Tending the Flame

Once there was a man who was the member of a certain church.  He’d been attending services regularly for quite some time, but recently he’d stopped going.

There was nothing wrong. No health issues. No family issues.  He just didn’t feel like going anymore.

So after a few weeks, a member of the church council decided he’d pay the man a visit.  It was a chilly evening and when the council member arrived at the man's home and he found him sitting alone before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for the council member’s visit, the man welcomed him in and led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace.  Then the man sat in his chair by the fire and waited for the councilman to speak.

But there was only silence.

The councilman settled into his chair …

            And made himself comfortable …

                        But he said nothing.

            There was only a grave silence –

The councilman contemplated the flames …

            As they danced around the burning logs –

Several minutes passed.

Then, the councilman took a pair of fire tongs …

            And carefully picked up a brightly burning ember …

                        And placed it on one side of the hearth -- all alone.

            And then settled back into his chair.

The host watched in quiet fascination.

It wasn’t long before the one lone ember flickered …

            And then with a final momentary glow –

                        Its flame went out …

                                    And it lay cold and dead on the hearth.

Still the councilman and the man said nothing –

            They just sat in silence-

Not a word had been spoken since their initial greeting.

Finally, the councilman was ready to leave –

Before standing up –

            He took hold of the tongs once again …

                        And picked up the cold, dead ember …

                                    And placed it back in the middle of the fire.

Immediately, it began to glow with the light and warmth …

            Of the burning coals around it.

At the door, the host clasped the councilman’s hand –

            And with tears pouring down his cheeks, he said:

                        “Thank you –

                                    “Thank you so much for your visit –

                        “And especially for the fiery sermon!

                                    “I will be back in church next Sunday.”    +++++

And when they had finished breakfast –

            Jesus said to Simon Peter:

                        “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

            Simon Peter replied:

                        “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”

            And Jesus said to him:

                        “Feed my sheep.”

Today's Gospel shows us that Jesus' followers …

            Didn't know what to do with the resurrection of Jesus –

Since that first Easter evening …

            They’d been having incredible experiences of the Risen Christ.

Jesus appeared to them in rooms with locked doors –

            Along a public road, and then disappeared from their sight –

But what were they supposed to do?

            What was supposed to happen next?

Well, eventually they decide it's time to go back …

            To what they’d been doing before Jesus called them into discipleship –

They go back to the sea of Galilee –

            Also known as the sea of Tiberias –

                        And take up fishing again –

But Jesus has other plans for them –

            Three times he gives Peter the direction for their future –

He says to him:

            “Feed my lambs,

                        “Tend my sheep,

                                    “Feed my sheep."

So why this emphasis on tending sheep?

            What's going on here?

Jesus is concerned about the future life of his followers.

            He knows they need tending –

And so he directs Peter –

            And the rest of the disciples –

To undertake the task of tending –

            Feeding –

                        Nurturing –

                                    And caring for Jesus' followers

And why did Jesus command this?

Because he knew that the impact of even the most incredible experience …

            Would dissipate over time unless the person who experienced it …

                        Was cared for –

Heck, as our gospel shows us –

            Even the impact of the resurrection –

                        Without a doubt the most incredible experience of all time –

            Even its effect dissipated over time –

I mean, why else would the disciples have gone back to fishing!?

Jesus knew that his followers needed to be cared for –

            He knew that our faith needed to be fed –

That’s why he sent Ananias to find Paul in our first lesson this morning –

            Jesus used Ananias to strengthen Paul’s faith –

                        Just like he wanted Peter to strengthen the other disciples’ faith –

Jesus knew that if the church was going to survive down through the centuries …

            The impact of the resurrection …

                        And the fire of faith …

                                    Must not be allowed to go out –

            It must be tended and stoked –

                        Just like the ember in the story I told a moment ago –

As that story reminds us –

            Without the proper care …

                        Anyone's spiritual life can fade away –

In fact, it’s not at all uncommon …

            For someone to have a deeply moving spiritual experience …

And then, in a matter of weeks –

            Or perhaps months –

                        Or maybe even years –

The impact of that experience diminishes –

            Till it becomes just a distant memory –

The desire for God lessens –

            And the fire of faith goes out –

The un-tended Christian life …

            Is bound for extinction –

That’s why God sent Ananias to Paul in our second lesson this morning –

            And it’s why Paul spent several days with the disciples …

                        After his conversion –

            God used that time to strengthen his faith –

That's why Jesus tells Peter to:

             “Feed my sheep.”

Because that’s how we remain strong in our faith as Christians –

            By strengthening one another –

                        By nurturing each other –

            By tending one another’s faith –

+++++

And so Jesus gives us the same directive today –

            “Do you love me?” he asks us –

                        Of course we do, we tell him –

            “Then feed my sheep,” he says –

                        “Tend the fire of faith in them –

                                    “Nurture their belief –

                        “Encourage them to remain rooted in me.”

Is there someone you haven’t seen at church in a while?

            Do you have a friend or relative who needs their faith rekindled?

Then reach out to them …

            As the councilman reached out to the man in the story –

Go to them …

            Just like Ananias went to Paul in our second lesson this morning –

You can invite them to church –

            But sometimes that can be scary for them –

So maybe start by telling them how Jesus is working in your life –

            Or ask them to tell you how Jesus has been active in their life –

Or maybe you can invite them to pray with you –

            Or, if they’re too shy to pray –

                        Ask them if you can pray for them –

The point is –

            Find a way to stoke the fire of their faith –

                        Rekindle their heart for God –

                                    Fan the flames –