It sounds like a typical exhortation for a passionate preacher. But when John Hooper made this cry he was not calling for greater power in preaching or even a better way to live. He was crying for a better way to die.
At the time, he was tied to the stake and the first two attempts at building a fire that would take his life had so far failed miserably. The flames had been enough to consume the lower half of his 
body, but not enough to take his life. He cried out for more fire to end his torture.
body, but not enough to take his life. He cried out for more fire to end his torture.I have been reading about martyrs lately. First, in a book that addressed the reign of Mary I of England. At her ascension to the throne, Catholic Mary made her greatest priority the extinguishing of the young but rapidly growing, vibrant Protestant church in England. Over the course of her nearly four year reign, Mary had nearly 300 Protestants burned at the stake.
I had long known that this type of activity had earned Mary the moniker Bloody Mary, but for some reason it struck closer to heart recently. Mostly, I assume, because the very things that cost these men and women their lives are the very things I do each week as a pastor.
I picked up a rather slim book entitled The Martyrs of Mary Tudor to read more about these men and women.
Today, my call brings me far more respect than I deserve. I am paid generously to do my job, I am invited to pray at public events, people buy my lunch and a local golf course lets me play for free. I wondered how would I react if things were different. I wonder how the church at large would react we lived in those days.
Yet we often complain about how difficult ministry is today. The hours are long. People complain about ridiculous things. Our projects face opposition. I wonder what John Hooper would think. I wonder what our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing real persecution right now would think.
What would it like to minister if the leading question of our day was not Your Best Life Now, but Your Best Death Now?
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