The Bungee Cord 5-29-23

Hello,

Yesterday, in Christian churches throughout the world, people were greeted by red flowers on the altar, red paraments (the colored cloths that cover the worship furniture in the front of the church), red stoles worn by pastors, and in my case, red tennis shoes that I wore. The reason for all the red was that yesterday was the celebration of Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit came upon God’s people in Jerusalem after Jesus ascended into heaven. And the reason that red is the color of Pentecost is that when the disciples were gathered in an upper room a roaring wind blew among them, and when it passed, the disciples were found to have tongues of fire resting above their heads….red tongues of fire…tongues of fire that unleashed their tongues to tell the great news of Jesus to people of all different languages.

There was a song that we sang at Younglife (a community-based youth focused ministry) when I was in high school named, “Pass it on”. The first words of the song were, “It only takes a spark to get a fire glowing, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.” It was one of our most sung songs, and as you can tell by my remembrance of the words, most remembered songs. Thing is, the words of the song are not true….or at least not always true.

It is true that when rain has been very sparce the sticks and leaves that cover the ground are extremely flammable. It is so flammable that with only one spark from a small campfire, millions and millions of acres of forests can go up in flames, as we have seen in years past in California. Even in Pennsylvania as one drives through the state and national forests, one regularly sees silhouettes of Smokey Bear reminding us of the dryness of the brush and the danger of fire.

But anyone who has been camping on one of those endlessly rainy weekends knows that when things are wet, especially when they are really wet, getting a fire is not nearly so easy…..sometimes nearly impossible. Wet leaves, wet branches, and wet logs are hard to light, and even when they do light the moisture that they hold quickly turns the flames into steam. And on those cold, damp nights there is no glowing fire, and there is no warming. People just shiver around smoldering logs.

As I look at the world in which we live, it makes me wonder, “What is the fire danger level for us?” Is the world wet and soggy? Is the world dry and brittle?

Some years ago, when I lived in Ohio and my kids were little, I had a deal with them that I would do something with each one of them, just me and each of them alone. One on one time. My youngest son, who although we lived in Ohio, was a huge Minnesota Vikings fan…a Randy Moss fan to be exact. His choice for our “one on one” was to go to see the Vikings play the Detroit Lions. So that is what we did. It was an early afternoon game, so he and I drove up from Ohio to Detroit on Saturday night and stayed in a hotel (I had to find someone to sub for me at church). We got up on Sunday, went to a church that we had looked up, and after worship went to the football game. When we pulled into the parking lot, I was amazed!

Even though we had arrived around 10:00 a.m., the parking lot was nearly full. It was full of campers and vans (many of them painted Lions blue), cars and pickups, tents and barbeque grills, chocked full of people sporting Lions jerseys, eating, drinking, playing cornhole, and listening to music quite different than the music that my son and I had just been singing. It was the first pro-football game that I had ever been to, and when I saw what was before my eyes, I said to myself, “So, this is what the rest of the world does on Sunday mornings!” The stadium was packed, and we found ourselves sitting in one of the end-zones amid a large group of Lion jersey fans whose rowdiness increased as the game progressed, and the beer flowed down their throats. (My son, who was wearing his Randy Moss jersey, kept his jacket on the whole game, even though the game was inside.). Fights broke out around us. Angry words were hurled at the field. And when the game was over….and the Lions lost….the stands emptied out, except for the garbage that was left behind.

Now, I am as big of a sports fan as anyone else. If you don’t believe that come and see my University of Illinois mancave, upon looking at it some think I am a bit “overzealous”. I know how fun it is to cheer and get all excited for one’s team. I know the fun in being an avid follower of a sport you enjoy. But having gone to that Vikings/Lions game, I saw with clear eyes, that what I had attended was a smoldering flame. It brought no hope to my struggles. It brought no peace to the storms that I was in. It brought no light to the darkness of the complexities of life.

It was a great diversion from all of that. But short lived and smoldering.

The church that I was in yesterday was not nearly so full as that football stadium, and the small parking lot was about half empty. But when I walked in, I felt fire! I felt fire in the red that was draped all around me. I felt fire in my heart when the scriptures were read of a God who embeds God’s self in us. I felt fire in my gut when down my throat slid a piece of bread and a sip of wine that was filled with Christ’s presence. I felt fire, and warmed in its glow as the final benediction was pronounced, “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you…and give you peace….and give you peace…and give you peace forever.” (a Michael Card song). And when the sanctuary emptied, I saw what I saw at that football arena, garbage strewn all around…but not the garbage of hot dog wrappers and beer cups…but the garbage of sins that by the power of Jesus’ forgiveness were left behind…swept away forever. I know that I had been warmed by that fire. I felt new strength to tackle the lions awaiting me. I know that I felt new hope to stand up to the blocks and shoves that were lined up outside the doors. I know that I felt a deep peace in seeing the blocker who was leading me out the doors was the Lord himself who will be with me always!

The world may be wet, soggy and damp….but the love of God for you and me is ablaze! Come and “warm in its glowing!”

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

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