Rev. Wesley Menke
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who are left until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have died.
For the Lord himself with a cry of command with the archangels call and the sound of the trumpet, will descend from heaven , and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
This is what the Bible says about death, life after death, and the rapture. According to Paul when you die there is hope. When Jesus comes back first the dead will resurrect just like Jesus, and then the living too and all will all go out to meet him, and escort Jesus to Earth where we will live forever with him. Some people have actually done the math to figure out how many people have lived since the beginning of time, and what that number would be who would live on Earth with Jesus. You might be living in a high rise.
What surprises some people about this is that the Bible emphasizes a physical resurrection and heaven being established in the physical world here on Earth. How will this come about?
Matthew 25:1-13
“Later, the other bridesmaids came also saying, “Lord Lord open to us.’” But he replied, Truly I tell you I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Jesus says that some people could be excluded from the kingdom of heaven. It will be the people who were not prepared to receive Jesus when he comes.
Faith is two things at the same time. One is being realistic that we might be waiting a very long time. Two is not giving up but keeping hope. Faith isn’t just about the right kind of belief. Faith has to do with our behavior. The people who are excluded from the kingdom of heaven are the people who don’t take their responsibility seriously. We must have faith that God is expecting us to come through and do our part. Where is the grace? Grace is that God has endowed you with gifts that you can share.
Amos 5:18-24 emphasized the point that if we are expecting comfort and ease from God then we might be in for a surprise. The day of the Lord is a day of darkness and not light; as if someone fled from a lion and was met by a bear, or went into the comfort of their home only to be bitten by a snake.
We think that if we perform religious rituals we can earn God’s favor. God says, “I hate, I despise your festivals and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.” So if none of these religious things are accepted by God what are we to do?
Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream.
What does this mean?
Yesterday morning I came to the church campus and found that the parking lot was already full of cyclists and volunteers. It was a major stop on the Tour de Foothills. People were bustling about drinking water, eating snacks, doing maintenance and enjoying their ride. Everyone seemed really happy. We saw Dan, the grandfather to Annabelle, Heidi, and Lukas. David, the girls, and Marilyn, David’s mother in law were all there to cheer on and support Dan on his ride. They made posters cheering their grandpa on, which was really cool. While I was out there Amy and Austin came by too. Austin was on his bike practicing wheelies and was eager to participate in the race. Maybe next year. Of course while all of this was going on our dedicated gardeners were taking care of our plants and cleaning up. Then it wasn’t long until Darlene and Ingrid were here setting up food for the concert. I made my way down to the Veteran’s Plaza at City Hall for the annual Veteran’s Day commemoration.
Yesterday was Veterans Day. To all the Veterans I say that we love you, God loves you, and we need you here in our lives. It is my understanding that Veterans often are burdened by health issues as a result of their service. Some of the hurt is visible, and some of it cannot be readily seen. The keynote speaker Sergeant Lance Henderson reminded us that not just Veterans but their families supported and sacrificed so they could serve. Thank you!
It was good to see many members of our church there: Clinton & Michelle, Ingrid, Ingrid & Jerry, Joyce, Loretta, and Shannon.
After the Veteran’s Day Ceremony it was a short while until our own concert. Carrie and Tatiana were at the church early to set up and practice, and in the blink of an eye members and guests started showing up, including Pastor Scottie Lloyd.
Once again, we were all so impressed by the virtuosic musical talent of Tatiana. The pieces carried with them an entire range of emotional and spiritual expression which allowed anyone to connect no matter how they were feeling, and then to transcend oneself to a new perspective and renewal. Thank you Tatiana, she reminded us that heroes can be anyone.
Pastor Scottie’s testimony about his service as chaplain was enlightening and inspiring. Pastor Scottie highlighted moments of his ministry including teaching confirmation to a new recruit in boot camp, and giving communion to soldiers before going into battle not knowing if it would be the last time they received the sacrament. Pastor Scottie reminded us that chaplain ministry is youth ministry, and interfaith ministry. Amen.
We enjoyed wine, cheese, and the best cranberry bread ever. Thank you! Then the saints cleaned up and we all went about our ways. And now here we all are again, loving and supporting each other, strengthening each other as we prepare for the coming of the Lord.
What does it mean to let justice roll down like waters? Maybe it means just this. The saints gather and do what we can to support each other and create peace in the world. Amen.
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