Refiner's Fire

Recently at St. B's we were able to bless our new fire pit that we constructed back in December 09. It was such a wonderful time to be together as a church family. Not only did we thank God for our beautiful setting, we were also able to enjoy some hotdogs, smores, and just spend time relaxing and sharing our stories. There is something about fire that stirs within each of us a myrid of emotions.

In scripture, God is represented many times by the image of fire.  The danger and mystery that fire invokes has a way of touching our souls. In Malachi (3:2b-4) it says, "For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness." God is constantly working on our behalf to burn away the things that keep us from fully loving and being loved by Him.

In Hebrews, God is a consuming fire. For many that can take on a very negative, fearful understanding of God. But what if we looked at it a little differently.  In the Gospel of Matthew (3:11) John the Baptist says "...but He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." God is a consuming fire, baptizing you and me with fire. This could mean that God so desires you and I to the extent that our Creator is willing to totally engulf and immerse us in his love as a fire consumes and absorbs everything in its path. By consuming us, we are transformed into the image of Christ. God wants us to be whole and complete the way we are intended to be.

As we journey through Holy Week experiencing the path that Christ took to the cross and then the excitement beyond, remember that God so desires to not just be a part of your life -- but desires to consume all of your life, thereby allowing true life, resurrected life to shine forth.