Fire Season

In the traditional Christian liturgical cycle, this time in between Pentecost and Advent is thought of as a long stretch of “Ordinary Time.” There is no high holiday to observe and we just kind of have “ordinary” life. I’d like to offer an accent to this season. What if we saw the time from Pentecost to the Feast of John the Baptist as the initiation of a season of fire and power? Following Pentecost we have the afterglow of the Spirit’s visitation and the outbreaking of spiritual renewal and transformation in the book of Acts. Right after Summer Solstice in the north, we have the Feast of John the Baptist. (June 24th). We have Pentecost with the visitation of God in the form of tongues of fire. For the feast of John the Baptist we remember when he talked about Jesus as one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

What if we used this time to explore and develop our own power? What if we used this season to connect with the transforming power of God? What if we began to consider what all of the power, gifts, and movements that we have are really for? When I think about fire, I think of a few things:

Power - Fire in the form of combustion or electric sparks moves all our machines

Transformation - Fire boils water to turn to gas, bakes dough to create bread

Purification - The refiner’s fire purifies precious metals, heat sterilizes equipment

What if we used these notions to drive our spiritual reflection.

Power: Where is God moving me? What is God calling us to move?

Transformation: How might God’s spirit be transforming me? How might God’s Spirit be making something new of us?

Purification : What may need to be burned so I may more fully embrace my purpose. What do I carry that no longer serves me or God’s loving purposes?

As the Earth, society, and our lives experience this time of fire in the summer season, may we discover renewal, refreshing, and purpose in the fiery power of God to make all things new.

Amen