I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of the Christian church in America. It seems like a good time to do so around Reformation Sunday; Martin Luther was concerned with the state of Roman Catholic church in his day and worked for reform, and I feel the need to do the same today.
Tomorrow night, Christians all around the globe will gather by fire. It is the night of the Pascha, the Easter Vigil. Modeled in part on the Jewish Passover, the vigil begins at sundown (approximately) and continues for a long time. The first action of the vigil is to bless the new fire, a reminder that God is the source of all warmth and light.