The Feast of Pentecost

Acts of the Apostles 2: 1-21

Unless the eye catch fire,

The God will not be seen.

Unless the ear catch fire,

The God will not be heard.

Unless the tongue catch fire,

The God will not be named.

Unless the heart catch fire,

The God will not be loved.

Unless the mind catch fire,

The God will not be known.

                      William Blake

On the day of Pentecost the disciples found themselves to be in a highly flammable condition.  They had been obedient to Jesus' command to wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  They had gathered together in continual prayer--a dangerous mix.  On the day that the Holy Fire fell, their eyes, ears, tongues, hearts and minds were ignited by flames that continued to spread through 3,000 parched souls.  That fire remains, to this day, uncontained.

So how do we catch fire?  We catch a cold because our resistance is down.  In a similar way this is how we catch fire.  We ask God to search our hearts and to reveal any areas of resistance to the Holy Spirit:  Lord, in what ways have I saturated my eyes, ears, tongue, heart and mind in a fire retardant?  By Busy-ness? Inattention?  Addictions?  Once these areas of resistance have been revealed, we confess them and receive God's grace and forgiveness.

Come to St. Timothy's on Sunday. Together let's lift our hearts and voices in praise and thanksgiving, asking the Holy Spirit to make us kindling and to set our hearts on fire for God and his Kingdom.