Daily Worship

With us

Linda Pollock August 15, 2020 0 1
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Revelation 21: 1-5 (NRSV)

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.”

5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

I’ve had to move house 3 times in 12 months, and I will be moving again within a short period of time. I confess that I’m weary of moving house and I just want to be settled in my own home with my own stuff around me. What I have missed most are my photographs of family and friends! I don’t get to see my family as much as I would like and many of my friends live overseas, so these pictures mean an awful lot to me, they remind me of shared stories and jog my memory of travels far and near, and they remind me that I am loved and cherished. 

Our homes are very important to us, we ought to feel safe and loved at home. We should be encouraged and challenged, affirmed and brought into line there. Home is where we have no airs and graces, where we are our true selves, no ‘church face’ or ‘workplace face’. I grew up with 5 siblings, there was never a day free of arguing but there was also never a day without laughter! We had no chance of trying to be something we weren’t, we’d just be laughed into integrity!

Our reading today tells us that God’s home is with us! Amazing! How crazy is that?! Hard to believe that the One Who spoke, and creation was born, chooses to dwell with mortals. But if we believe our creeds, our orthodoxy, if we believe Scripture then it is true!

I wonder what difference this knowledge will make to you today?

PRAYER:

Living God, it’s difficult to believe that You dwell with us, but that is faith. So, thank You for lifting us into Your embrace each new day. May this truth inspire us to love as You love, to live as You lived, to serve as You served. Amen.