The Way of God’s Kingdom
Elaine Poproski Download: Audio
Scripture Reading: Revelation 4 (NRSV)
After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” Read more…
Looking to Sunday
by Elaine Poproski
Sunday marks the end of the Christian year (did you know we have our own calendar 🙂 ). The year begins with Advent – a time of waiting – which grows into Christmas, which moves rather quickly into Lent – a time of grieving – which is resolved in Easter, which pours into what we call the Pentecost season, or the season of the Church. Then, finally, we end the year looking ahead to that day when Jesus will return in all His sovereign glory. We call it “Christ the King” Sunday. That’s this Sunday. We are reminded that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.
It’s a Sunday of triumph. It’s a Sunday of hope. It’s a Sunday of restoring perspective. I need that this week. I need to be pulled out of my limited understanding and worldview and be reminded that Jesus sees the whole, big, messy picture of all creation and is at work bringing it all to that place where there is only His kingdom. I need to be reminded that justice will prevail, that death will be no more, that poverty will be annihilated, and that all creation will once again live in peace. In short, I need to be reminded that shalom (wholeness, completeness, peace) is assured.
So I will show up to church on Sunday and I will allow the words of Scripture to remind me of all these things. I will sing the songs and in the singing – in the proclaiming – I will be reminded who God is and the lengths He goes to. I will preach the promises of God revealed in Jesus because God is Truth and when I rest in Him I cannot be shaken.
Will you join me at church on Sunday? Will you come seeking the God who is our refuge and strength for so long as we must wait for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? Will you come, not with everything figured out, but exactly as you are, willing to lay it all out before God so that He can deal with whatever needs to be dealt with?