Holy Spirit as Fire: Passion

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” ~ Luke 24:28-32
When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness. ~ Acts 4:31
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm;
for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. ~ Song of Solomon 8:6
O God, you are my God; I seek you; My should thirsts for you;
My flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. ~ Psalm 63:1
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire,
I hold with those who favor fire. ~ Robert Frost

Draw an image representing of passion, and what color would you use?

 I'm guessing red. Maybe throw some yellow or orange in there.

"Were not our hearts burning?" said the disciples after their encounter with the risen Christ.

 Burning red, like a flame.

 We Lutherans have a bad reputation of being called "the frozen chosen." There's nothing frozen about the activity of the Spirit. The image of God in Song of Solomon is that of a lover.

 Passionate. Raging. Overwhelming.

 That's what passion is, isn't it? Whether it is the passion of love or anger (when we "see" red). It takes us over.

 And that is what Spirit as Fire does. Engulfs us. Takes us over. 

 Makes our hearts burn!

 Can you remember a time you felt such passion? Where you felt so out of control with it?

 Can you imagine it? We have a God who loves us that passionately. Wants our love that passionately.

 Desires it. Desires us.

 Can you imagine?
Prayer: Light my heart on fire, Spirit, that I may love you fiercely! Amen

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