Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The End

The scriptures contain many references to a time of completion and culmination. The Book of Revelation presents wild symbolic imagery, pointing to a time of God’s presence. The letters of St. Paul take the impending culmination and God’s reign as a given. In the Gospels, Jesus makes use of apocalyptic imagery.

The following portion of Mark is one such text. In the Revised Common Lectionary, this was the Gospel text assigned to last Sunday.


Mark 13:1-8

As Jesus came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?" Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, `I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs."


The Revised Common lectionary assigns the following text from Luke to the First Sunday of Advent.


Luke 21:25-36

Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Thinking about and preparing for the culmination of God’s reign are part of the Christian vocation. Advent is a perfect time to be more intentional about our thought and preparation. In preparation for the annual celebration of the Feast of the Incarnation, the lectionary pushes us beyond it to pondering the ultimate purpose.

Part of my preparation will be reading and facilitating a discussion on The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation. This book is dedicated to a serious consideration of apocalyptic imagery and thought, beyond the distorted message of fundamentalism. The author, Barbara R. Rossing, is a New Testament professor at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She holds degrees from Harvard and Yale. Rossing was a presenter at the Trinity Institute, an annual conference at Trinity, Wall Street.

I hope you will consider joining me in study and discussion. Click HERE to read reviews.

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