JanBeek

Holding On to Hope

The inspired, hopeful scripture
and another inspirational Sunday sermon
from our dear Interim Pastor,
Brian Conklin,
yesterday at
Madison Valley Presbyterian Church

The Glorious New Creation

¹⁷ For I am about to create new heavens
    and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
    or come to mind.
¹⁸ But be glad and rejoice forever
    in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy
    and its people as a delight.
¹⁹ I will rejoice in Jerusalem
    and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it
    or the cry of distress.
²⁰ No more shall there be in it
    an infant who lives but a few days
    or an old person who does not live out a lifetime,
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
    and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
²¹ They shall build houses and inhabit them;
    they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
²² They shall not build and another inhabit;
    they shall not plant and another eat,
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
    and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
²³ They shall not labor in vain
    or bear children for calamity,^[a]
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
    and their descendants as well.
²⁴ Before they call I will answer,
    while they are yet speaking I will hear.
²⁵ The wolf and the lamb shall feed together;
    the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
    but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
            says the Lord.

The world seems very fragile
Seems everything’s falling apart
Between despair and hope we are
Wondering how to take heart

Promises and warnings go hand in hand
Isaiah speaks of a new world beginning
He promises the Kingdom has arrived
But Luke reports Jesus’ warnings of sinning

Luke 21:5-19
NRSV Updated Edition

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

⁵ When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ⁶ “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

Signs and Persecutions

⁷ They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” ⁸ And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray, for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’^[a] and, ‘The time is near!’^[b] Do not go after them.

⁹ “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; ¹¹ there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

¹² “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. ¹³ This will give you an opportunity to testify. ¹⁴ So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, ¹⁵ for I will give you words^[c] and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ You will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Jesus tells of a world that trembles
He encourages us to stand and endure
“By your endurance you will save your soul”
Dig deep into your heart and persevere

We’re caught between joy and sorrow
We’re asked to trust God even when we
Can’t see evidence of His promises
The Kingdom of God is now and not yet to see

Where you see the church planted, you see
Signposts that point to the kingdom to come
God’s love wins out over human nature
So keep speaking peace over poverty and slum

God’s love holds us together when we feel
The world is falling apart at the seams
May we see even now glimpses of this
New Heaven and New Earth – and know what it means.

Amen?

Love,
JanBeek