Perspective: A Burning Bush and a Burning Church

I share these thoughts, hoping they are of help to someone else.

A Burning Bush and a Burning Church

Scripture:

You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can't be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16 (CEB)

We are burning ones
We are consumed by You
We set our lives apart
We are consumed by You

So let this love be like a fire
Let our life be like a flame
Fill our souls with Your desire
Let our passion bring You fame

From "Burning Ones" by Chris Quilala (Jesus Culture)

Last Sunday, before the church service, my pastor asked me what I thought our church would look like if it was on fire. She did not mean this literally: she did not want me to imagine our church building was burning down. Fire is both a symbol of passion and a symbol of the presence of God. When the people of Israel traveled through the wilderness, they were led by the presence of God in the form of a pillar of fire. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit appeared to the disciples as tongues of fire. The symbol of my church, the United Methodist Church, includes both a cross and a flame. My pastor wanted me to imagine what our church would look like if the members were on fire with passion, eagerly following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

At first I didn't know what to say, but, later on, the image of a burning bush came to mind.

Moses was born in Egypt, where his people, the Israelites, were slaves. Through unusual circumstances, Moses grew up in the household of the Pharaoh, but eventually he fled to another land where he began a new life as a shepherd. One day, when Moses is out leading his flock, he sees a bush that is burning but not burning up. Puzzled by this bizarre phenomenon, he stops to look at it. God then speaks to Moses through the bush, revealing that Moses' true calling is not to tend sheep but rather to speak out against Egypt, to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, and to be a shepherd to his people.¹

One thing worth noting is that the Bible specifically points out that Moses was intentional about stopping to look at the burning bush. The Bible even records Moses' thinking to himself, "Let me check out this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn't burning up."²

To address my pastor's question, I believe that the Church is called to be like the burning bush that Moses stopped to investigate. I believe that the Church is called to burn with the fire of the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Church is called to point people to God and to call sleepers to action. I believe that the Church is meant to call people to put away old, destructive patterns and to experience new life in Christ. I believe that a church truly burning with the fire of God is a church about which people say, "I need to stop and see this."

I think that it is important to point out that not everything that attracts people is necessarily a good thing. An act of arson can draw a crowd, but, in truth, such fire will eventually burn out and will leave behind nothing but ashes and ruin.

Remember that the bush in Moses' story was burning, but it was not burning down. Fire destroys, but this bush was on fire and not being destroyed. This is not physically possible. What Moses saw that day cannot be described as anything but a miracle. The fire he saw was not natural, but supernatural. The fire was not from human origin, but from divine origin. The fire was from God.

This nuance reveals a very important truth. A church must be ignited by God and not by humans. Often local churches find themselves concerned with numbers, concerned with filling pews. Sometimes churches will try to emulate what is new and hip and trendy in an effort to bring people in. The things they do are not necessarily bad, but they are temporal, based on trends and fads. These things change and fade away, but God is eternal. Perhaps a local church incorporates all of the latest and greatest worship music and even has a coffee shop. This church might draw people in, but, without God at the center of the church's ministry, the church will not have any true impact on people's lives. It may burn, but it will burn away.

Multiple times, St. Paul refers to the Church Universal as the Body of Christ. Just as the human body is made up of appendages, muscles, and organs working together, the Church is made up of individuals working together for a common purpose, to continue the work of Jesus Christ here on earth.³ Paul also says that the Church Universal is the temple of the Lord and the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.⁴ This means that a church should be where people can find the very presence of God. The local church can only be these things if it is burning bright with the Holy Spirit. Otherwise it is no different from any gathering place or a social club.

May you not only believe but also burn bright with the Spirit of God. May you let this light shine before others, pointing them to God, showing them God's love, and calling them to new life. May people stop and look at this fire so that they may experience the miracle God is working in your lives.


Notes:
1 - For the story of Moses and the burning bush, see Exodus 3:1-10.
2 - Exodus 3:3 (CEB)
3 - 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
4 - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

The painting featured in this perspective was painted by Eugène Pluchart and can be found in Saint Isaac's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia.


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