Saturday, November 28, 2020           (today’s lectionary)
How much heaven?
An angel showed me the river of life-giving water. On either side of the river grew the tree of life. There will be no more curses, and no more cursed, instead the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.
How much heaven can I stand? Earth and sky exist no longer, so what in fact do I even stand on? Yet whenever I think I’m falling, there’s the tree of life to catch me, hold me like a cradle, wrap me in a smooth cocoon until I’m ready to step out again. Oh, the beauty! Oh, the joy. My questions settle down to rest, while the sun comes up and the new day’s rising.
We will look upon his face and his name will be on our foreheads. The night will be no more. The Lord God will give us light. His servants shall reign forever and ever.
There’s no light like the light coming from the face of God. Stained glass catches just a glimpse of it, sunrise pours that light into my soul. I am learning, Lord, to be your child and let you love me. Someday I might learn to be your servant, to understand and stop questioning what you want from me, and Just Do It.
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. Behold, I am coming soon. Come, Lord Jesus!
I’ve always been skeptical, I’ve asked questions since I was just a tyke. God, you made me that way. I begin to see my way through, at least in the night as I sleep, when you put back together all I’ve torn apart.
Waking from that sleep I see the virtue of obedience, the freedom you offer when I follow. The song I wrote for the pulpit, from Psalm 119, those words sing out in my mind, “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Free at last, thank God almighty, I’m free at last. You’ve made me so, and so I thank you and sing out with joy, in tune and out of tune.
Come and sing joyfully to the Lord, come into his presence with thanksgiving, come and bow down in worship and kneel before the Lord who made us.
The sagas of Ordinary Time 2020 come today to their end. All who still survive have stories. Now tomorrow begins our Advent season (my 71st). We all look up from yesterday, we all step into today. The calendar does not lie.
These are the days that the Lord has made. Songs in the minor keys will soon surround us, O come, o come, o come Emmanuel. And Christmas is coming, Jesus is born in the little town of Bethlehem, and the shepherds will join their sheep and fall down in worship. Songs in the major keys will rise up from every hill. O Lord, you’re here, let earth receive her King.
Let me receive my King!
For he is our God, and we are his people.
I hear the words of James Joyce and let them guide me into God: “Welcome, o life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to gaze on you in the smithy of my soul. I go to let your love forge me into all you’ve made me to be. Hold me and send me forth in strength after strength.”
Jesus said, Be vigilant always in the midst of daily life. Both anxiety and relaxation can catch you by surprise in a trap, for that day of Returning will assault every one of you, no matter where you are or what you’re doing.
(Revelation 22, Psalm 95, Luke 21)
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