[Propertalk] Fwd: Draft of Sunday's Sermon and Updated African-American Wisdom Statements

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:
Note #33143 from JUDY BOLI to PROPERTALK:

ear Friends,
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Fire- Use It!” or “PeaceKEEPER or PeaceMAKER?” or 
May my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God!” (Bob Pierce) 
nd deals with the gospel (Luke 12: 49-56).  Here it is:
What a strange Gospel reading!  Remember the old song that goes, “I don’t want 
o set the world on fire.  I just want to start a flame in your heart.”  Well in 
he Gospel we hear Jesus say that he HAS come to set fire to the earth.  He then 
oes on to talk about divisions between people who love each other.  He finally 
ays we act like experts, but we really don’t know what’s going on right now in 
erms of the really important stuff.  What in the world is he talking about?
Let’s first look at his statement about having come to set fire to the earth and 
ishing it were already on fire.  We can tease out his meanings by looking at 
hree functions of fire.  Do you know anyone who works or worked at a foundry? 
hat’s the basic job at a foundry?  Molten steel is heated to an extremely high 
emperature.  Why do they heat the metal to such a high temperature?  Sure, to 
urn out the impurities.  Fire is frequently used in scripture as a cleansing 
gent.  So when Jesus says he wishes the world were already on fire, he is 
aying how he wishes his precious children (and we are all his precious 
hildren) would be purified of our sins and those things that hold us back from 
eal life.  So when you come to the altar to receive your Holy Communion, and 
hen every night this week- examine your life.  What sins, what negative 
ttitudes, what fatalistic beliefs, what bad habits, what self-defeating 
ehaviors are you still holding on to (or perhaps they are ho!
lding on to you- like a burr).  Get rid of them (like the book of Hebrews 
ays).  It’s much easier if we do it ourselves, instead of waiting for life to 
orture us with them and for God to finally have compassion and burn them away.  
n pioneer times, occasionally the entire camp would be threatened by a prairie 
ire- burning grass advancing- no place to hide, couldn’t outrun the flames, 
hat could they do?  After the loss of many lives, pioneers finally discovered 
hat if they purposely burned a fairly large area of grass, when the fire 
dvanced, they could stand in the middle of the burned-out area.  Because the 
ire had no fuel in this area since the fuel was already burned up, the fire 
kipped those terrified people and jumped on to another area.  We can be like 
hose resourceful pioneers.  We can burn out our own imperfections so neither 
ife nor God’s consuming fire has to do it for us.
Another use of fire and the heat that comes from it is to melt metals so they 
an be molded into the likeness chosen by the artist.  Remember how the children 
f Israel got tired of waiting for Moses to come down from Mount Sinai with the 
en Commandments, so they decided to make their own god?  Remember how they 
eated the gold from their earrings and other jewelry to make the golden calf?  
ur Artist, our heavenly Father-Artist calls us to get rid of all those idols of 
urs and throw them in the purifying fire of his love, then be molded into the 
ikeness of Jesus.  You can’t be like Him if you don’t know Him.  Read his word.  
ing His songs.  Receive his Body and Blood.  Mean it when you sing, “Lord, I 
ant to be like Jesus in my heart.”
The final use of fire in scripture that I’d like us to meditate on this morning 
s easier understood if we transpose Jesus’ words a bit so they say, “I came to 
et the world on fire.”  The best example I could think of was when Jesus drove 
he money-changers off the porch of the temple.  As you recall, they got rich 
wo ways.  They charged exorbitant prices for their animals so pilgrims (many of 
hem poor) could offer the required sacrifice when they finally made it to the 
erusalem temple.  They also charged ridiculous prices to trade the unacceptable 
oman money for Jewish money so people could present their gifts to God.  I’m 
ure Jesus could no longer stand the cheating, the misuse of travelers who had 
ome long distances, the injustice toward the poor, so he “lost it” (or looked 
ike he “lost it”) and drove them out.  What injustice riles you?  Which acts of 
eanness annoy you?  What cruelty, teasing, name-calling, misusing, abuse have 
ou decided you will abso!
lutely no longer tolerate?  Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision, had a prayer 
hat I wish every one of us could claim as our own.  He said, “May my heart be 
roken by the things that break the heart of God!”
Dr. Tony Evans of Urban Alternatives says, “Your ability to love faces its 
ardest test when the ones you are trying to love throw stones at you.” His 
tatement gives us insight into how to handle the divisions Jesus talks about.  
ow is it possible for this Jesus who talks about divisions in today’s gospel be 
he same Jesus who says in Matthew, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will 
e called God’s children?”  First of all, Jesus was simply warning his disciples 
f the reality they would face if they stuck with him.  Remember, those early 
hristians were killed by the sword, turned in by family members, torn apart by 
ions, burned at the stake.  In fact, probably the only disciple who did not 
uffer martyrdom was St. John, and he was imprisoned for life on an island.  
esus was just warning his beloved disciples of what their life would be like if 
hey stuck with Him.  However, there’s more to it than that.  There’s a 
ignificant difference between being a peac!
eKEEPER and a peaceMAKER.  A peaceKEEPER simply keeps the peace, covers up 
njustice, smoothes problems over, keeps the lid on.  We are not called to be 
eaceKEEPERS, but peaceMAKERS.  A peaceMAKER knows there can be no peace without 
ustice, so s/he speaks tactfully, but honestly.  Mostly, a peaceMAKER speaks 
p- sometimes when it annoys other people.  One of the best example of a this 
ind of speaking reality is the child in the story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”  
emember, it is finally the child who has the nerve to point out the reality- 
hat the gorgeous new clothes, positively commented on by everyone, paraded as 
he latest style, are not there.  The clothes are a hoax, and the emperor is 
aked!  Do you speak up against unfairness, racism, injustice, teasing, misuse 
r abuse?  Do you speak up or simply talk about it later?
Here is my prayer for you: May you allow God’s purifying love, like the 
moldering steel in the ladle, to burn away all your impurities.  May you allow 
od to mold you into the likeness of his Son.  May you share with Jesus in 
etting the world on fire with God’s compassion and justice.  May you be a 
eaceMAKER who speaks up for God and good.  And may the things that break the 
eart of God break yours and mine also.  Just before Deacon Joan read the 
ospel, we sang: “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.  Melt me. Mold 
e.  Fill me.  Use me.  Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.”  May we 
ake this our prayer.  Amen.
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom 
tatements are posted on our NEW PARISH WEB SITE. The address is: 
ttp://www.stpaulsepisag.com .
Blessed preaching.
udy Boli 
t. Paul's Episcopal Church
aginaw, Michigan
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