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The intent of Pilgrim Processing is to provide commentary on the Daily Lectionary from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The format for the comment is Old Testament Lesson first, Gospel, and Epistle with a portion of one of the Psalms for the day as a prayer at the end.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

17 December 2011

Psalm 55; Zech. 8:9-17; Rev. 6:1-17; Matt. 25:31-46

If you knew that what you were doing was God’s will, that He promised it would be successful and that He would be with you as you worked, would you be more likely to commit yourself wholeheartedly to the work? That is what Zechariah is telling the people here. The success of the venture is assured, God will be with them and it is His will that the temple be rebuilt. It will not be done in vain, there will be peace and prosperity. We have the same promise from Him concerning the church. It is His will to prepare a bride for His Son, He has promised to be with us and we know from the book of the Revelation that ultimately there will be a bride and a people. Do we believe and are we wholeheartedly committed to the work?

We are called to self-sacrificial love but it is to be a natural love, so natural that we are completely unaware that we have done anything of significance. The church isn’t a theological society or a Bible study simply for the purpose of knowing more facts, having better doctrine or knowing all the jargon. The church isn’t simply a place where we listen to and sing with a great band or hear a great sermon. The church is to be the people of God on mission together to extend the kingdom and the function of the leadership of the church is to teach, provide an opportunity for the community to gather to worship its Lord, to assist with the discovery of each member’s spiritual gifts and develop those for use in the kingdom. Christianity isn’t mean to be a religion but a lifestyle. Those who find favor with the Son of Man are those who put what they knew into motion.

The One who created all things now sends out the ones who will bring destruction to His creation. We have created the mess that is so terrible that the Lord would rather destroy it than look at it. He has just received praise for creation and the Lamb for ransoming those who will reign and now begins the judgment on man and with him the creation itself. God’s anger is righteous as it is against sin and degradation of His work. We know the end of the story, a new heaven and a new earth with the new Jerusalem as the city of God, but keep in mind that as the revelation went along John didn’t know how it would end and try to imagine the shock and awe he must have felt at the time. Even though in the end this creation is destroyed we are to work today for the extension of the kingdom that this day might be delayed and the full complement of the redeemed to enter the new creation.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Tune

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