Monday, January 23, 2006

Good Morning!

 

Sorry I wasn't able to get a note out on Friday.

 

Note that our Capital Stewardship Campaign culminates on this Sunday with our Celebration Sunday event.  You should be getting a letter this week in the mail with all the details.

 

Also, note that we have a number of extra books at the church, in the church office and in the Sunday School room.  If you don't have a book and need one, you can stop by the church during the week to get one.

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 1:12-13

 

-- With these verses, we start to dive into the first of John's visions.

 

-- In the big picture, the main thing that I take from Barclay's commentary is just how thickly symbolic the words and images in Revelations are -- layer upon layer of imagery from the Old and New Testament referenced in the images that John describes.

 

-- the overall takeaway from these two verses to me is the majesty of Christ in his appearance in heaven -- golden clothing and linen and gold lampstands make up a majestic vision.

 

-- one modern connection that I make with this passage that John is writing -- the next few verses as he encounters Christ -- is the Mercy Me song "I Can Only Imagine."  In that song, the thought is what will I do when I come into the presence of Christ, and the song does a great job in expressing the majesty of Christ, not through a description of him and how he will look, but through our reaction to being in his presence.  I think that as we read this passage, and probably the whole of Revelation, that we can use that as background music to get the feel of what John must have been feeling as he is seeing and reacting to this vision.

Today's Scripture

In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.  He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

 

Daniel 7:13-14

Today's prayer request:     Saundra Aaron

 

Valerie's brother's mother-in-law, who is in the middle of chemo -- we need to remember her and the family around her that is caring for her.

 

Today's class member prayer:

 

April Walker

 

Have a great day.

Jay