Pentecost is all about the power and promise of God. Tongues of flame come to rest upon the disciples' heads, the blessing of the Holy Spirit. The hymn "As a Fire Is Meant for Burning" is perfect for Pentecost as Brunner (1931) says, "The Church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning. Where there is no mission, there is no Church; and where there is neither Church nor mission, there is no faith."
In her hymn lyrics, Ruth Duck uses the aspects of fire being warmth and light as a vision of mission to gently work among those in need and to allow the light of Christ to be apparent through our action. In Duck’s text, the light is carried within us as learners, teachers, pilgrims, seekers, and givers who point to the One who transforms lives as we work in mission.
In the third stanza, purpose and action turn toward hope–the hope of new life, the hope of renewed life, and even the dawn of God’s grace. The image of light used here is a complex and radiantly beautiful metaphor of a rainbow lighting heaven after a storm as a parallel to our lives as reflections of the love and forgiveness of God. This is the light of hope that, after Christ’s light begins to be known, leads all of us out of the darkness of the world and into the love of God.
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