Lectionary Readings for November 14, 2021
Preparation Song: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (lyrics here)
Reflection
These week’s readings in the lectionary are not easy. They deal with the Last Days, the final judgment, and the dark and disturbing things surrounding those events. These are not texts that are easy to read in a reflective, contemplative spirit.
But they are Scripture. And as such we believe them to be “…God-breathed and…useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (1 Tim. 3:16-17)
So as we read them we will pray. We will listen. And we will trust that, even as they call to mind difficult things, they ultimately point us to God’s faithfulness and the joy of the coming Kingdom. While the details are unknown and mysterious, we trust the working out of God’s good plan and purposes for all of creation. Until then, we join our voices with saints through the ages who have cried, “Even so, come Lord Jesus!”
For our song of preparation, reflect on the lyrics for “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus.” Although traditionally a song for Advent, it also captures the cries of God’s people all through history. Where does your soul find resonance in these words? How do these words prompt you to pray?
Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us
Let us find our rest in Thee
Israel's strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of ev'ry longing heart
Born Thy people to deliver
Born a child, and yet a King
Born to reign in us forever
Now Thy gracious Kingdom bring
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine all sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne
Israel's strength and consolation
Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of every nation
Joy of ev'ry longing heart
Come Jesus Come
Reading One: Daniel 12:1-3 (NRSV)
Song: Who Is Like Our God (lyrics here)
Reflection
With this week’s readings we are going to take our cues for meditation and prayer from words and phrases in them that point to God’s great purposes in the unfolding of salvation history, and the ultimate culmination of history in his great victory and the coming of the eternal kingdom.
In Daniel 12:1-3 we are told that in the end times, when the world is falling apart, the archangel Michael will arise. He is referred to as the “protector of God’s people,” and in ever appearance he makes in Scripture he is portrayed as a mighty warrior who stands against the forces of evil. What a wonderful reminder that even when history takes its darkest turn, God does not leave us alone.
For our time of reflection, you’re invited to meditate on the meaning of the name “Michael,” which is “Who is like God?” For people of faith it is a rhetorical question—there is no one like God. Not even the angels can claim likeness to God—in the book of Jude Michael himself is shown relying on God’s power to rebuke evil, not his own strength. And when history draws to a close, the answer will echo throughout eternity: “There is no one like our God, who is worthy of honor, glory, and praise, who has vanquished the evil one and established a kingdom for his people which shall never end!”
Here are Scriptures to guide you in sitting reflectively with this question, “Who is like God?” Read through them slowly, and let them guide you in prayer, praise, and worship.
“Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11, NIV)
““Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.” (1 Kings 8:23, NIV)
“My whole being will exclaim, ‘Who is like you, Lord? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.’” (Psalm 35:10, NIV)
“Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.” (Psalm 89:8, NIV)
Reading Two: Psalm 16 (NRSV)
Song: I Can Only Imagine (lyrics here)
Reflection
The phrase you’re invited to sit with from Psalm 16 comes near the end: “In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (v. 11) Even though this particular Psalm isn’t specifically about the end times, this verse certainly resonates with what we know to be true of God’s kingdom. To be in God’s presence forever will be the fulfillment of Christ’s work, the restoration of what humanity was designed for from the very beginning.
Here are some Scriptures for you to meditate on regarding the presence of God in his eternal kingdom. Read through them slowly, and let them guide you in prayer, praise, and worship.
“’This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord, because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord. ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’” (Jeremiah 31:33-34, NIV)
“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 22:3-5, NIV)
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3, NIV)
Reading Three: Hebrews 10:11-25 (NRSV)
Song: Waiting For The Day (lyrics here)
Reflection
This passage from Hebrews speaks to the “now and not yet” reality of Christ’s sacrifice—we have been cleansed of sin, we can come boldly to God by virtue of Christ’s righteousness, but we are also waiting for the final culmination of his victory. The author of Hebrews implores us to be alongside one another until that time, “encouraging one another…all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
I am thankful for the many voices in my life that have encouraged me to keep my eyes on the coming Day, reminding me of all the glorious things that await us when history reaches its fulfillment. One of those voices is Billy Sprague, who wrote this song while grieving the loss of his fiancé in a car accident. It is a good song for the days we are living now. It is a good reminder to us of everything that we will receive, and everything that will be healed, when the Day finally arrives.
You’re invited to reflect on these lyrics prayerfully. How do they speak to your soul today?
I am waiting for the day
When my brothers will be free
And the walls are torn away
Like a light that ends a dream
I am certain that the night
Like a curtain will be raised
Though the end is not a sight
I am waiting for the day
I am waiting for the day
When the children will be fed
And every starving heart is saved
By the Life in Heaven's bread
And I am looking to the east
For the first shining ray
Till we all join in the feast
I am waiting for the day
I'm waiting, Lord, I'm waiting
Waiting for the day to come
Waiting for the day
I'm waiting
Lord, I'm waiting for the day to come
I am waiting for the day
(What can wash away my sin)
When the people of the earth
(And what can make me whole again)
See the sacrifice God made
(And what can make me white as snow, oh...)
Is the measure of our worth
And I am praying for the time
(Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound)
When the power of His grace
(That saved me, oh...)
Strikes the hearts of all mankind
(I once was lost but not I'm found and...)
I am waiting for the day
I am waiting for the day
When the friends who've gone before
Meet us by the crystal lake
On a not-too-distant shore
And I am sure when time is done
(When we've been there 10,000 years)
And the sky is rolled away
(Light shining as the sun)
We will see the Holy One
I am waiting for the day
I'm waiting
I am waiting for the day
I'm waiting, Lord, I'm waiting
Waiting for the day
Ooh, I'm waiting
Lord, I'm waiting for the day, yeah
Waiting for the day
Oh, Lord, I'm waiting
Waiting to see You
Reading Four: Mark 13:1-8 (NRSV)
Songs: It Is Well (lyrics here)
Reflection
Like our Daniel text, Jesus’ words in Mark 13 are not necessarily conducive to reflective prayer. But hidden amidst the language of buildings being torn down, wars breaking out, earthquakes, and famines, there is a phrase worth sitting with:
“Do not be alarmed.” (v. 7)
Jesus reminds Peter, James, John, and Andrew (and us) that in the midst of all that will come, there is one thing we need more than any other: trust. We need to trust in God’s plan and purposes, and sit with the knowledge that what happens is ultimately for his glory and his kingdom.
For this final reflection this week, I’m going to ask you to do something. I’m going to ask you to find something to write on—if you journal, grab your journal. Or grab a notebook or a piece of paper. Or open a word document on your laptop, or a note on your phone app. And pretend that someone is asking you a simple question:
“Why do you trust God?”
Spend some time chronicling the ways that God has shown himself trustworthy in your life. How have you seen him at work? When has he appeared in your life to guide? To comfort? To heal? To forgive?
Pretty much every generation since Jesus has believe that they were living in the end times, and who knows if we are nearing the end or not. What Jesus is calling us to do in this passage, though, is step back from the chaos that may be birth pangs or the final stage of labor, and focus instead on the trustworthiness of God.