Until Then

Revelation 21:22-27

The old joke says that sin keeps ministers in business. That is only a joke (and not a very good one at that). The truth is that the church as the body of Christ exists to faithfully serve its Lord and Savior; clergy and laity alike share this responsibility (see my blog post from January 5, 2012 for more on that subject). The time is coming when there will be no need for the church as an institution for we will all dwell in the presence of the living God. We find such an assurance in our reading from Revelation for today. “I saw no temple in the city,” we read, “for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22-23).

Years ago John Lennon challenged his listeners to “Imagine” a world without boundaries or institutions. John, the writer of Revelation, is making essentially the same observation. In the coming reign of God there will be no need for religion as we know it, no place for governments or socio-economic classes. Even the elements of nature that we consider essential for life will become superfluous, all replaced by the glory of God and of the Lamb.

So, yes, I look forward to the day when the church is rendered obsolete, when symbols of earthly power and authority cease to have meaning. When that day comes God will stand alone in undiluted majesty and we will know life as it is intended to be.

Prayer: Lord, give us patience to await the day of your coming and the love we need to care for one another in the meantime. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Singing With the Sentinels

Isaiah 52:7-10

Revelation 21:22-27

In times of war a town or city wishing to avoid destruction will declare itself “open”, that is offering no resistance to the enemy. Otherwise the gates are locked tight and careful and constant watch is kept. According to our readings today from Isaiah and Revelation the time is coming when Zion, the city of God, will no longer face the choice between surrender or devastation. “Listen!” says Isaiah. “Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion” (Isaiah 52:8). “Its gates will never be shut by day…,” Revelation tells us, “nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood” (Revelation 21:25, 27). Taken together, these passages tell us of a time to come when sentinels will share (sing, even) only joyous news and there will be no reason to fear anyone.

Ah, if only that were true today! If only we could step outside our doors and feel completely and unreservedly safe and free from harm. But there are so many things that lurk in the shadows of our world, so many accidents waiting to happen, so many people with ill-intent, so much disease and sickness, so many bad things happening to even the best of people. What gives? Well, both the prophet Isaiah and John, the writer of Revelation, are giving us glimpses of the time to come, the end time when God’s reign will finally arrive in its fullness. This is a hope toward which we are to live, a reality in which we may place our confidence. “The days are surely coming,” says the Lord, and as we grow in trust we become more aware to what God is doing. Indeed, if we observe with all our being and focus with all of our heart and mind upon the grace of God we may find ourselves joining in the song of the sentinels, even in the face of current events. For even now grace abounds and God’s goodness floods our world like a river tops its banks and transcends its levies. And while evil remains a problem (the problem), the growing light of a new dawn indicates that it will all be worth the wait as God’s will becomes more and more apparent. So cue the sentinels and lets get singing.

Prayer: Lord, give us eyes to behold the light of your new creation and the will to join the chorus of praise to your most holy name. Amen.