Gò0dNews for Men
Fire-Works!
W
by Tom Bowen
ith us being well into the summer season, I
has been in the Family of God for most our lives—goes into
noticed firework stands popping up at the
auto-pilot and we don’t celebrate the movement of God in
beginning of June! When I think of fireworks,
our lives like we used to.
I think of two holidays: July 4th and New Year’s Eve. One
I have more than one prayer list. One is the everyday
celebrates freedom and the other celebrates the cycle of a New
list, the other is the not everyday list. With this list I realize
Year. Both celebrations seem to be something a lot of people
that my conversations with God become a little self-
share—ones where people gather in groups to acknowledge.
centered. I ask for a reminder of all the things God has
I was so glad to celebrate the end of 2020, along with all the change, stress and loss associated with that time. I know I was not alone in my desire to face a new year. However, 2021 began with additional problems and stresses. I felt stranded and disillusioned in my hope for 2021. Celebrations can be hard to maintain when life has to move forward. Luke 24:13-35 includes a story about two of Jesus’s disciples that had left the group and headed home on the Emmaus Road. They felt grief, loss and a lack of physical energy after being drained of all hope and expectation with the abuse and crucifixion of Jesus. They did not have the desire, energy or any reason to celebrate. They had heard the news of the
done for me and the people that I love. I also ask God for a
resurrection, but their personal experience left them feeling
spiritual awakening. I pray that God moves in a powerful
nothing. They slowly headed back home and onto their
way in our community.
daily life. Jesus joins them, reminds them of scriptures
I forget to celebrate all the ways God has, is and will
and eventually reveals himself to them and POW—their
move in the resurrection of Jesus. I feel the need to pray that
minds exploded by the presence of Christ, their energy was
God will renew the spark of revival in my heart. I also pray
restored and they ran back to Jerusalem.
that the Lord will do the same for all Christians locally and
That is the kind of celebration—the fireworks—I
around the world. As a result of what our Lord has already
want to witness and experience as often as I can. I want to
done, we should be encouraged to give off sparks of light and
experience my heart burning within me as the Holy Spirit
pops of praise. We should be encouraged to be a part of the
fans the fire that energizes me with new and renewed
fire that the Holy Spirit enables in the children of God.
Sometimes the fire in people like myself—someone who
12 // July 2021
About The Author
excitement. The fire of the Spirit works in the lives of people. Rev. Tom Bowen, Ordained Elder in the CMC Methodist Church, Rome, Georgia.
