As

Ascension Day and (soon) Pentecost Sunday focus the attention of the

church calendar this month, we can make connections from these events

to other Bible passages.

God

has always been at work in developing and redeeming a people. From

the story of Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 50), we see how God protected a

fractured family—Israel—and provided food for them in the midst

of a famine. But after several generations, the tables turned, and

the people of Israel became slaves to the Egyptians. God heard the

cries of his people, however, and would lead them out to the promised

land.

The

unlikely leader for this mission was a murderer, Moses. He killed an

Egyptian to protect someone from getting a beating and then ran away

(Exodus 2:12-15). Then, some years later, out in the wilderness,

Moses received God’s call by way of a bush that was on fire but did

not burn up. As Moses drew closer to this holy ground, God declared

that he had heard the cries of his people and wanted Moses to bring

them out of slavery. Fire and calling.

As

Moses was called into God’s service through holy fire, that event

anticipated the day when the Holy Spirit of God would be poured out,

in tongues like fire (Acts 2:3), on all who would be messengers of

hope and love to a world crying out in despair and anger.