Imagine

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can imagine, the wonder, the glory, the majesty… that God has prepared for those who love Him."

- St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 2:9

"It was unbelievable, just unbelievable to see the blue air cover whip by and suddenly

you're just staring into absolute darkness… that's the thing! The covering of blue, this sheet, this blanket, this comforter of blue that we have around us, we think, oh… that's blue sky… and then whoosh… you shoot through it all as though you whip off a sheet when you're asleep, and you're looking into blackness. It hasn't got anything to do with a little green planet… it has to do with the enormity and the quickness and the suddenness of life and death. Oh my God."

- 90 year old William Shatner as he disembarked from the Blue Origin space capsule, Wednesday, October 13, 2021

What do you do when you cannot find words in the English language to describe what you just experienced? William Shatner, the 90 year old "Star Trek" actor, who is rarely at a loss for words, found himself stymied by his recent flight into outer space aboard the Blue Origin spacecraft. As he exited the space capsule he said, "I'm so filled with emotion right now. It was extraordinary! I hope I never recover from this." In a world of wonder that no longer creates wonder in you and I, I find this old man's inability to speak… refreshing!

When did we lose our sense of wonder? Where did it go?

When did the frustrations of a morning commute replace the wonder of a small block V8 that's generating 3000 combustible explosions every minute right under our feet, so our little chevy Malibu can fly down the highway, become ho-hum? When did a little disagreement with your spouse blind you to the miraculous creation who stands before you as a gift she has offered you as long as you live? How is it that you can get so distracted by your phone that you can miss the treasure sitting next to you in your three year old daughter… who adores you, by the way? And shame on us for getting angry at a friend's political persuasion while sitting with them before a breath-taking sunset at Ponto Beach. CMON!

I love the Apostle John for his inability to find the words to describe the Heaven that God the Father revealed to Him in Revelation 21. You see, John never lost his sense of wonder. While John was exiled on the little island of Patmos for his allegiance to Jesus, God came to him and told him that He was going to give him a glimpse of heaven so that all of those who came after - that is, all of us - would know that the best is yet to come!  As God pulled back the curtain, John wrote…

Then I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

What is John saying? He's trying to describe the indescribable. He ends up telling us how he felt when he saw what he saw, so he picks one of the most powerful emotions he's ever seen… the emotion a bridegroom feels when he sees his bride walking down the aisle towards him on his wedding day. Do you remember that moment? When I stood at the altar next to my son-in-law, Nate, as my daughter… his bride… walked down the aisle towards him, Nate began to tremble… then he began to mutter… "Oh boy! Oh boy! Jesus help me!"... and then he began to cry. And when his bride finally stood before him, Nate could not speak! He was overwhelmed with the beauty of the gift he had been given. And the Apostle John is saying that the way Nate felt on his wedding day is the way you and I will feel the moment we see Jesus and the gift of Heaven we have been given.

There's an old story about a woman named Dorothy who had a terminal illness. When the doctor told her she only had three months to live, she made an appointment with her pastor to plan her memorial service. They discussed the songs she wanted played and the Scriptures she wanted read, and after laying down all the details of the service, she said, "Oh pastor, there's one more thing… I want to be buried with a fork in my hand." Puzzled, the pastor asked, "Why?" This is what she said…

"When I was little girl on the farm, we would have these big dinners when my grandmother would cook for all of us and for all the hired hands. There would be ham and chicken and roast beef and mashed potatoes and homemade gravy and sweet corn from the garden and fresh picked tomatoes and green beans with bacon and hot baked rolls right out of the oven with melted butter.

And then, just as we all finished the last delicious morsel, Grandma would say to us… Now, keep your fork! ‘Cause the best was yet to come! And out would come the most delicious desserts on the planet… cherry pie with whipped cream… peach cobbler with ice cream… chocolate brownies with nuts!

So, at my funeral, when people look down at me in that casket, I want them to see that fork in my hand and ask, 'What's the fork for?' And that's when you can tell them… 'Because of Dorothy's faith in Jesus Christ… she knows the best is yet to come!'"

John wrote what he saw…

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God's home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them! He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sadness or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’ And the One sitting on the throne said, 'Look, I am making everything new!’"

- Revelation 21:1-4

So, here's the lesson: Regain your sense of wonder, now, as you live the gift you have been given… knowing, like Dorothy, that the best is yet to come!

Blessed be the Name of the Lord! AMEN

Pastor Harry

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