Fire

I went off lectionary before Easter and then life got crazy and exciting as I led two churches to merge this past spring and summer. I'm back in the preaching saddle again, although the narrative lectionary doesn't start for a few more weeks. I'm in a four week series that teaches a form of literary interpretation called bricolage. Bricolage is the act of taking diverse things and allowing them to speak to one another to create meaning. I've chosen to use this method to look at how the scriptures speak about the elements of the earth: water, fire, wind and land. This week is Fire.

He led his flock out to the edge of the desert, and he came to God’s mountain called Horeb. 2 The Lord’s messenger appeared to him in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was in flames, but it didn’t burn up. 3 Then Moses said to himself, Let me check out this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn’t burning up.

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Stops
He was at the edge of the desert
He was looking around

Trips
Why was he at the edge?
Did he need a break?
Was it a burning bush, fire or red or what?

Openings
I'm interested in how he noticed something off the path - and that he was open to being at the edge of the desert. It's an edge of the world kind of story, maybe.

Perspectives
Moses
Sheep
the bush itself
the voice
the messenger
his sandals
the holy ground

This is the offering by fire that you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, daily, as a regular offering. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; also one-tenth of an ephah of choice flour for a grain-offering, mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil. It is a regular burnt-offering, ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing odour, an offering by fire to the Lord.

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Stops
offering is an everyday acrivity
morning, evening
animal, grain, oil

Trips
What does this mean to our world?
We don't have burnt offerings.
There is no temple cult anymore.
What am I to bring?
What or who is to consume it?
Who receives it and "burns it?"

Openings
The gift was for the whole assembly and then for the priests or servants of the temple. How we receive our offering in a typical worship service doesn't seem to do this text justice. A potluck is more similar.

Perspectives
Priests
People
Animals or grain
the grill/fire/bbq pit

Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?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. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

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Stops
Life really does feel like a purifying process; the passage rings true.

Trips
I haven't seen silver refined since a field trip in grammar school.
I'm still wondering about right offering (or sacrifice from the previous passage) and in this case, a more perfect offering.

Openings
I really like this picture because the silversmith is taking great care with the piece. It's not a bulk job. She (and I like that part too) is an artist. How does God's judgement, correction and refinement of me change if I believe God to be an artist, perfecting me, her creation?

Perspectives
the silver or gold
the fire
the refiner
the old who remember the former days
the young who don't
the purpose of the silver or gold one refined

And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?” He answered, “An enemy has done this.” The slaves said to him, “Then do you want us to go and gather them?” But he replied, “No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’

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Stops
seems chaotic
and unavoidable
I don't know what the difference of these specific plants are.

Trips
Who is the enemy?
Is there no concern for the weeds to damage the wheat? or perhaps we can't do anything about that.

Openings
I thought weeds were defined as plants that we don't have a use for yet. In the meaning of this parable, doesn't God have use for all? Or maybe it's not people that are the wheat or the weeds. Maybe its actions, attitudes, sacrifices and offerings.

Perspectives
Field
Sower
Good Seeds
Enemy
Bad Seeds
Sunlight
Water
Harvester
Bundle maker
Fire

I'm drawn to the Malachi passage along with the Numbers passage. But am stumped by the fire that calls us and the fire that ultimately devours us. I think I'm letting go of the "us." Perhaps the eternal fire with weeping and gnashing of teeth is first hyperbole and second not about individuals but about behavior, ideas, systems, and the aspects of our world that are not "good."

If so, then what of our offerings? What of our gifts to the alter? How are these behaviors, ideas, gifts and sacrifices from us (individually but moreso collectively) righteous or made righteous? One thing remains true, the purifying process is universally felt. But we may have been misinterpreting the purpose of the refinement, the goal of the sacrifice and how when we see something on fire, we are drawn to examine it.