
Kindled in some hearts it is:
O that all might catch the flame,
All partake the glorious bliss!
When He first the work begun,
Small and feeble was His day:
Now the word doth swiftly run;
Now it wins its widening way:
More and more it spread and grows,
Ever mighty to prevail;
Sin’s strongholds it now o’erthrows,
Shakes the trembling gates of hell.
Saints of God, your Savior praise!
He the door hath opened wide!
He hath given the word of grace,
Jesus’ word is glorified;
Jesus, mighty to redeem,
He alone the work hath wrought;
Worthy is the work of Him,
Him who spake a world from naught.
Saw ye not the cloud arise,
Little as a human hand?
Now it spreads along the skies,
Hangs o’er all the thirsty land:
Lo! the promise of a shower
Drops already from above;
But the Lord will shortly pour
All the spirit of His love.
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