Sundays at St. John's: Recent Episodes
Rev. Angelica Atkins
The story of Ruth comes to a close but the story of Gospel Redemption is far from over. A surprise ending in chapter 4 tells us that God is just getting started and we are invited into the ongoing adventures of the family of Naomi, Ruth, Boaz, Obed, David...And Jesus.
It's all been leading up to this-- the definitive moment of Redemption in Ruth 4:1-12. People have been making costly redemptive choices throughout the story so far. But now we get to see how personal sacrifice for redemption can ripple out to a communal, national, even international movement.
Ruth 3:12-18 reveals how Gospel living includes regular pauses for reflection and remembering. As we wait on the Lord together, we experience His protection and perspective.
At a certain point in life and faith, the asking is up to us. When it comes to taking up the Gospel call into grace-filled community, we sometimes have to step up and speak out. In Ruth 3, everyone involved has their own journey outside of their comfort zone to take their place in the family of God.
"They also serve who only stand and wait" wrote the poet, John Milton. When it comes to the Gospel unfolding in the daily details of our lives, it's not always all about action. There are times to get close to the people who are close to God and stay there, watching and waiting. Ruth 2:19-23 tells of one of those times.
Some things making a comeback never should've caught on in the first place. Other timeless things have been waiting in the wings for long enough... God is bringing back the blessing in the story of Ruth, and in our lives. But it's never when and how and with whom we'd expect.
A homecoming can be bittersweet, especially when you come back worse off than when you left. As Naomi returns to her hometown of Bethlehem "bitter" and "empty", we learn what a gift honest lament can be to the Gospel community of God's people.
In Ruth 1:6-18, Naomi starts out on a journey of repentance to return to God and His people. There are forks and twists in the road that we may not see coming as we return to the God who is turned towards us.
We begin a tiny book that packs a walloping Gospel punch. It's all about seeing God's Kingdom unfolding in the unlikeliest corners among questionable people. It's a Gospel for Monday mornings, the mid-week slump, and everything in between.
"See, I am making all things new!" With a last revelation of His character and plan, Jesus brings Revelation and the whole Bible to a close. But the story lives on as each of us find our place in the ongoing narrative of God and the world He loves.
A three-fold hallelujah rises from Heaven, from Earth, and from both combined. We are invited to join in this chorus as our fitting response to the angel's call "Worship God!", as we see the life of Jesus revealed in our world and our lives.
When our current context seems to crumble around us, Revelation 18 puts things in the perspective of the Day of the Lord, the Exile, and the Upside-Down Kingdom of God. God is good, Jesus is Lord and this is the day that He has made. "Rejoice" (verse 20).
In Revelation 12 & 13, we begin to see why it can be so hard to recognize God's presence in our lives and know Jesus as He truly is. Powerful parodies can deceive and distract us from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This will call for endurance and faith.
Revelation is a book that reveals Jesus. But there are many layers to that revelation. In Revelation 10, God comes closer and closer and we experience more specific and special facets of his being in Jesus.
In the upside-down kingdom of God, prayer and rest are tools of spiritual warfare. As the Lamb of God opens the seventh seal in Revelation 8:1-5, we learn how to wield them to bring peace and create justice on Earth as it is in Heaven.
With the problem of evil and experience of suffering on one hand, and the goodness and power of God on the other, Revelation 6 takes up the cry, "How long, O Lord?" If we look closely, God's answer reveals his character and our hope.
Every Sunday is a turning point in the week where we look back and look up before moving back out into daily life. Today especially, the movements of worship are a way of life as God's Revelation prepares us for having our eyes and ears open to a world at war in the spiritual realm.
When we need a reality check, it's the ones who know and love us the most who can speak that word. In Revelation 3:1-6, Jesus speaks to the churches in order to rebuke the ones he loves.
In Revelation 2:18-29, "the one who searches minds and hearts" turns to the churches with eyes like fire. And we discover that a position of tolerance is not always a good thing.
The Word of God revealed to and through the Church-- That's what Revelation is all about. Jesus speaks a Word of protection and provision over His people. On the flipside, He doesn't hesitate to voice the correction and conviction we need. Whoever has ears, let them hear!