One day people were standing around
talking about the Temple, remarking how beautiful it was, the splendor of its
stonework and memorial gifts. Jesus said, “All this you’re admiring so much—the
time is coming when every stone in that building will end up in a heap of
rubble.”
They asked him, “Teacher, when is this
going to happen? What clue will we get that it’s about to take place?”
He said, “Watch out for the doomsday
deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming,
‘I’m the One,’ or, ‘The end is near.’ Don’t fall for any of that. When you hear
of wars and uprisings, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history
and no sign of the end.”
He went on, “Nation will fight nation
and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Huge earthquakes will occur in various
places. There will be famines. You’ll think at times that the very sky is
falling.
But before any of this happens, they’ll
arrest you, hunt you down, and drag you to court and jail. It will go from bad
to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name.
You’ll end up on the witness stand, called to testify. Make up your mind right
now not to worry about it. I’ll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce
all your accusers to stammers and stutters.
You’ll even be turned in by parents,
brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There’s no
telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and
soul—even the hairs of your head!—is in my care; nothing of you will be lost.
Staying with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be
sorry; you’ll be saved.”
Have you ever had to say something that you knew was
not going to be well received? How did
you prepare yourself and screw up your nerve?
How did you feel once you said it?
How did the person or group hear it or receive it?
I have had lots of hard conversations in my life. From letting people go at work to truth telling
in communities that were burdened by secrets, these conversations are never
easy. But what I have discovered is that
when things are hard it does not mean that they are bad. In fact, the hardest stuff when worked
through can lead to really great things.
As I listen to Jesus, I recognize how hard this
message is. I find hope in knowing that as I work through what has to end in
order for me to be restored, renewed and redeemed that God is with me through
it all. When I do this soul work, I am
investing in eternity.
Please join us this Consecration Sunday, November 17
at 10:00am in Christ Church where we will celebrate that God is with us no
matter what. During our service, we will
take an offering for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) who is
already on site helping those in the Philippines whose lives have been devastated
by Typhoon Haiyan and we will collect money for the Thanksgiving gift for our
sister urban congregation, Greenwood United Methodist Church. These are many ways in which we are investing
in eternity. Looking forward to seeing
you in Church!
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