Three Things

James Cathcart November 16, 2024 3 2

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2 Timothy 1: 5-7 (NRSVA)

5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6 For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

Just like Timothy was given a gift to fan into flame, God is giving us gifts to fan into flame too!

Now, any fire needs three things: oxygen, heat and fuel.

1: Oxygen — just like the sparks flickering into life, we gotta breathe! Calm your breath, slow it down, feel the knock on effect on your nervous system. Holy Spirit, Breath of God, come, soothe and regulate us, stir and invigorate us.

2: Heat — just like the kindling that begins to smoke we gotta move those molecules! A faith that is cold and inert can be warmed, moved again. Old embers can be raked back into life with fresh kindling and fresh movement. Jesus Christ, Son of God, come and embrace us, warming us with the love at the heart of the universe.

3: Fuel — just like that little campfire valiantly piercing the darkness, we gotta feed the fire! It’s called ‘burn out’ for a reason. When we have run out of fuel there is nothing left to burn. We need rest, we need food, we need connection. Lord God of Heaven come, build our tentative sparks into leaping flames that warm and illuminate the patch of earth we are set in. 

Like Timothy, like all disciples, we gotta breathe, move, and get fuel to fan the flames.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit — calm my breathing and settle my nervous system, fan the flame that flickers in me

Jesus Christ — warm and move my muscles, turn me towards compassion, move me to carry my flame

Lord God — with a steady flame ready to burn, give me things to catch on to,

give me the means to blaze.

Amen.