The passion we carry

Having got up a little early today, I decided to go for a walk around our newly planted wood. I love this walk, but don't do it often enough. Anyway I set off with ipod plugged in and alone with the music and my thoughts.

I began to think about what to say at my induction in October. It's traditional to tell the story of how one came to accept the call to the church. But then I'm not one for tradition. It's almost impossible to tell the story without it sounding either over spiritualised or just another personal choice. So I began to think about what to say.

What is it that moves me to move home and family and friends and start over in a new place with unfamiliar things and unknown issues to address? It's something that burns deep inside of me, a passion that ought to overshadow everything else but often gets clouded out by the daily frustrations and setbacks of the stuff that happens around me. But it's there. Always there.

When I tell the story I want to talk about what could be, what should be. I want to talk about the simple fact that Jesus died to make a difference. That he died to change our future, to deal with our past and empower us to live in the present. I want to talk about the passion he has for the missing and the need I have to get that passion in my heart, and the way it calls me forward, onward, deeper into God's mission. I want to talk about how it burns like fire in my bones, and how nothing else is as important and how I can't hold it in.

And as I thought about these things I began to cry out to God that he would give me more of this passion.

I'm not sure what I'll actually say, but this morning I met with God and chose once again to submit my life into his hands for his purposes.

"Lord let your fire fall, let it burn in all our hearts."