"Become Fire"
Lamentations 3:19-26, 2 Timothy 2:1-6, Luke 17:5-6
Rev. Dr. Bruce Epperly, Westmoreland UCC
Oct. 5, 2025

A tale from the North African Desert describes an encounter between two monks, Abba Lot and Abba Joseph that illuminates our quest to be faithful to God for just such a time as now. One day, perhaps sixteen centuries ago, Abba Lot went to see Abba Joseph to seek spiritual counsel. “Abba Joseph,” he confessed, “I say prayers throughout the day, fast a little, and meditate, I live in peace, and as far as I can, I purify my thoughts. What else can I do?” In response, his elder companion stood and stretched his hands towards heaven. His fingers blazed like ten lamps of fire, and he responded, “Why not become fire?”

That’s some advice, isn’t it? To have a fiery spirituality, that not only gives off heat but lights the way for other pilgrims.

Today, we need both calm and passion. We need to be filled with God’s Spirit to face the challenges of these times with joy and persistence. We need, as the author of 2 Timothy says, to rekindle the presence of God within us and then enlightened, awakened, and empowered, to go out the world in boldness, “for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power, love and self-discipline.”

God wants us to be alive, rejoice in each day, and take our place as God’s companions in healing the world, moving forward the spiritual and moral arcs of history, despite the forces of injustice that want to turn back the clock. As the early church theologian Irenaeus affirmed, the glory of God is a person fully alive, and God wants us to be fully alive at church, in our homes, with friends and family, and as citizens seeking justice and wholeness in our nation and community.

Living in a time of uncertainty, with no political rights and trouble on the horizon, Jesus’ disciples ask, "Increase our faith!” And Jesus responds, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.”

Two months ago, I talked about the placebo effect and the nocebo effect. The nocebo effect describes the impact of negative thinking and attitudes on our health and relationships. If we don’t think we’ll get well, it’s likely we won’t. In contrast, if we believe in ourselves and the power of God in our lives, we can face what appears to be insurmountable odds with courage and persistence, and often our positive attitude not only transforms our soul, but it also transforms our cells.

Even in tough times, God tells us, “Don’t think small! Have faith in God and in yourself: expect great things from God and great things from yourself.” Become fire! African American spiritual guide and social activist Howard Thurman says, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” When you are filled with passion and joy, you will discover your vocation, the place where your gifts meet the world’s needs ... and I can assure you that each of us can do something beautiful for God.

What makes you come alive? What gives you joy?

I see this passion every week here at Westmoreland – in reaching out to refugee families, in volunteering at Wheaton Woods, in the lives of our children and youth, in welcoming newcomers, in singing in the choir, in supporting each other in troubled times, in going to adult classes and dancing after church, in not letting the powers of evil get the better of you. You can come alive and transform the world around in ways that only you can do. You have gifts and your gifts can change this church and the world. Jewish wisdom asserts, “when the Messiah comes, he won’t ask if you are David, but did you do your part, did you realize your unique gifts.”

I was delighted when Lamentations 3 showed up in the lectionary readings. These words are the inspiration of one of my favorite hymns, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” Six centuries before Jesus, author of Lamentations is going through a challenging time, their world is falling apart, and the mighty Jerusalem has been destroyed by the bloodthirsty Babylonians. And yet in the storm, the author of Lamentations recognizes that there is a deeper story – that God is in the storm and God will outlast the greatest foe and the most destructive political leaders.

But this I call to mind, in this troubled time, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “God is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

“God is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.

There are times when you discover that you cannot save yourself or solve a problem on your own: chronic illness, grief, professional crises, moral crises. I have been there when my familiar world collapsed, and I could not make things right by my efforts. I found peace when I threw myself into the arms of a Loving God and trusted that whatever the future would bring, great is God’s faithfulness.

Yes! great is God’s faithfulness, Great is God’s faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed thy hand has provided.

Great is God’s faithfulness, God unto me.

When you hit rock bottom, you discover the Rock of Ages and standing on the Rock that cannot be moved, you rediscover passion and agency. You find the strength not only to carry on and the passion to flourish: a new life beyond failure, grief, and loss. God doesn’t want you to be passive, but when you lean on God, God propels you forward.

“God’s steadfast love never ceases.” As a friend testifies, “God loves me and there’s nothing I can do about it.” Can you say that? GOD LOVES ME AND THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT!

But God is not finished with you, our church, or our nation. “God’s mercies are new every morning.” Behold, God is doing a new thing. God isn’t fixated on some imagined past or yesterday’s faith or politics. God is still speaking, bringing forth new possibilities, new energies, new passions, new ways of thinking, new invitations for us to God’s work in our time. God is passionate.

Jesus is passionate for healing and wholeness and the coming of God’s realm of Shalom. The Spirit energizes and empowers us. God gives birth to the moral arc of history and then calls us to be faithful and passionate agents of God’s vision in our world.

Trusting that we are in God’s hands, we can do something beautiful God. We can take the next step in God’s holy adventure, trusting that God has our back – front – ground – and sky. We can be innovative and learn new things, and trust that God will continue to energize and illuminate our passions even when the road ahead seems blocked. We can become fire ... the children of a lively and passionate god. Responding and resisting, calm and courageous, prayerful and persistent, with:

Faith for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

Blessings all ours and ten thousand beside.