Peace In The Presence
Sermon
Living In Hope
Cycle C Sermons for Lent and Easter Based on the Second Lessons
How large is your worshiping community? When people gather for physical or online virtual worship, how many people participate? Are there 24 elders in your church? Are there 144,000 worshipers gathered at the throne of God? This is the scene John envisions in heaven.
As we have explored the book of Revelation throughout this Easter season, we have reviewed some of John’s vision. We have spoken together about the throne of God, the 24 elders surrounding the throne of God, the four creatures, the heavenly host, but now, as the lamb has removed six of the seven seals on the scroll, we find 144,000 of the redeemed present at the throne. They are wearing white robes and holding palm branches.
Historically and theologically, the white robes signify purity and righteousness. The palm branches, as on Palm Sunday, indicate victory. The symbolism of heaven continues to touch John and through the writing of his vision, us. My imagination cannot really picture this scene. I try, but it seems a little beyond my reach. I have hesitated to look at illustrations or paintings reflecting this scene but I want to build the picture in my own heart and mind. The colors that come into my mind are brilliant, radiant, and varied; the auras surrounding God and the elders are gleaming, reflecting light brighter than the sun and shimmering over and around all who are gathered. The songs of the elders and the heavenly beings are melodic, filled with harmonies that touch not just my ears but my heart. It is truly beyond my imaginings.
Perhaps the point is not for me to share in John’s vision or in anyone else’s. Perhaps the point is to worship, where I am, how I am, in the time and place that I am. This is the important reminder ― I am called to worship God unceasingly. Unceasingly worship when everything is going right or when everything is going badly, when I am joy-filled or when I am sad, when I am feeling brave or when I am feeling afraid. I have been called and reminded in scripture to pray without ceasing. Sometimes I am able to do that, but how do I worship without ceasing? Doesn’t life get in the way of that?
At the throne of God in the heavenly temple, it seems easier somehow to worship without ceasing. God is present in that space with us, and we serve in God’s presence, nurtured and strengthened by the very presence of God. Ah, perhaps that is the way I worship without ceasing. If I can feel God’s presence every day, if I can believe that no matter my circumstance, God is there, then perhaps I can worship without ceasing. There have been many moments when I have felt the presence and the strengthening power of God. Have I sought God’s presence in every moment? Have I readily acknowledged that I am not alone, no matter where I am and no matter the circumstances? Have you?
As I sit writing this sermon message, I am seeking God’s presence. I want the words I type to come from God, to be God-inspired. I have prayed before writing, I am praying as I write. The very act of writing this message is a prayer for wisdom, for inspiration, for connection with the divine within and around me. This happens for me when I journal as well, when I put pen to paper and seek to understand my feelings, my yearnings, my hopes, and my dreams. I seek the presence of God. What I am beginning to understand is that I do not need to seek the presence of God. God is already here. What I need to do is become increasingly aware of the presence of God in all the moments of my life, in every moment of my life. The tuning into the presence of God seems the important task. It may not be as easy here on earth as it is in the heavenly temple, but God is as present here as there. I can take consolation and joy in that. I can focus on that presence as I go through my day. I am the one who turns away from God. God is always present.
How do you experience the presence of God in your life? Do you experience God in family, friends, pets, nature, prayer, study, and/or work? God is in all those places with each of us. That is the miracle of God. God is in our hearts, minds, and souls every moment of every day. We just have to feel that presence. We just need to turn toward that presence and know that God is with us.
When I asked if 144,000 people were worshiping in your congregation’s worship services, I was reminding us of the newest additions to John’s vision. John saw 144,000 standing before the Lamb, robed in white and holding palm branches. In John’s vision, one of the elders asked the seer who those white-clad individuals were. We are told that they had endured the “great ordeal.” In some traditions, these were the individuals who had survived the tribulation, the period during the end times when God judged the world for its unrighteousness and prepared to establish Jesus as the king over all the world. In any case, the 144,000 have come through the ordeal and they have been cleansed and purified by the blood of the lamb, by the sacrifice of Jesus. They are martyred saints, forgiven and vindicated by God. They join the others in unceasing praise of God in the heavenly temple.
Not being an advocate for end times theology as described in the apocalyptic scriptures, I tend to view the 144,000 as the completeness of the people who are gathered to God through their belief in Jesus as Lord and their forgiveness through him. They are representative of the millions of us who are Jesus followers, a symbol of the gathering of all the faithful into the presence of God on God’s throne in the heavenly temple. While not getting into a deep debate about theology, I can remember a discussion I had with a parishioner during a study on the book of Revelation. He asked me if I believed in the rapture, the bringing home of all the faithful before the end times tribulation begins. I admitted to him that I did not believe in a mass rapture experience. Rather I believed that when each one of the faithful, each follower of Jesus died and left the earth, their souls were raptured as they were brought into the presence of God. This is a discussion worth further study and I encourage you to have the conversations and do the studying around these concepts with theologically trained leadership. Suffice to say that in John’s vision, the 144,000 represent those martyred saints of the faith, purified by their faith and belief in Jesus, gathered at the throne of God in victory. They have come home to God as we will go home to God when our time on earth has ended. They are now at peace, and more than that, they are without any need being met.
Verse 16 of this passage highlights that God excludes hunger, thirst, pain, and specifically scorching heat in the heavenly court. There is no more want, no more discomfort. The 144,000 are cared for and are free from physical constraints and pain. They can worship freely moment after moment without need and without worry. Their whole focus can be on unceasing worship. What a gift! The gift of being able to worship continually without physical need, without distraction, without any other focus on our energy and our time.
In my respite time I have occasionally visited convents, retreat centers, and monasteries. I have been amazed at a life centered on worship and prayer. There are times for work to maintain the community but there is scheduled and unscheduled time for prayer, meditation, and reflection on the presence of God. I hunger for that schedule, that order in my own life. The order for each day is kept with time for prayer, song, study, work, eating, and service to the poor. All is orderly and the stability of the practice allows the heart, mind, and spirit to focus. Somehow in my everyday life, I am less able to add this structure. In this, I sometimes admire my Muslim friends whose day is ordered by prayer five times a day. I could do so, but it seems a little unnatural to me. Perhaps that is where the practice comes in, as with the monks and sisters I know whose lives are ordered around prayer, rather than around physical needs and work. In any case, the 144,000 had nothing to focus on except worship; unceasing worship at the throne of God. What a gift and reward for the hardships they have encountered and endured.
One other key reminder is present in this portion of John’s vision. The Lamb has become the shepherd. In verse 17, the lamb is seen as the shepherd who lived, guided, and cared for the sheep, the 144,000. Jesus, the shepherd, walked among the 144,000 bringing them to the spring of living water. This harkens me back to the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. In their conversation, Jesus told her that he could provide living water and she would never be thirsty again. John’s vision shared this concept. The 144,000 would never encounter thirst again as they had been shown and had partaken of the living water. The scriptural connections go beyond that gospel story.
This is one of the rare Sundays when it seems that all the lectionary texts connect together. Psalm 23 is our reminder that the Lord is our shepherd and brings us to springs of still water. The gospel lesson from John 10 also speaks of the shepherd whose sheep know his voice. These texts connect together and connect us in time and space to the song of the psalmist reminding us of the here and now. The gospel reminds us of Jesus’ call to us and our knowledge and acceptance of his voice calling to us, as well as John’s vision of the heavenly temple where Jesus, the Lamb, shepherds the 144,000. The interconnectedness of these scriptures brings me a sense of the presence of God in all times, in all places, and in all moments of life and death. We are reminded that God’s presence is with us. We need only seek God and we will know God is there, here, and everywhere.
There is great peace in that assurance. There is great peace in the knowledge that I am not, we are not, ever alone. I can worship God unceasingly whenever and wherever I am, as can you. I can know the gifts of God, allaying my spiritual hunger and thirst, as can you. I can be comforted and guided by Jesus, the lamb and the shepherd, as can you. There is great peace and joy in this. Do you feel it? Amen.
As we have explored the book of Revelation throughout this Easter season, we have reviewed some of John’s vision. We have spoken together about the throne of God, the 24 elders surrounding the throne of God, the four creatures, the heavenly host, but now, as the lamb has removed six of the seven seals on the scroll, we find 144,000 of the redeemed present at the throne. They are wearing white robes and holding palm branches.
Historically and theologically, the white robes signify purity and righteousness. The palm branches, as on Palm Sunday, indicate victory. The symbolism of heaven continues to touch John and through the writing of his vision, us. My imagination cannot really picture this scene. I try, but it seems a little beyond my reach. I have hesitated to look at illustrations or paintings reflecting this scene but I want to build the picture in my own heart and mind. The colors that come into my mind are brilliant, radiant, and varied; the auras surrounding God and the elders are gleaming, reflecting light brighter than the sun and shimmering over and around all who are gathered. The songs of the elders and the heavenly beings are melodic, filled with harmonies that touch not just my ears but my heart. It is truly beyond my imaginings.
Perhaps the point is not for me to share in John’s vision or in anyone else’s. Perhaps the point is to worship, where I am, how I am, in the time and place that I am. This is the important reminder ― I am called to worship God unceasingly. Unceasingly worship when everything is going right or when everything is going badly, when I am joy-filled or when I am sad, when I am feeling brave or when I am feeling afraid. I have been called and reminded in scripture to pray without ceasing. Sometimes I am able to do that, but how do I worship without ceasing? Doesn’t life get in the way of that?
At the throne of God in the heavenly temple, it seems easier somehow to worship without ceasing. God is present in that space with us, and we serve in God’s presence, nurtured and strengthened by the very presence of God. Ah, perhaps that is the way I worship without ceasing. If I can feel God’s presence every day, if I can believe that no matter my circumstance, God is there, then perhaps I can worship without ceasing. There have been many moments when I have felt the presence and the strengthening power of God. Have I sought God’s presence in every moment? Have I readily acknowledged that I am not alone, no matter where I am and no matter the circumstances? Have you?
As I sit writing this sermon message, I am seeking God’s presence. I want the words I type to come from God, to be God-inspired. I have prayed before writing, I am praying as I write. The very act of writing this message is a prayer for wisdom, for inspiration, for connection with the divine within and around me. This happens for me when I journal as well, when I put pen to paper and seek to understand my feelings, my yearnings, my hopes, and my dreams. I seek the presence of God. What I am beginning to understand is that I do not need to seek the presence of God. God is already here. What I need to do is become increasingly aware of the presence of God in all the moments of my life, in every moment of my life. The tuning into the presence of God seems the important task. It may not be as easy here on earth as it is in the heavenly temple, but God is as present here as there. I can take consolation and joy in that. I can focus on that presence as I go through my day. I am the one who turns away from God. God is always present.
How do you experience the presence of God in your life? Do you experience God in family, friends, pets, nature, prayer, study, and/or work? God is in all those places with each of us. That is the miracle of God. God is in our hearts, minds, and souls every moment of every day. We just have to feel that presence. We just need to turn toward that presence and know that God is with us.
When I asked if 144,000 people were worshiping in your congregation’s worship services, I was reminding us of the newest additions to John’s vision. John saw 144,000 standing before the Lamb, robed in white and holding palm branches. In John’s vision, one of the elders asked the seer who those white-clad individuals were. We are told that they had endured the “great ordeal.” In some traditions, these were the individuals who had survived the tribulation, the period during the end times when God judged the world for its unrighteousness and prepared to establish Jesus as the king over all the world. In any case, the 144,000 have come through the ordeal and they have been cleansed and purified by the blood of the lamb, by the sacrifice of Jesus. They are martyred saints, forgiven and vindicated by God. They join the others in unceasing praise of God in the heavenly temple.
Not being an advocate for end times theology as described in the apocalyptic scriptures, I tend to view the 144,000 as the completeness of the people who are gathered to God through their belief in Jesus as Lord and their forgiveness through him. They are representative of the millions of us who are Jesus followers, a symbol of the gathering of all the faithful into the presence of God on God’s throne in the heavenly temple. While not getting into a deep debate about theology, I can remember a discussion I had with a parishioner during a study on the book of Revelation. He asked me if I believed in the rapture, the bringing home of all the faithful before the end times tribulation begins. I admitted to him that I did not believe in a mass rapture experience. Rather I believed that when each one of the faithful, each follower of Jesus died and left the earth, their souls were raptured as they were brought into the presence of God. This is a discussion worth further study and I encourage you to have the conversations and do the studying around these concepts with theologically trained leadership. Suffice to say that in John’s vision, the 144,000 represent those martyred saints of the faith, purified by their faith and belief in Jesus, gathered at the throne of God in victory. They have come home to God as we will go home to God when our time on earth has ended. They are now at peace, and more than that, they are without any need being met.
Verse 16 of this passage highlights that God excludes hunger, thirst, pain, and specifically scorching heat in the heavenly court. There is no more want, no more discomfort. The 144,000 are cared for and are free from physical constraints and pain. They can worship freely moment after moment without need and without worry. Their whole focus can be on unceasing worship. What a gift! The gift of being able to worship continually without physical need, without distraction, without any other focus on our energy and our time.
In my respite time I have occasionally visited convents, retreat centers, and monasteries. I have been amazed at a life centered on worship and prayer. There are times for work to maintain the community but there is scheduled and unscheduled time for prayer, meditation, and reflection on the presence of God. I hunger for that schedule, that order in my own life. The order for each day is kept with time for prayer, song, study, work, eating, and service to the poor. All is orderly and the stability of the practice allows the heart, mind, and spirit to focus. Somehow in my everyday life, I am less able to add this structure. In this, I sometimes admire my Muslim friends whose day is ordered by prayer five times a day. I could do so, but it seems a little unnatural to me. Perhaps that is where the practice comes in, as with the monks and sisters I know whose lives are ordered around prayer, rather than around physical needs and work. In any case, the 144,000 had nothing to focus on except worship; unceasing worship at the throne of God. What a gift and reward for the hardships they have encountered and endured.
One other key reminder is present in this portion of John’s vision. The Lamb has become the shepherd. In verse 17, the lamb is seen as the shepherd who lived, guided, and cared for the sheep, the 144,000. Jesus, the shepherd, walked among the 144,000 bringing them to the spring of living water. This harkens me back to the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. In their conversation, Jesus told her that he could provide living water and she would never be thirsty again. John’s vision shared this concept. The 144,000 would never encounter thirst again as they had been shown and had partaken of the living water. The scriptural connections go beyond that gospel story.
This is one of the rare Sundays when it seems that all the lectionary texts connect together. Psalm 23 is our reminder that the Lord is our shepherd and brings us to springs of still water. The gospel lesson from John 10 also speaks of the shepherd whose sheep know his voice. These texts connect together and connect us in time and space to the song of the psalmist reminding us of the here and now. The gospel reminds us of Jesus’ call to us and our knowledge and acceptance of his voice calling to us, as well as John’s vision of the heavenly temple where Jesus, the Lamb, shepherds the 144,000. The interconnectedness of these scriptures brings me a sense of the presence of God in all times, in all places, and in all moments of life and death. We are reminded that God’s presence is with us. We need only seek God and we will know God is there, here, and everywhere.
There is great peace in that assurance. There is great peace in the knowledge that I am not, we are not, ever alone. I can worship God unceasingly whenever and wherever I am, as can you. I can know the gifts of God, allaying my spiritual hunger and thirst, as can you. I can be comforted and guided by Jesus, the lamb and the shepherd, as can you. There is great peace and joy in this. Do you feel it? Amen.
