Tag: Last Sunday of Church Year

The church looks forward to one Great Day.

Posted on by nfuller

What are you looking forward to? The holidays? The next congregational voters meeting? The next vacation? High School Graduation? Maybe a better question to ask is, what does the church look forward to? We heard the answer in our Introit: “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” Put quite simply, the church waits for Jesus, the church longs for Jesus to return.

There are a lot of voices in our world that say it is a bad idea to think about the future too often, and that the best thing to do is live in the moment. They say if you can’t live in the moment there are too many regrets from the past that will weigh you down, and too many worries about the future that will make your heart tremble.

However, looking for the return of Jesus in the future is a faithful action, and an undeniably good thing. This longing for the future does not introduce an undue extra stress or worry into our lives.  Instead as we look forward in hope we are grounded in our current life challenges with the sure and certain hope of Jesus as our hope and joy.  

When Jesus returns our role is to take in the unsurpassed joy of the Last day. Until that time Jesus urges us to stay spiritually vigilant. Stay awake!

There are no shortage of examples in the scripture of the followers of Jesus falling asleep and missing the mark to be ready in faith. Our sinful human nature draws us to see much more of the task and challenges of everyday life before  us- so that we can relegate watching for Jesus to return as an afterthought.   

It is perhaps even hard for us to picture this day, because we have not had any day like what it will be.  You can think of past Christmases that brought joy and wonder to your heart, past Easter services, weddings and school graduations. Or perhaps world events you watched on tv,  the coronation day of a king or queen.  Maybe you remember watching the scenes on the news the day the Berlin Wall fell down, and the surprising relief that after so many years the cold war was over just like that.

The Day of the Lord is different than any holiday or big event in history because it will change everything about the world and our lives. It will be the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation, our faith will become sight. We will be with the Lord forever, the final act of the Bible will play out before us as Jesus is in the air with all of the Saints in the great resurrection.

What was thought of as long dead and broken, and decayed will be brought to life, the bodies of believers and the church itself will have her faith now as glorious sight.

Listen to the word of Scripture in 1Thesalonnians: 4:16 “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” What a picture of the future that awaits us, of what we have to look forward to!

In our gospel lesson Jesus gives another perspective of what there is to look forward to or more precisely what t here is to expect. Namely complete destruction until the time Jesus returns 24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”

The same things was prophesied by Isaiah: Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

 The earth and even the heavens will be destroyed, but God’s Word remains, Jesus remains as he comes down from the clouds and makes all things new. It is important for us to remember and pay attention to the reality Jesus gives about the sun darkened and the moon not giving its light, because it helps for us to fully grasp that this world is passing away, that our emotional attachment cannot be for the things of this world.

As a result we are prepared to look forward to a new heaven and a new earth that Jesus creates. Once we clearly see that this world is passing away, we are truly prepared for Jesus to return.

Our congregation is going through a difficult period for our worship attendance. A few have been called to the Lord, a few people moved out of the area, some have stopped attending worship since Covid, and health problems have created a barrier for  attending regularly for some of our brothers and sisters in Christ who would like to be here.

Virtually every congregation has dropped in attendance after the events of the past few years, but the difficulty is particularly felt for us as a small congregation. It is hard to come to a nearly empty sanctuary and not feel a little outnumbered by empty pews. It can be discouraging to be here without those who were once with us.

But despite the discouragement, we are here as an outpost of Christ’s love and truth in a world where the lies of Satan so often seem to rule the day. God’s kingdom grows in ways we do not always see and expect and God’s Word has the power to grow this congregation again because the Holy Spirit is always working in our lives and in the world.

And we are part of a larger Lutheran church that also walks with us. In a few weeks our choir ranks will double as St. Paul joins with us again in Christmas Caroling.  Our children’s choir has provided extra life to our ministry to our youth, with participants from 3 other Lutheran congregations and counting.

I have talked with some of you already about the mission possibilities of outreach to the deaf community through Peace Deaf Lutheran. 

We need to know that although this world is passing away, God’s Word remains, and His church will remain no matter what the situation.  

In 1Kings chapter 6 there is an account of how the king of Syria has sent and army with chariots to surround the city where Elisha and the King of Israel are. When the servant of the Lord felt overwhelmed by the danger Elisha told him:

“Do not be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

7 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Just like the nation of Israel under siege all those years ago, we are in a time where it looks like we are outnumbered. We need to pray that our eyes are opened to see the Lord’s armies supporting us. We need to see the great scope of support we have in the Lord Jesus who now reigns over heaven and earth.

We need the Lord to open our eyes to see how we are not alone, how the Lord and the entire heavenly host cheers for us. We will soon be in the joy of being counted with people from every tribe and nation coming before the throne of the Lamb.   

The 3rd stanza of our hymn of the Day, Lo! He comes with Clouds Descending paints a picture of the bliss we will have in seeing the Lord Jesus in his exalted state after the resurrection. We will see the marks of his crucifixion as the greatest of all pictures of love.

“Those dear tokens of His passion, still His dazzling body bears, Cause of endless exultation To His ransomed worshipers. With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture gaze we on those glorious scars!

Jesus is King of all Creation

Posted on by nfuller

We know God’s Word does not return without result.  Here in the last Sunday of the Church year we take time to consider the results of God’s Word here in our midst in this congregation over the last year. Over the course of the year the church in worship follows the ministry of Jesus, Christmas we celebrate his coming, Easter we celebrate His resurrection, and Pentecost we celebrate his sending of the Holy Spirit to the church.

And in the many Sundays after Pentecost we have focused on Christian growth.  Now today at the end of the church year we pause and consider what all these events and themes accumulate to and point us to. 

The appropriate response to all those events in the church year is to celebrate and let it sink in that Jesus is king over all of creation.  Our hymns this weekend give us this opportunity to celebrate that Jesus is king over all. Particularly our gospel reading highlights that Jesus reign among us comes from the statement of love that is the cross. 

Listen to these words from the gospel of Luke sharing his passion on the cross.  The cross is the event that shapes and defines the last day.  From the cross Jesus instituted the absolution of all people.  “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Not just those who tortured Jesus and betrayed Jesus, but all those who have sinned against God, including you and I.

It’s almost like we save the best for last when it comes to lectionary readings. In our Epistle reading, we hear this exquisite and majestic description of Jesus from Colossians chapter 1:

 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven, and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him. And he is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

All things created, all things hold together.  From the beginning at creation and now, Jesus reigns!  Without his creating hand there would be no world. Without his reign over the universe nothing would hold together.  The world itself would become unglued. 

With all this power and glory Jesus has a specific focus, he is the beginning of the church, it’s head.  From his resurrection there is a birth after death for all of us.  He who created all things and upholds all things and holds all things together desired to reconcile to himself all things.  That which is fallen and broken by sin Jesus reconciled through the cross.  Through his blood Jesus brought peace to all who had been separated from God.  

This is his chief focus of his reign over creation, he shows what kind of king he is on the cross- laying down his life, pouring out his lifeblood, gasping for every last breath so that we, the subjects of his reign might be saved. How amazing to consider the Son of God who reigns over all creation has come here for us.       

In light of the reign of Jesus, it is hard to accept the various reasons why people might stay away from church.   How trivial our thoughts and feelings, to think hurt feelings are more significant factors than The very image of the invisible God, sacrificing himself for us, so that we would be His own people, so that we can know and hear from Jesus right in this place- ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’

I wonder if we have lost our sense of urgency as a church in telling people about Jesus, knowing that Jesus is coming soon.  Maybe you noticed the church sign. Depending on what direction you came in from, “Never been to church before?  you are welcome here.” 

It is amazing to think that the Son of God comes down to earth, lives among us, and dies for us, rises from the dead, and many people in our community have never been to church, never been to the place where Jesus has invited us to come and worship him. 

I want to keep on putting messages to our neighborhood. For those who consider themselves Christians, but do not ever attend church I want the sign to say something like: “Christians desire to meet Jesus in worship. Let’s be honest, staying home means Jesus is not really that important to you”

We know from demographic studies that the millennial generation those who are ages 22-38 are going to church far less than our previous two generations. They are participating in organized activities and social organizations far less, including churches. 

Many people in our lifetimes have fallen away from attending church as young adults and then returned once they are married and have children or are settled in careers.

Countless Millennials have not returned as they are older because they rarely if ever went to church when they were younger. They have no foundation of faith that they would return to. 

Maybe someone says they are a Christian, but what that means to them is not much at all.  And if they do happen to attend a church they are far more likely to be isolated, and make few connections within the church.  

In this context of loneliness and isolation and lost shared tradition we are challenged to see what our own tradition is, and be able to passionately speak about it and help those who are so emotionally isolated to see what a relationship can truly mean. 

The hymn of the day appointed for this weekend, Lord, Enthroned in Heavenly Splendor provides a beautiful summary of why it is important we gather as the body of Christ, why it is important that we worship Him together with the church of all times and places, and why his offering of his life for us is the central focus of our worship.

“Lord enthroned in heavenly splendor, First begotten from the dead, You alone our strong defender, lifting up Your people’s head Alleluia, alleluia! Jesus true and living bread! Jesus true and living bread!”

Though the lowliest form now veil You, as of old in Bethlehem, here as there Your angels hail You, Branch and flower of Jesse’s stem, Alleluia, Alleluia, We in worship join with them; we in worship join with them.

Paschal lamb your offerings finished, Once for all when You were slain, In its fullness undiminished, Shall forevermore remain Alleluia, Alleluia! cleansing souls from every stain, cleansing souls from every stain.

Life imparting heavenly  manna, stricken rock with streaming side Heaven and earth with loud hosanna, Worship You the lamb who died. Alleluia, Alleluia! Risen ascended, glorified, Risen ascended glorified!

Alongside the theme of Jesus as King of all, the Last Sunday of the church year points us to another essential part of the theme for the last Sunday of the church year is that of the return of Jesus.  What better way to end the church year- because the return of Jesus is the finish line event that the church places her hopes and longings in. 

The expectation of the last day is the finish line we envision that means everything to how we run the race.  Knowing Jesus is returning, our task is clearly set before us to spread the gospel.  To live our lives celebrating that in Jesus all the fullness of God is pleased to dwell.     

The fullness of God in Jesus means the fullness of God’s purpose and love for us who follow Jesus. Jesus promises us exactly this “I have come that they might have life, and life to the full.” 

He promises us a life in following Him that is the farthest thing from drowsy indifference or boredom. Life in Christ is full because it connects us with all truth and connects us with a purpose for living, glorifying God, serving God.

We wait for Jesus to return, knowing that even as we live in the joy of his kingdom now, an even greater joy awaits us; the perfection of our bodies and eternal life in God’s presence.