Light Em Up!

"Set yourself on fire with enthusiasm and people will come from miles around just to watch you burn." John Wesley

Have you ever had a story so funny, awkward, and almost unbelievable that you just had to be there?

This Christmas Eve God gave Lewisburg UMC the gift of laughter in an almost unbelievable sequence of events. We had a total of three services 6:00-7:30-10:30. It was a powerful time of learning about God coming down in the middle of chaos to show the world His love. Before the sermon section of our service we had a customary lighting of the Christ candle which is part of the advent wreath. An advent wreath for those who don't know (I just learned this year!) is a 5 candle wreath and week by week candles are lit  then you light the final candle on Christmas eve as a symbol of Christ being the light of the world. At the 6:00 and 10:30 services this ceremony went off without a hitch and there was no minor malfunctions, but the 7:30 service I learned what could be one of the most important lessons of my life. If you are going to do an advent wreath make sure to either use battery power candles, or use a fresh set of candles at the start of each service. Needless to say this ends with the advent wreath catching on fire at the end of the sermon, and everyone looking in awe as two brave folks wrangled the fire and the grand finale was one gentlemen punching the fire out with a manila envelope that he had. It was one of the coolest/funny/awkward things I can put down on my resume. All I could do was to think back on the fire, what it looked like, how it glowed, and most of all how when the fire happened all the attention was focused right on it!

We are in the start of a brand new year and like most I am thinking on the minute ways that I can change my life to do things better. But for some reason my mind won't get away from the idea of fire. This quote from John Wesley fits so well with the attitude and lifestyle of a practicing Christian. In 2014 the thing that has challenged me most is "Am I on fire?" Does my relationship with Jesus matter to me? Would it matter to anyone else? I have been thinking and milling the question over and over what are Christ Followers here to do? I believe what God wants for all of us is to do exactly what good ole' John Wesley is suggesting in his quote, which is to be so passionate about our relationship with God that its an adventure. I have been wrestling with how the 21st century Western church wants to make everything black and white. Sinners go to Hell. We know who the sinners are, and we know who the saved are. This fault is acceptable, while this fault will lead to to condemnation. I am not supposing there is no sin (missing the mark or not being perfect like God), but more so that why do we focus on it? I know I am jacked up in more ways than I care to share, and could possibly make the same guess about anyone reading this blog. But, if life is a journey and we are being called to walk it with our Lord Jesus Christ how come most church services look at the past mistakes not the future adventure? I want 2014 to be the year that I am filled by the Holy Spirit and my faith makes my daily life an adventure. I want a prayer life that feels real not stale and robotic because pastors are supposed to pray good. I want to look at scripture with the awe and passion that a child looks at it, not strictly to fulfill my pulpit duties, win theological arguments, and not read scripture solely like a text book (most pastors wrestle with this). All the latter uses of Scripture are important in there times but not before we get to the "good stuff" which is knowing that I have a Heavenly Dad who tells me daily that "I am worth a damn in this world." I don't want a highly educated sophisticated relationship with God. I don't want to picture God and I having tea together at a Golf Club exchanging lofty ideals while hiding from the rest of the world. I want to be God's little boy first. I want the God that lets me in the tree house. The God who takes me on adventure. The same God who split the Red Sea for Moses, and this Jesus who scared the crap out of the disciples by rising from the dead and appearing to them in the upper room. Maybe, if the church takes of its nice suits and put on its muddy clothes and followed God into an adventurous faith more people would want to follow. The point this year is not to bash the theological heady knowledge that I and so many have been blessed to gain in this life, but to make sure that knowledge is not the only part of me that believes in God. I am asking what about my heart? Is my heart on fire for Jesus? Am I on fire for Jesus? Because I have seen that when something is lit on fire everyone can't help but stare. We all joked that I might burn down the church but the truth is I do want to set it on fire! Because I want everyone to come from miles around and know that Jesus is the greatest adventure they can ever take in this lifetime. What about you? What is your 2014 to hold this year? I pray you are ready for God to use you in a way you never thought possible!

Strive on my friends, Strive on!

In Him,
Richard Hiltibran
Lead Pastor-Lewisburg United Methodist Church
www.lewisburgumc.org