Thursday, April 19, 2006

Good Morning

 

I know it is silly, but I still don't have my Barclay book, but you all do, so keep reading till I can catch up.  Did find me a source online for some commentary, which may or may not complement what we are reading in Barclay.

 

Today's Reading:  Revelation 8:1-6

 

-- couple of things to mention/discuss:

 

-- why the silence?  my online source mentions a couple of possibilities, but says that it was dramatic preparation for what follows.  It does have the feel of that, or of the idea of the calm before the storm.  But I'm not sure that anything in heaven is done simply for dramatic effect, that things are done to contrive or create or manipulate an emotional response. It feels to me that the silence is the last bit of sorrow or contemplation by heaven before unleashing these terrible judgements on the earth.  It will be interesting for me to read what Barclay says.

 

-- the thunder and flashes of lightning are consistent with other passages in the Bible regarding the presence of God, such as when Moses went up on Sinai.  It is also interesting the idea of the trumpet sound -- notice Paul's reference to the last trumpet in his passage in Corinthians below.  It amazing to me how ancient the idea of a trumpet sound is as a herald of an event or of a person.  It is something that we don't really have as part of our daily life today, but it is something that we are all aware of, something that actually transcends all cultures and nations.

 

Today's Scripture

 

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

 

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

 

Today's prayer requests:   Chris Brymer, son of one of Michelle's co-workers

He's 20, and just started treatment for Hodgkin's Disease.  We need to remember him and his family during this time.  FYI, if you are like me and need more information about Hodgkin's, go to this entry on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodgkin%27s_Disease

Today's class member prayer:

Jay Waters

Jay