When I lived in Buffalo, I got on the Kensington one evening and noticed an old Catholic church with a tall steeple on fire. There was some smoke and not too much flame
and fire units were arriving. I stopped for an errand and returned about 15 minutes later. To my shock, the entire steeple was ablaze. 
Fire can be a devouring monster. There are stories of people lighting bbqs with a gas can. The fire travels up the stream of gas faster than it is coming out of the can and then explodes the can.
A friend of mine was getting ready to paint his house. He took a small torch to loosen old paint on the second floor. A flame swept in a crack for a moment and caught some dust on fire behind the tongue in groove siding. Before he could get off the ladder and get the fire company, his second floor had burned off the building.
Well, you say, let us pray and ask God to remove fire from the earth. I guess that’s not a problem. I like my eggs and hamburger raw. And these co-ops are often too hot in the winter so let’s turn off those furnaces and just use a coat. Cars do use fire to burn the gas, but if we just changed to subways with electricity from wind power, we might be ok. Perhaps we just need to change the prayer.
Even the United Methodist symbol incorporates the flame of the Holy Spirit bringing life to the church. A friend of mine, Charlie Hummel, wrote a book several years ago called, Fire in the Fireplace.
Our world is on fire this morning. I am not saying that to be sensational. And to comfort you that I am not using my own perspective to select from the scriptures, we are again using the lectionary text for today. And in the midst of the flames of the world, the American Christian church is more like the fireplace that has grown cold. If you are a sincere Christian with a desire to do something good, I believe that the Bible reading this morning will help you. It is a powerful reading because the situation in our world is grim. Praise the Lord, our God has designed answers that really speak to the problems. Let us be in worship of Almighty God.
Fire has always been the helper of humanity and the fear of humanity. In Matthew’s words, Jesus assures the disciples that the things they wish they didn’t have to talk about have to made public. What you hear whispered, shout from the housetops.
Our problem as Christians is that parts of our message are not popular. The principalities and the powers must stop the spread of the gospel. Its message of life and light is poison to death and darkness. Christians, least of all, should not be surprised that conflicts will escalate as they bear witness to the Prince of Peace. Peacemaking in a culture devoted to war must be suppressed.
In the midst of this potentially deadly scenario, the missionaries, you and I, are commanded ‘not to be afraid.’ Speak loudly, don’t hold back, your Abba in heaven cares deeply for you. He works all things for good. “In this way Matthew assigns to his community a share in the task of envoys.”
We are at a moment in US history where Christians could take a stand and steer the nation. 59% of the people don’t think the war is going well. Most parents of draft age children don’t want their kids to sign up. The bill for this war to date has drawn $600 billion from social security and medical benefits and the new reduction in college loans that are being cut. And the death rate of Iraqis is up, the death rate of Iraqi police is up 75% last month, and the death rate of US soldiers is up.
Christians could place the emphasis on peace. One of the key moments for the witness of Christ in the Philippines was at the end of the Marcos government, tanks were moving forward and a convent of nuns lay down in front of them. The fire in the world was overcome by the fire in the fireplace.
The greatest danger to the gospel is that if we are unfaithful to it, then the nation turns to other gods. And it usually an unsolved war that sends a nation away from its historic religion. Europe after the religious wars in the 1700s. Korea after civil war. Cambodia after civil war.
The Billy Graham website asks for our prayers for the crusade that starts two miles from here this Friday night. I like Billy Graham. I worked with the crusade in Buffalo. But I encourage you to pray that one of his messages will direct the nation to the Prince of Peace. One message from him could be like the nuns of the Philippines.
We have two churches emerging in the United States. The old distinction of Methodist, Catholic, and Baptist are falling away. There is the James Dobson group with what they call family values. And there are the peace and justice Christians. I looked at James Dobson’s site. You would not know we are at war. He has a public policy section. You would not know we are at war. It seems that even prayer for families of the 1700 servicemen and women killed in Iraq would be part of our Christian task.
The great mission of God is rectification – setting the world right and reconciling the world unto God in 2nd Corinthians 5:19. Reconciliation is peace. Peace with God and peace with other people. And Paul says in the next chapter that he was beaten and suffered for the ministry of reconciliation.
Just what Matthew is saying. Let me be specific. Satan is a real spiritual being in charge of the powers and principalities. And those forces were what set this war in
motion. And we are out of answers to win. We heard that we would win once 
Hussein was captured. Then we heard that we
would win once the constitution was in place. Now we hear that we will win once Zarquawi is captured. The truth is we are on a losing track.
How is the church to confess Jesus in verse 32? Our entire text makes it clear that it is the persecuted Jesus and forgiveness that undoes persecutors; forgiveness alone has the power to break the spell of victimage. Forgiveness, healing, casting out spirits are all reconciliatory in character, they re-member us to ourselves, to one another and to God.
Many of our feelings about government, society, other cultures, and the world come from our parents. They have done studies. But this gospel of peace often divides father and son. It is the instrument that divides families. The effects produced by the preaching are given as the purpose for which Christ came…the ultimate effect of the coming of Christ is reconciliation to God and enduring peace; but the immediate effect of the preaching of peace is often strife.”
We need to call all fathers and all sons to the scriptures this day. If we are Christians, our reexamination of the Bible must have first claim in our life. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
If you are convinced that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, then you must add your voice to those who are calling for a change in Iraq policy. There is an article today reprinted in the lobby. It says that Iraq is at a tipping point for far worse violence. American public opinion is tipping too. Why not light your own small candle for peace this week? Pray for Billy Graham’s message, write our members of congress and president, and tell one friend this week that your church asked you to work for peace. Those three things. These are acts that define whether we are truly following Christ or just people who admire him. Let us be envoys for peace.
Come and sing a simple song of freedom Sing it like you've never sung before Let it fill the air, tell the people everywhere We, the people. we don't want a war"
