• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Flemington United Methodist Church logo

Come as you are

Header Right

 

Donate
  • About Us
    • About Flemington United Methodist Church
    • Our Staff
    • What We Believe
    • Our History
    • Weddings & Other Events
    • Donate
    • Contact Us
  • I’m New
    • What You Can Expect
    • Ask Pastor Chris
  • Worship With Us
    • Sunday Morning Experience
    • Sunday School
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
  • FUMC Blog
  • Calendar
  • Events
  • About Us
    • About Flemington United Methodist Church
    • Our Staff
    • What We Believe
    • Our History
    • Weddings & Other Events
    • Donate
    • Contact Us
  • I’m New
    • What You Can Expect
    • Ask Pastor Chris
  • Worship With Us
    • Sunday Morning Experience
    • Sunday School
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
  • FUMC Blog
  • Calendar
  • Events
Fire

Refined

Look, I am sending my messenger who will clear the path before me; suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you take delight is coming, says the Lord of heavenly forces. Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can withstand his appearance? He is like the refiner’s fire or the cleaner’s soap… Malachi 3:1-2

As I reflect on this Malachi text this morning, a tar kettle is smoking and spitting out the necessary material to repair the library’s roof. The smell is awful… unless you are the sort of person who likes the smell of hot tar. The kettle makes the tar, the tar goes into the cauldron, the cauldron goes into the lift, and it all gets spread on fresh plywood at the top of the library. Beep beep beep as trucks back up; the rumbling roar of idling diesel engines; scaffolding clanging into place… this is noisy, messy work.

The image of the Lord’s messenger preparing the way in Malachi is an image with joy. It’s a “delightful” happening. Yet it will also be too much to handle… too much to see without preparation. The encounter with God transforms us, burning away all artifice and scrubbing clean the real image of God beneath.

All growth hurts. Healing can be painful, too. Yet the messenger is coming again, preparing the way once more, and inviting us into true, abundant life with God. This is a great week for the discipline of silent prayer, of opening yourself up fully to the Holy Spirit and allowing the necessary holy refining to take place. We can pray with David in Psalm 51 “Have mercy on me, O God… wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin… create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” 

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Ben

Previous Post: «Advent Calendar Anticipating the Already, Living in the Not Yet
Next Post: Celebrate the Season with Us candles»

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent posts

  • Bicentennial Church Tour: March 25th @ 1-3pm
  • Ash Wednesday Service
  • Christmas Eve Candle Light Service
  • Christmas at the Movies
  • Whitehouse Wind Symphony Concert

Categories

  • Events
  • Main Blog
  • Sunday Sermon
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • February 2018

Footer

Services: Sundays at 10:30am
Flemington United Methodist Church
116 Main Street, Flemington, NJ 08822
908.782.1070


Get in Touch

Get in Touch

Copyright © 2023 · Mai Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in