Sermon: "A Voice in the Flames"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

[This sermon by Bishop vonRosenberg was delivered using the following notes.]

A week or so ago, a fire started in the woods of Grace Point, our diocesan camp in Roane County. As the brush fire swept ahead of the swirling winds, anxieties rose and a threat to that wonderful property became quite real. I am happy to report that the fire was contained and, eventually, extinguished. However, in the course of that experience, people directly involved came face to face with a sense of mystery that has puzzled and frightened our ancestors since prehistoric times.

In our day, the mystery of fire may be manifested in completely opposite ways. That is, as a force and an image, fire may indicate destruction. Thus, fire burns up things, as it threatened to do at Grace Point. However, on the other hand, fire may represent warmth and comfort. And, as such, it in inviting to us, especially on a cold day. Consuming fire and fire that does not consume … the fire that burns up and the fire that warms … very different ideas about this mysterious force.

Unfortunately, there are many examples of consuming fire - fire that burns up - in our world today. These are fires of destruction.

There is the fire of war, for instance. I think of the examples of the Civil War, Viet Nam, and the war in Iraq. In these cases - and in almost all wars - scorched earth, bombs' destruction, and fire's devastation result. Indeed, war provides us with numerous tragic examples of the destructive force of fire.

Also, there is the destructive fire of prejudice and of hatred. For instance, even in our day, the effects of racism flare up at various places and times in our country and in the world. And the consequences of racism are like those of an arsonist, who has so little regard for property or for life itself.

Finally, there is the fire of self-destruction. Evidence of such destructive fire include addictions of all kinds and, in the extreme, suicide … fires that burn within a person and destroy.

Thus, these are several examples of consuming fire … fires that burn up. Such fires represent one aspect of that mysterious force, which can be frightening even for us today.

However, other fires do not consume. And to these, we turn for a few minutes now.

There is the fire of love, first of all. Other people may feel warmed in the presence of two people devoted to each other in love. Ones who love are warmed, and the warmth of this non-consuming fire spreads to other people as well.

Then, there is the fire of commitment. According to John the Baptist, the baptism that Jesus brings is of the Holy Spirit and of fire. The experience of Pentecost and the reported tongues of fire remind us of that promise … a promise that calls forth commitment.

Finally, another non-consuming fire is that of compassion. We may feel a burning sensation when confronted by the plight of unfortunate people in our community and in the world. And this fire - like all non-consuming fires - calls us to respond.

The Bible offers us examples and symbols for both kinds of fire - that which destroys and that which warms. And the symbols present distinct meanings … meanings that relate to the differing and mysterious aspects of the force of fire.

Consuming fire, for instance, is represented by hell … the hell of fire. Indeed, the biblical image of hell perhaps had its origin in a particular consuming, destructive fire of those times. There was a place near Jerusalem where a pagan, idolatrous group practiced human sacrifice by burning. And it may be that the name of that place provides the Greek word for hell - "Gehenna." Or, some scholars say that the background symbol for hell was simply the garbage dump outside the city walls. Garbage was thrown into a pit where a fire was kept burning. Perhaps that consuming, destructive fire became the visual image for hell in earlier times.

On the other hand, the primary biblical symbol of non-consuming fire is the Holy Spirit. This fire represents love, commitment, and compassion, as we have already pointed out. And this was the fire we read about in our First Lesson … the fire of the burning bush - the bush that burned without being consumed. From this bush the voice of God - the Spirit of God - spoke of love and of compassion for His people who were oppressed in Egypt. This voice then called Moses to commitment … commitment as God's appointed leader for the people on their great journey to the Promised Land.

Now, in our own lives, we may not hear a voice coming from a burning bush. And if we do, we probably do not talk about it very much! But we need to be attentive to the voice of God in our lives, for God does speak to us. God speaks through the non-consuming fires of our lives. We may hear God the Holy Spirit in our experiences of love, of commitment, and of compassion - those fires that do not burn up or destroy. And God's voice always calls us to respond.

May we therefore pay close attention to such fires on the roadside of our life's journey, for the voice of God does indeed speak to us from the midst of those flames. Amen.

Copyright © 2004 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee