Eastertide

May 2, 2019

Scripture Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!’
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
for ever and ever!’
And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the elders fell down and worshipped.

Part of this scripture has been set to music and I now cannot read it without singing it in my head if not out loud. It is indeed poetic. I am also just finishing N. T. Wright’s book The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’s Crucifixion. In the final chapter he describes, perhaps laments, how humans can get so caught up in the quest for wealth and power and sex that we lose sight of what real power and wealth and love of all kinds has been gifted to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Our worldly sources of power and wealth are always and ultimately nothing but worthless idols. I must admit I experienced a bit of astonishment moving from this section of Wright’s book and reading this segment of Revelation. A friend of mine would call it a God thing.

I do get discouraged at times about the knuckleheaded things we humans do in search of what? Fulfillment perhaps? We all are guilty at times of short circuiting our relationship with God, the source of true power and wealth and wisdom and might. We prefer to reach out to gods of our own creation. Evil can make everything look good with its false facades.

So, let the words of this scripture sink deeply into your souls. God is always near and always powerful and always loving.

Prayer:
To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
for ever and ever!’ Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.