No More Ocean?

Revelation 21:1 "...and the sea was no more..."

Everyone has heard Revelation 21 used in a funeral before. It is actually one of my favorites scripture passages to use. Well, it came up on the lectionary schedule for this weekend. I mean, is that even allowed, preaching this on a Sunday without a casket present?

Let's get one thing straight, this passage is not about global warming. It always made my ex-navy buddies in Virginia Beach a little squeamish as well--wait, what's happening to the water? The surfers were a bit disgruntled, too. Although, if you're surfing the coast of Virginia, you should be disgruntled to begin with.

To understand why this would be written in the context of God's new creation, we need to rewind all the way to the beginning. Remember what there was before God spoke creation into existence? No, it was not nothing. There was dark, there was chaos, and there was water. If you asked an ancient person about the sea, they would probably use these same words to describe it: dark, chaotic, wet.

Translating that into today, what would you describe with words like that? Wall Street investment offices. What else? Think about it.

Consider, also, the contrast with the "water of life" from 21:7. There's something the world gives that brings chaos and death, yet something similar is given by God that brings wholeness and life. Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death."

"...but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life. I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 4:14 & 14:6

Part of the Crowd

The text for this week is Revelation 7:9-17. The scene is this: Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is sitting on the heavenly throne surrounded by people from every corner of the earth. Humans from every time and place imaginable, this group is gathered. The only characteristic they share is the only one that matters: they are worshiping God for salvation in Jesus Christ.

Many times we turn to Scripture looking for a set of instructions--"What should I do?" However, this passage is one of those rare, "Look and see!" sections. I find it especially poignant because this passage is for us to look and see. We don't come across it in the middle of a parable, or a history book when someone else is told to look and we catch things from the third person perspective. We're standing next to John, looking out over the multitude, standing in stunned amazement at the heavenly worship of our Lord.

It should take our breath away; and rightly so!

But more than just the image should strike us. We should be rejuvenated with hope that God's word will accomplish the purpose for which God has sent it. In days when it seems like more people may be leaving churches than coming to them, it is amazingly encouraging to know that God will continue to draw women and men to himself and that one day we will all gather in worship. Presbyterians, Methodists, Orthodox, Baptists, Episcopalians, Amish, Catholics, Lutherans, and everyone else! Where can we find community? Where is there common ground for hope? Right here, in our passage from Revelation.

You and me? We get to be part of the crowd!

Pearl In The Storm

My brother lent me a book called A Pearl In The Storm. He couldn't stop gushing about what an amazing book it is and how it's a life-changing read. Always a bit skeptical, but willing to trust my bro's recommendation, I accepted his loaner book.

It's an autobiographical story of a woman who rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean--from North Carolina to France. I'm about halfway through it right now and it is a fairly interesting read. The part I'm still a bit unsure about is the solitary quest by a rugged individual to find meaning and wholeness in life.

It runs opposite the way Donald Miller or Henri Nouwen describe their spiritual pilgrimages. In fact, it also runs opposite to the community building ministry of Jesus Christ in the Gospels. Jesus was always pulling people out of isolation and into true community. All of Paul's letters address the joy and difficulty of living in Christian community.

Perhaps this book's appeal is because of the increase in individual athleticism among adults in our culture. It's the mentality of 'I can do it alone because I'm strong enough and good enough and I need to prove what I'm made of.' Marathons are run alone. Even the Tour de France is raced by solo cyclists who just happen to be grouped into teams. The only ones engaged actively in team sports anymore are kids and professionals. Maybe it's time for us adults to engage more seriously in kickball, volleyball, and basketball. Perhaps we could train together, practice together, and grow together.

Easter Recap.

Our Easter service on Sunday was glorious! The choir was awesome, the music was great, and attendance was an all-time high for me since coming to NPC: 204! We also had 62 people come to the Duck Pond for our Sunrise Service. God totally blessed us with awesome weather for that!

In related news, I think it's time we switched off the heat in the sanctuary. People (including the preacher) were melting Sunday morning. This got me to thinking, is there an ideal temperature for worship? I suppose it depends on the type of service. If you've got lots of movement and clapping, cooler is probably good. If everyone remains seated the whole time, warmer is better. For traditional Presbyterians...?

BTW, I am in North Carolina this week for my brother's wedding. Very exciting stuff! See you all when I return. In the mean time, you're in the very capable hands of Delilah Jane.