The Burning Cathedral
Last night Renee and I saw in the new year at Warehouse Worship. It’s a joint effort between YWAM and local churches to spend time praising God together. They host it several times a year, including last night. What a great way to end the year and usher in the new one.
Exactly 12 months ago, we were celebrating New Year’s in Lausanne at the Burning Cathedral. Since 1904, rather than fireworks, the city of Lausanne has illuminated its large central cathedral with red lights and smoke effects to make it look as though the cathedral is on fire.
The celebration isn’t because an actual fire took place there, but it’s partly to remember the pervasive fear that historically came with living in a largely wooden city without fire trucks or running water. It also recognizes that the cathedral, being one of the highest points in the old city, was used by night watchmen to look out for fires in the city below.
Watching the cathedral burn, Renee and I had no idea what the year ahead held for us. We had planned to stay in Switzerland for the foreseeable future, work and save money, and experience life in Europe. As you all well know now, God had other plans for us. Our lives were upended twice—first with the move to Hawaii, and then with our move back to Australia.
For us, 2025 was bookended with fire—first with an illusory fire in Lausanne, and then with worship and praise infused with the fire of the Holy Spirit in Townsville.
It was a very humbling year for me. God burned up a lot of what I thought I wanted to do and many of the plans I had made, and He changed my heart to recognize that serving Him would bring the greatest joy. I remember clearly wandering the freezing, pre-dawn streets of Lausanne when God said it was time to pursue Him and His ways instead.
Did I fulfill that call of God in 2025? In many ways, yes, I believe I did—but in other ways, I fell short. Last night, as I was reflecting on the year ahead, I felt an overwhelming sense of unworthiness. In my flesh, I’m incapable of living up to everything God has for me.
But that’s how God designed us. Everything we need in order to serve Him, He’s willing to give us as a free gift—the Holy Spirit being chief among them. Wisdom, faith, and reverent fear are also ours for the receiving.
This year, I’m not making any grand plans, but I am recommitting to what He showed me in 2025, and to keeping my heart soft and my ears open.
In a few days, the year will kick off in earnest—back to work and back to the routines of life. Take some time before the rushing busyness takes hold again to remember what God did in 2025. Set your heart to stillness mode and look out over your life to see where the fire of the Holy Spirit is burning brightest.
It’s not the fire to fear; it’s the fire to embrace.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:14-15