Sharing God's Love and Grace

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th St., Coshocton, OH 43812

Christ the King Sunday

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th St., Coshocton, OH 43812

Pastor Karen Crawford

Mark Wagner, Organist

Ron Geese, Diane Jones, Jim Crawford, Ashley Bryant, Kiera McPeck,

Lydia Black, and Debbie Clark, Readers

Prelude: Two Christmas Pastorales Domenico Zipoli (1688-1726)
Edited by Charles G. Frischmann Mark Wagner, Organ

Pastorales have a long tradition in music for Christmas, especially in Italy where the pifferari (shepherd pipers) come into villages on Christmas morning to play before the manger scene in the square.

Greeting/Announcements

Gathering Prayer

The Nativity Story

Solo: Away in a Manger Ron Barkett

Reading: Luke 2:1-20 Ashley Bryant

Hymn Joy to the World (stanzas 1 and 2) Mark Wagner, Organ

Meet Our Church Family: Auybree and Amanda Hittle

Time with Our Children and Youth: Thanks Living!

The Ministry and the Message

Reading: Matthew 7:21-29 Ron Geese

Hymn: My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (stanza 1)

Reading: Nicodemus Jim Crawford

Reading: Peter and the Sea of Galilee Diane Jones

Hymn: Precious Lord, Take My Hand Caroline Heading

Reading: Jesus Blesses the Children (Luke 18:15-17) Debbie Clark

Hymn: Jesus Loves Me Mason Gano, Piano

Final Entry into Jerusalem

Reading: Luke 19:36-42 Kiera McPeck

Hymn: Hosanna, Loud Hosanna Kiera McPeck, Flute; Lukas Sycks, Piano

The Betrayal and the Passion

Reading: John 19:13-28 Pastor Karen

Hymn: Were You There Caroline Heading, Piano

The Resurrection

Reading: Matthew 28:1-10 Lydia Black

Hymn: Jesus Christ Is Risen Today (stanzas 1 and 4) Mark Wagner, organ

Pentecost

Reading: Pentecost (Acts 2) Pastor Karen

Hymn: Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness Debbie Clark, Song Leader; Mark Wagner, Organ

Invitation to the Offering

Offertory: Breathe on Me, Breath of God, arranged, Dennis R. Johnson

Mark Wagner, Organ

Doxology

Prayer of Thanksgiving/Dedication

Almighty God, we give you thanks and praise for your love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Accept our offering in union with Christ’s offering for us. Confirm in us the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, that we may testify to the sovereignty of his love. Through Christ, with the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, Almighty God, now and forever.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

The Kingdom and the King

Reading:        John 18: 33-37                                                      Jim Crawford

Hymn     Crown Him With Many Crowns                           Mark Wagner, organ

Postlude: Rondeau on “Royal Oak” Michael Helmann                        Mark Wagner, organ

Jake, Barb, Courtney and Ari Snyder

Nov. 15, 2020

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th. Street, Coshocton, OH 43812

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th St., Coshocton, OH 43812

Pastor Karen Crawford

Mark Wagner, Organist

Courtney Snyder and Sarah Swigert, Liturgists

Prelude: Be Still My Soul by Jean Sibelius; setting, William M. Felton

Greeting/Announcements

Opening Words

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations;

you have been our home throughout all the ages.

You were there before the world was made and will be forever.

From everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Gathering Prayer

God of righteousness, you overcome those who abuse their power and lift up those who suffer. Even now, when evil seems to hold sway, we know that you will have the last word. Keep us faithful as we wait and watch for your coming realm, when you will welcome all your children into your kingdom of justice, peace, and love. Amen.

Hymn: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (stanzas 1 and 2)

Call to Confession

Prayer of Confession

Almighty God,  you have shown us the ways of justice and nurtured us with love. Even so, we have not lived according to your will. When we are oppressed or unjustly accused, we cling to fear and forget to trust in your deliverance. When we are giddy with power and abuse the rights of others, we hold tight to our privilege and forget your laws. Have mercy on us, Lord, for we are weak and prone to disobedience. Hear our confession, and respond to us with kindness, that we might turn to you again, walk in the light, and live in equity and peace; through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Meet Our Church Family: Jake, Barb, Courtney and Ari Snyder

Message for Children and Youth: Using Your Talents for God

Prayer for Illumination

Readings: Judges 4:1-7; 1 Thess. 5:1-11

Holy wisdom, holy word. Thanks be to God!

Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ!

Message Are You Investing in the Kingdom?

Hymn: Those of Old Their Firstfruits Brought (stanzas 1 and 2)

Joys and Concerns

Prayer of Intercession

Holy God, you welcome us into your joy and entrust us with your gospel. In hope for the world to come and with love for the world you made, we offer our prayers for your church, your earth, and your people.

For your church, in this community and around the world, that your good news may be proclaimed to all . . .

For oppressors, that they might know justice, and those oppressed, that they might know peace . . .

For your creation, that we may be the caretakers you intend . . .

For the young, that they might be nurtured in love . . .

For the old, that they might be secure in your care . . .

For those who fight the demons of addiction, that they might find relief . . .

For those who face an early death and those they leave behind, that they might be comforted . . .

For all those who care for the suffering and those in their charge, that they would be freed from pain and fear . . .

For all of those about whom we worry and those whose troubles are known only to you . . .

All this we pray with gratitude for your eternal love and extravagant grace; in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray….

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Invitation to the Offering

Offertory: Largo by Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876)

Doxology

Prayer of Thanksgiving/Dedication

For all that you are and all that you do, we give you thanks, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. We wait in hope for the coming of your realm and offer these gifts to further your kingdom on earth; in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Hymn: 384 Soon and Very Soon (stanzas 1-3)

(Ron Geese, euphonium; Mark Wagner, piano)

Charge/Benediction

Postlude: Andantino by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1626; arr., David Johnson

Meditation on Matthew 25:14-30

Pastor Karen Crawford

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th St., Coshocton, OH 43812

About 18 years ago, I was working as a religion reporter for the York Daily Record/Sunday News. I visited a tiny, country church that was in danger. The denomination wanted the church to close because it was so small—fewer than 20 people on Sunday mornings. It was hard for them to afford to keep up their building, pay their utility bills, and pay a pastor—even a part-time pastor—anymore.

I went to the church thinking I was going to write one kind of story–about change and loss, another congregation aging, greying, and dwindling. But that’s not the story I wrote.

As we talked, I looked over at a wall of wrapped shoeboxes—maybe 100 of them. Maybe more. They told me they were for Operation Christmas Child, the “shoebox outreach” of Samaritan’s Purse. The national collection week begins tomorrow. Inside each box, the tiny congregation had lovingly packed school supplies, toys, and other gifts to help needy children around the world. What’s more, they put money in every box to pay for the shipping!

They told me that this was the main outreach ministry of their church, the one they were passionate about. They didn’t have any children in their church. Not anymore. And they wanted to bless children everywhere.

   It was a story of hope, faith, and generosity! They wanted to live out the gospel by loving, giving and serving people in need.

   Without worry for their own future, they were investing in the Kingdom of God.

    Living out the gospel and growing the Kingdom is what our lesson in Matthew 25 is about. But it’s a difficult passage for us, living in our time and place. We don’t easily connect with the language and context of slavery. Many of us just want to skip right over this passage, especially the part about the weeping and gnashing of teeth.

   We would much rather study the parables that come before and after. The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, who didn’t have extra oil for their lamps and weren’t ready for the return of the Bridegroom, immediately precedes this one. The parable about the judgment of the nations, when the king will separate the faithful sheep from the unfaithful goats, immediately follows.

     “And the king says, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Matt 25:34-36). And the righteous ask the king, when did we give you food and drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger? When did we give you clothing, take care of you when you were sick, and visit you in prison? The king says, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matt 25:40)

   The Parable of the Talents, unlike the other parables before and after, uses the language of money and investments when teaching about the Kingdom. The word talent doesn’t mean what it does today. It means a sum of money; actually, a large sum! It was equal to 6,000 drachmas or denarii, the Greek and Roman silver coins. The first slave who was given 5 talents “was a multimillionaire by today’s standards. Some calculate the talent … to be equivalent to 20 years of wages for the common worker.” (“How heavy was a talent in the Bible?” at learnreligions.com). The slaves who received 1 and 2 talents, though considerably less than 5, still received large sums of money.

Amazing.

Although abhorrent to us, slavery is common in the ancient world. The disciples would understand exactly what Jesus means with this example. They know about lazy slaves who disobey their masters and are punished, and though this language is upsetting to us, it is normal and acceptable to them. That the slave in this passage fails to do what the master has asked and is called “worthless,” wouldn’t shock Jesus’ first audience! This doesn’t mean, friends, that God sees any human being as worthless or that God approves of slavery. This is just a story to reach the disciples right where they are and teach them and us how to prepare for the return of our Redeemer and for life in the Kingdom of God.

   Looking at some of the key points, we find that this teaching is still relevant and meaningful today. First, the master gives to all but doesn’t give each the same amount. They are given according to their “ability.” The master’s expectations, then, are different for each one because the slaves are different. God has a unique plan for each of us; we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others!

    Second, the master doesn’t give the slaves the talents to keep. The talents still belong to the master, just as the slaves always belong to their master. The slaves are charged with being good stewards of the wealth they have been given, just as we are charged with being faithful stewards. The expectation is that the wealth will be grown, without the master telling them how. The slaves know what to do. It’s a question of obedience.

   Third, the one who is given the least is the one who hoards, burying the 1 talent in the ground. He is motivated by…. what? Fear! And it’s an irrational fear, for he misjudges the character of his master.

Are there people who misjudge the character of God today? Yes. There are people who don’t know the loving, merciful and gracious nature of the Lord because they don’t know the Lord. They aren’t in relationship with Him.

    Finally, importantly, what is the reward for the faithful—who put their investment back into the Kingdom, for their master’s sake? High praise, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave!” and an invitation to enter the master’s joy—eternal life with our Lord.

     Like the slaves, we have been given a treasure to invest and grow the Kingdom. We each have a calling in this world to follow in Christ’s compassionate ways. We do this as the Spirit leads us, giving of ourselves and our resources so that the world may be blessed through us.

    Friends, there aren’t eternal rewards if we bury our treasure in the ground or when we hoard what belongs to God! Don’t let irrational fear hold you back from giving of yourselves and your resources!

     Be like the little church in York County, PA, almost two decades ago. I don’t remember the church’s name, so I can’t find out if they are still open or if they did finally close the building. No matter what, the Church is still very much alive. They didn’t worry about their future. They knew to whom they belonged!  They embraced the ministry God gave them in the present. They were happy and hopeful.

      Like the little church in Pennsylvania, our Presbyterian Women have participated in Operation Christmas Child for many years. Usually, a large group of children and adults gather to pack shoeboxes with gifts for needy children around the world. This year, it isn’t safe for a large group to gather. We almost canceled, but then found a way to scale back the project so that we could still participate. After worship today, 6 adults and youth will gather to pack the boxes, wearing masks  and social distancing.  

     This is just one way that our congregation is being faithful to invest in the Kingdom of God. There are many other ways, too. There will be more opportunities to give and serve in the future that we won’t want to miss!

Let us embrace the ministry God has given us to do today.

    Let’s be ready for when Jesus comes again! Remember to whom you belong!

    We want to hear his praise of “Well done,” and enter into his joy!

     What has God called YOU to do with the treasure that is the gospel, the good news of the gift of eternal life?

     How are you investing in the Kingdom of God?

Let us pray. Holy One, thank you for the example of your Son, who gave all of himself so that we might be forgiven and saved from our sins, set free to live new lives with Him. Help us to follow in his self-giving example and help to grow your Kingdom. Lead us to be ready, to live each day as if this is the day when your Son will return for His Church! We long to see your face and hear your praise for the good works you have ordained for us and will help us to do. We long to enter into your joy and to experience your peace. Thank you for your patience and kindness, providing for us above and beyond our needs. Cure us of our irrational fears and teach us to trust and be faithful to serve and help our neighbors. Empower us to make investments that matter for all eternity. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. Fourth St., Coshocton, OH 43812

Pastor Karen Crawford

Alice Hoover, Organist

Debbie Clark, Soloist

Jim Crawford, Liturgist

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th St., Coshocton, OH 43812

Nov. 8, 2020

Debbie Clark, Soloist

Alice Hoover, Accompanist

The Presbyterian Church, 142 N. 4th St., Coshocton, OH

The Swigerts: Matt and Sarah, Ethan, Evan and Andrew

Nov. 8, 2020

Meditation on Matthew 25:1-13

The Presbyterian Church, Coshocton, OH

Pastor Karen Crawford

Nov. 8, 2020

    I am missing my flock today. I am missing you! I am sorry that we weren’t able to worship together in person. Our leadership made the decision to close on Friday, after we learned that Coshocton County has joined 55 other Ohio counties that are now at level 3 (Red), meaning “very high exposure and spread” of the virus.

   Once again, our plans have been changed—but all for the safety and wellbeing of our congregation and community.

   This was the weekend of my niece, Melissa’s wedding in Austin, Texas. Like other couples planning weddings in 2020, she and her fiancé, Wade, were faced with the choice of postponing the ceremony for another year, when travel and large gatherings would be less risky, or go ahead with the wedding with only a few close family and friends in attendance.

    They decided on a simple but sweet outdoor service in the backyard of Wade’s parents’ home, without a big reception.

     And you know what? I think Melissa didn’t mind at all that the wedding was small. All that mattered to her was being married to Wade.

    We rejoice and give thanks for God’s blessings, amidst the unexpected.

***

Wade and Melissa’s wedding was nothing like the wedding in today’s gospel lesson, the Parable of the 10 Bridesmaids or Virgins, if you have an older Bible translation. In Bible times, weddings were communal celebrations that went on and on for 5 to 7 days! Most scholars see this parable’s dark side, as a warning of God’s judgment on the unfaithful, the unprepared. But I see more than that in Matthew 25. I hear the words of our Gracious Savior and Redeemer, who will arrive joyfully at the end of the age, extend a warm welcome to all the guests who have patiently waited for his coming and are prepared for his arrival.

     I see hope and promise with this talk about oil for the lamps, oil that burns brightly for those seeking and waiting for the bridegroom. And oil that the Lord offers so that all may join him at the great wedding banquet—when they come from east and west, north and south, to sit at the table in the Kingdom of God.

    Oil is mentioned in the Bible more than 200 times! It’s for lighting lamps, for food, and medicinal purposes. Associated with healing or anointing of priests or the articles in the tabernacle– setting apart as holy–oil is often a metaphor for the Holy Spirit. Holy, anointing oil is connected in the Psalms with the blessing of unity for God’s people, a gift of the Spirit. In Psalm 133, we read: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.”

     In today’s lesson, “the scene focuses on preparations for a wedding banquet that is to take place at the home of the groom,” writes Kenneth Bailey in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. “A great crowd of family and friends fills the house and pours out into the street in front of the dwelling. As the crowd is gathering, the groom and several close friends are making their way to the home of the bride, which is assumed to be across town or in a nearby village. From there the groom collects his bride and escorts her back to his family home, where the crowd awaits and the marriage feast will be held….When she was ready, she would be placed on the back of a riding animal and the groom, with his friends, would form a disorganized, exuberant parade. This happy group would take the longest possible route back to the groom’s house deliberately, wandering through as many streets of the village as possible so that most of the populace could see and cheer them as they passed.

…At the groom’s house some of the crowd would therefore wait in the street as they anticipate the arrival of the meandering wedding party. The parable takes place at night, and among the guests are ten young women. Each of them has a lamp, … Women, young and old, always carry lamps. Their reputation, and in some cases their personal safety, depends on the lamps.”

    But there are differences among the women. Half have brought extra olive oil in small flasks. The others have not. The parade takes longer than expected. The women grow drowsy and fall asleep. Their lamps go out!

    Finally, a cry rings out, “Behold, the bridegroom. Come out to meet him.”

    When the five who failed to bring extra oil ask the other women to share their oil with them so they may relight their lamps, they refuse. The groom and his new bride arrive and the crowd sweeps into the house and the door is shut, for after all, it is the middle of the night.

     Like many of Jesus’ parables, the story ends abruptly, leaving us wondering what happened next.

     The important question is, what does this parable teach us for our lives today?

     Yes, it is a challenge and a warning for the second coming at an unknown time. Some won’t be ready when the bridegroom reappears. The kingdom has a door that can and does close and Christ’s arrival may take us by surprise; humanity is by nature impatient; we’ve been waiting for our Messiah’s return for a long time.

    Beyond the warning and challenge, please hear the hope and promise—because of the oil. We have the oil that is needed—more than enough—to light the lamp that leads us into Christ’s presence now and forevermore!  The oil is both the presence of the Holy Spirit and the gift of faith! The Holy Spirit prepares our hearts, trusting in the Lord of yesterday, today, and forever. Faith doesn’t come from our intellect or willpower; it comes from, “Jesus, the author and originator of our faith,” as Hebrews 12:2 tells us.

   But there’s one troubling image that stays with me. I keep remembering the bridesmaids who won’t share their oil with those who run out and beg for more. They think they don’t have enough to share! The bridesmaids who have enough coldly leave those without on the other side of the door.

    The Parable of the 10 Bridesmaids, ultimately, is about choices—God’s and ours. And, once again, the theme of time—divine and human. What are we doing with our time NOW, while we are waiting on the Lord’s return for His Church? Are we living in fear, complaining about our situations, the disappointments, changes, so many things out of our control? Are we stuck in our grief for our losses and not able to move forward with the good things that God has planned? I pray we are not like the bridesmaids in the parable, concerned only with their own well-being.

   My friend, Linda, has asked me on more than one occasion what people without faith do in dark times like these? How can they manage to continue on?

   I am moved to compassion for those who don’t know Jesus, who live as people without hope. At the same time, I am convicted of my own reluctance to share my faith with my neighbors. Do you ever do this? Come up with excuses why you don’t need to talk about your faith? Maybe you don’t want to bother them. They look busy. Or maybe you’re the one who’s too busy. Or worried they might reject you.

    The reality is, our mission field stretches wide, all around us. The harvest is plentiful, as Jesus says, and the laborers are few. There are people near you at this very moment who need to know how your life is different because of knowing Jesus, being found in Him, filled with the oil of the Spirit that draws us into his presence, now and forever.

   Finally, this passage stirs me to gratitude. God is the One who has chosen us for love and not the other way around. Our salvation doesn’t depend on us! May that bring you comfort and peace in your most anxious times.

   “He chose us in Him,” says Ephesians 1:4-5, “before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.”

    Listen to more good news in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…”

    Friends, you have the Holy Spirit. You have the gift of faith to share with the world!

     Be bold. Tell YOUR story. Tell what the Lord has done for you! Allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you.

    Don’t let your oil run dry or your light go out. Stay connected to the Word of God, a lamp to your feet, a light to your path.

    You don’t have to live as people without hope. Don’t be intimidated by the darkness in this world; it has no power over us. Love has already won the battle for our souls!

    Hold onto your faith and to the people of God, who will hold you accountable and, like Paul says in Eph. 4:1, “urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

    Be ready! Don’t neglect to see and give thanks for the simple but sweet blessings, amidst the unexpected and the constant changing of plans. For we serve a loving and gracious God, who chose us in Him before the foundation of the world! Isn’t that wonderful news?

    Blessed are those whose lamps are faithfully kept burning as they watch and wait for his appearance. Someday soon, we’ll hear that joyful shout.

“Behold! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’”

Let us pray.

Holy one, we thank you for the promise of the return of the Bridegroom for His Bride, the Church. Teach us how to live as people of hope, seeing your blessings amidst the unexpected, the constant changing of plans. Heal us, Lord, of all our hurts from these months of pandemic—emotional, physical, spiritual. Strengthen us to recover from our many disappointments and losses. We ask for your help to carry the burden of our grief and stir us to forgive ourselves and others. Fill us to overflowing with the oil of your Spirit and the Light of Christ to illumine our way on the righteous path. Help us to be ready for our Messiah, to encounter our Savior and Lord face to face, and to have ears to hear the joyful shout, “Behold! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” In His name we pray. Amen.

Meditation on Revelation 7:9-17

Pastor Karen Crawford

All Saints’ Day

Nov. 1, 2020

     What time is it? No, really?

     I’m still trying to figure out the whole Daylight Savings thing. Did we really gain an hour by turning our clocks back, or did we lose an hour, since we had to get up an hour earlier?   

      Did you know that only a minority of the world’s population uses DST? Asia and Africa don’t. Parts of Australia do; other parts don’t. What’s even more confusing for Americans is that some states do and some don’t. I guess, everyone gets to decide what time it is. Arizona and Hawaii never bother to change their clocks, ever. They think they have an abundance of sunlight, all year round.

      Daylight Savings was another one of Benjamin Franklin’s ideas, though he rarely gets credit for it. In 1784, he wrote an essay to the editor of the Journal of Paris called, “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light.” He calculated that Parisians could save on candles by getting out of bed earlier in the morning, making use of the natural morning light instead. By his calculations, the total savings by the citizens of Paris would be the approximate equivalent of $200 million today.

    Nothing came of it till World War I. Germany observed it to conserve fuel in 1916, and Europe soon followed. The U.S. adopted the Standard Time Act of 1918, which set summer Daylight Savings Time to begin on March 31 of that year. The idea was unpopular, especially with farmers. Daylight Savings Time meant they had less time in the morning to get their milk and harvested crops to market. Congress abolished DST after the war and left it up to local option. New York City continued to observe it, while rural areas in New York State did not. It came back in WWII, and was more common after that, especially since the 1970s, in spite of year round standard time being better for our physical and mental health.

     So, I ask you again, what time is it? Really?

***

    Jesus has a whole different idea about time than we do. 2 Peter 3:8-9 explains why: it’s all for the benefit of humanity! “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends,” Peter says. “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’”

     This is important for us to understand today, on All Saints’, when we look back to honor and remember the saints, especially our loved ones who went home to be with the Lord this year. We give thanks for the gift of their lives and how knowing and loving them has helped to make us the people we are today. We look back at the One whose work for our sakes has made us all “saints”—those who endure, says Revelation 14:12, and keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

    On All Saints’, we look around the sanctuary and beyond the church walls to the entire community of faith, worshiping together, in person and virtually. We give God thanks for bringing us thus far through all the hard things that we have overcome together as a congregation, with God’s help. Because it’s been a hard year for all the saints. And we pray for the Spirit to continue working in us, so that we are pleasing to God in the future that God alone knows and holds in his hand.

    And we look ahead to the Great Day of the Lord, when the promises of God come to fruition. We are filled with hope and courage and strength to keep on running the race with the Great Cloud of Witnesses cheering us on.

    So, we look back. We look around and beyond to our community of faith. We look ahead and pray. For all the saints.

    In the book of Revelation, we find hope for the Church of every age—persevering through times of suffering and trials, persecution and pandemics, waiting and longing for the promises to be fulfilled.

     “Look! He is coming with the clouds,” says chapter 1:7-8, “and every eye shall see him; even those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth shall mourn because of him. Yes! Amen. I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the Lord God, Who IS and Who Was and Who Is To Come, the Almighty.”

      We can understand the book of Revelation better when we consider the time in which John of Patmos lived. The Roman Empire was huge, ruling over hundreds of cultures in the first century! From England to Africa to Syria to Spain, one in every four people on earth lived and died under Roman law. The Empire in the first century has been described as a mix of “sophistication with brutality and could suddenly lurch from civilization, strength and power to terror, tyranny and greed.” (https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/index.html)

    Rome had a state religion, with priests that led the formal worship of public gods, such as Jupiter and Mars. The priests paid tribute to the gods on behalf of Rome “to gain the blessing of the gods and thereby gain prosperity for themselves, their families and communities.” Roman gods didn’t demand strong moral behavior from their followers. The only thing that mattered was adhering to the religious rituals. Each god required “an image, usually a statue of relief in stone or bronze—and an altar or temple at which to offer the prayers and sacrifices.”

   Think about how different the state religion was from the Way of Jesus Christ, a religion of the heart, seeking transformation, following Christ, loving and serving, submitting to God’s will for the sake of others.

   We can imagine the people in John of Patmos’ time would be astounded by his vision—so different than their reality, just as it is different from our experience today, when the Body of Christ, though united by the Spirit, is broken by divisions too numerous to name. “A great multitude that no one can count, from every nation,” says Revelation 7, beginning at verse 9, “all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”  The people of God in the Day of the Lord are no longer intolerant of diversity or differences of any kind, in language, culture, wealth and status, or the color of their skin; hearts and minds are centered on the Lamb of God, as John 1:29 tells us, who takes away the sin of the world.

 They are clothed in white, reminding us of that scripture in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

    What a radical belief for those living under oppressive Roman rule—that “salvation belongs” not to the Empire or anything in this world but “to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

    The same is true about those gathered on the mountainside listening to Christ’s teaching about the Kingdom in Matthew 5. They are astounded by his vision of a world so different from their reality, also in the Roman Empire, some years before. What’s amazing is that Jesus mixes the tense of his verbs; present and future overlap, because, well, God’s time isn’t our understanding of time at all.

     God has already redeemed our past, present, and future in Jesus Christ!

     What we read in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and in Revelation have already come true. The work for our salvation has already been done. What’s left is for us to live by faith and reveal a glimpse of this vision to the world that doesn’t know Him, a vision of a world where the poor in spirit ARE blessed. Where those who mourn ARE comforted. Where the meek and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the persecuted, and the peacemakers ARE blessed.

    “Rejoice and be glad,” Jesus says, “for your reward IS great in heaven!”

      So I ask you again, my friends. What time is it? Really?

     Time to serve others. To comfort those who mourn and share the burden of grief.

     Time to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Join with Christ in His ministry of reconciliation. Pray for wisdom and courage to help heal what is broken in this world. May we resist the temptation to look the other way when we see injustice and oppression, prejudice and racism. It’s time to stand up to bullies. To speak the truth and not be afraid or say, “Nothing will ever change. Or it’s always been that way.”

     Time to be united by faith in Christ alone and not let anything in this world, things don’t matter for eternity, divide or defeat us.

     A thousand years is like a day for our Lord!

     The Lamb on the throne IS our shepherd, guiding us NOW to springs of the water of life.

     He wipes our tears away.

Let us pray.

Holy One, thank you for the vision to John of Patmos of the Lamb on the throne, the shepherd who guides us to drink deeply of the spring of the water of life. The one to whom salvation belongs. Thank you for all that you have done for us, helping us overcome difficulties not just this year, but always. Thank you for your everlasting presence with all the saints gathered here and those in every time and place. Thank you for the gift of their lives and their faith, and how we are different, better, because of them. Lead us to trust one another and allow ourselves to be vulnerable and share one another’s burdens. Comfort those who mourn. Heal the sick and those suffering with depression. Stir us to hunger and thirst for righteousness and teach us how to work for peace and justice. Give us eyes to see and hearts to reveal a vision of hope to those who are lost and hurting. Grant us courage to let go of the things that divide us, things that don’t matter in your time, for all eternity. Through the Lamb of God we pray. Amen.