Oct 2, 2022

Lighting the Christ Candle

Welcome and Announcements

Called to Worship: The promises of the world turn to ashes and dust, but the promises of God last forever. The Holy One calls to us: “Come!” We come to rekindle the gift of God ablaze within us.

Hymn: 384 O breath of life come sweeping

Prayer of Adoration

Our God—we, your people, stand ready and open

to receive the flame of your Spirit.

As we worship you, give us the ability to speak your truth so that others may hear, and be blessed.

Come, Spirit of Truth, fill our hearts.

May that which was of stone be now transformed into life.

Come, Spirit of Life, change our hearts.

May we who receive your light dwell together in Your love.

Come, Spirit of Love, soften our hearts.

Fill us with your compassion that we will love as you have loved us.

Come, Spirit of Hope, heal our hearts.

Make us bold to bring light to the dark places,

warmth to the cold places, and love to the empty places.

Come, Spirit of Faith, strengthen our hearts.

Spirit of the Living God, fill our hearts, minds, and souls to overflowing.

Come, Spirit of God, move in our hearts.

Our God—we, your people,

celebrate the mystery of your never-ending love. Hear us now as trusting in that love we turn to you in confession, saying:

 

Unison Prayer of Confession: We live in an uncertain world— time and again we turn to people who promise us security. But God, you are our only source of safety. Help us turn to you, our heart’s true home. Call us again and lead us home. Author of peace, teach us to seek our peace in you. Source of every blessing, forgive us for the multitude of our transgressions. Rekindle a spirit of love and self-discipline within us, through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Assurance of Pardon

Our Savior Jesus Christ abolished sin and death and brought life and immortality to light. By the grace of the Eternal One, we are forgiven in the power of the Holy Spirit living within us.

The Peace

Hear the words of Jesus: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” The peace of Christ is ours, through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.

Hymn: 376 Lord, the light of your love is shining

Scripture Lessons: 2 Timothy 1: 1-14

Sermon: Fan the flames of the gift of God

We all can say that we appreciate the effect of fires for our well-being, both physically and emotionally.

Fires can help us to stay warm. In the fireplace or the fire pit, the warmth they bring, takes the chill off even the coldest day.

We like to watch them, with the ever-changing flickering light, and we experience the comfort and peace of the meditative effect.

Fires are places where food can be cooked, on the coals, or over the flame, from steaks to stew to the hot dogs and marshmallows of a good campout. They bring sustenance and joy.

But we also know that fires need to be tended. We need to fan the initial flame into life, and then we need to keep adding fuel so that the fire burns strongly; and to use it in successfully we need to control the fire, by banking the flames to settle to use the power of the coals, when we are not feeding the flames to bring the strength and power of the fire.

In the 2 Letter of Timothy, which we read today, Paul says to Timothy that he remembers Timothy’s: honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. MSG

Keep that faith ablaze! What an injunction.

The advice for us is the same—keep the faith ablaze.

It does not matter the size of the blaze, what matters is that we nurture, feed, and use that fire of the Holy Spirit and keep it alive.

How we live the fire of the Spirit into the world affects us physically, emotionally and spiritually, and it affects the whole congregation and the world outside our doors in the same ways.

When we bring the flame of God’s Spirit with us into every situation, we gather into the warmth of God’s love. It affects the ways in which we welcome one another to worship. It is seen in the love with which we reach out to the community and especially to the least of these that Jesus trusts us to care for.

The warmth of the flame of the Spirit encourages those who feel the chill of the world, where being accepted and loved in their current situations seems unattainable.

That warmth and love can empower those who are discouraged, or struggling with their own faith. Warmth, love, and acceptance establishes a safe place for people to grow in their struggles.

When we fan the flames of our faith, people see and take notice. They watch the ways in which our faith is shown. They see the love we have. They see the ways in which we cope with our struggles. They notice how we rise above discouragement. They see the power of faith and love in our lives.

When others watch the flame of our faith, they themselves encounter that place to meditate on the goodness of God. They see in us the source of peace. They learn what it means to trust God. They find strength in worship, song and prayer. And they find hope that God will also bless them as he has blessed us.

The commentators at Ministry Matters talk about the flame of the Spirit as our superpower. It seems like everywhere we turn people are talking about their superpower and not always in a good way. Yet if we look at the terminology and frame it theologically, we can say that the flame of the Holy Spirit is the source of our strength and of our partnership with God. So, what that really means for us, is that our power comes from God and God’s love alive in us.

I appreciate the way the commentator Alred puts it. He writes: I think that authentic ministry is difficult, [but] God is with us. God

has given us the power we need to do what God has called us to do.

God has given us the power we need to do what God has called us to do.

What seems important here is that the power is unique to each of our callings, whether we are called to be a bed of coals sharing quietly with friends over coffee, to a small blaze in which we serve in more public ways, or even a large blaze in which we live out faith extravagantly in the public eye. It doesn’t matter what our calling to serve God is, what matters is that we trust that God has given us the power in the Spirit to fulfill the calling he has given us. What matters is that we boldly do what God has asked.

Paul points out to Timothy, that the ways in which his mother and grandmother fanned the flames of the Spirit in themselves, was important in the development of Timothy’s faith. The prayer and laying on of hands from Paul were important in fanning the flames of that faith, as Timothy took up his calling to lead and teach in the congregation. Lois, Eunice, Paul and others each fulfilled their calling to fan the flame of the Spirit in Timothy.

Timothy, like you and me, was surrounded by people who took a formative role in developing his faith. Taking the lessons learned Timothy then continued to grow in faith. The baptism of the Holy Spirit brought a flame to that faith.

All of this together formed a firm foundation and yet Paul reminds Timothy that he is responsible for continuing to fan the flame within himself.

That same responsibility falls on each one of us, as we boldly cultivate and embrace our calling because we have all received a spirit of power. The evidence of that power is seen in the spiritual fruit of love, and self-discipline.

We have all seen that the power of fire can be destructive. Fires destroy homes, and habitat and devastate forests. What fire has damaged continues to be damaged as it is no longer able to withstand the other forces that affect it, like storms and rain.

That is why we are warned here to respect that power and be disciplined to use it with love, and grace and kindness.

The power of the Holy Spirit is first of all loving. This is after all God’s power and we are merely stewards of it. How do we steward the power of the flame?

Worship. Study. Prayer. Acts of kindness. Deeds of love. Or as God commands us through the prophet Micah: He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: Only to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

I believe that it is the walk with God that will ultimately shape how we fan the flame of the Spirit. When we walk closely with God, our daily conversation shapes our understanding of what God desires of us. When we walk humbly with God then we never act in our own power; but with God’s guidance and his power. More than that, when we walk humbly with God, we are also aware of our own preconceptions and attitudes, and we submit them to God for direction and redirection until our fire brings peace and

justice, love and faithfulness, joy and trust, hope and expectation into our lives, both here in the congregation and out in the community.

The flame of the Spirit regenerates us as it dwells within us.

So even as we are urged to fan the flame, we are aware that if we neglect the flame, it can go out. In Desiring God, John Piper writes that what Paul is urging Timothy is to keep feeing the white-hot flame because if he does not, it will go out….but if he fans it, that fire will be ablaze.

Fire is hot. This is important because Jesus warns us that he would rather that we be cold than lukewarm. (Rev 3: 15-16)

When we fan the flame of the Spirit, we have a passion for God and his people. When we are lukewarm, we can become indifferent, or unmotivated, resigned.

I think that the reason Jesus would rather we be cold than lukewarm is because if we are cold, then we can be reachable by the Spirit. If we are lukewarm and resigned or indifferent to our state, we can also be telling ourselves that we are still being faithful, and that could render us unteachable.

But whether hot or cold or lukewarm we are all of us teachable by the flame of the Spirit within us. Even a forest fire that looks to be completely out can continue to smolder underground for years, just waiting for the right conditions to burst into blaze.

Your faith, my faith, the faith and life of the congregation is a sign that the fire of the Holy Spirit is among us. Some days it will blaze

stronger than other days; but no matter how strong that faith is, it only takes a little bit of attention and nurture to blaze brightly with white-hot power that is filled with God’s love.

This fire is the gift of God, filled with grace and love and purpose; and it is meant for us. Amen

 

Hymn: 287 O God, whose fire lit the stars

Online: Hymn: 395 Fire of God, O sacred flame

Offering Doxology Offertory Prayer

Gathering Prayer Requests

Prayers of the People and the Lord’s Prayer

O rushing wild spirit of God pour out the fire of love upon us!

Unfurl your language upon our lips, Unlock our minds to embrace all possibility. Unleash our hearts so Your justice flows freely.

O rushing wild spirit of God pour out the fire of love upon us!

May your breeze bring health and wholeness, May your breath heat our resolve, May your Spirit storm the earth with mercy and grace

O rushing wild spirit of God pour out the fire of love upon us!

Set us free from self-doubt, Make us listeners as we seek awareness, Shake us awake when we forget our privilege as servants.

O rushing wild spirit of God pour out the fire of love upon us!

Hear the prayers we bring this day, born out of your fire within us, and filled with your love for all people and the whole world.

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We pray for The people of the Ukraine/forced to join Russia/Putin seek a better way

Maritime provinces as they rebuild following Fiona/armed forces

Florida and other states following Ian

Municipal elections and all candidates

Truth Reconciliation/ Missing and murdered Indigenous Women

Burkino Faso/coup/new leaders

 

Today God we also pray for ourselves…..May we be people of living faith. May we live as people of gospel power. May we embody the spirit of self-discipline and love—the spirit that is ours by the grace and power of God, through Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray saying, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever. Amen

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Communion: (Shirley) Invitation

Hymn: 563 Let us talents and tongues employ

The Great Prayer of Thanksgiving: 564

Post Communion Prayer

Hymn: 574 With the Lord as my guide

Charge and Benediction

As you go from here, may God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. Do not let your faith or your witness grow cold. Remember: God’s gift of faith is like a flame; when the embers of that flame have cooled, you must fan them again to keep them ablaze with a white-hot flame.

And may the grace of God,

the love of Jesus Christ,

and the presence of the Holy Spirit

be with you and among you

in the days ahead. Amen.

 

Sung Blessing 457 Now thank we all our God verse 1 Public Domain

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices, who wondrous things has done, in whom God’s world rejoices, who from our mother’s arms has blessed us on our way, with countless gifts of love and still is ours today.