December 22, 1010

12-22-10 Wednesday, 5:34 am Springfield, 25 degrees, windy, clear – Saturn bright in the eastern sky.

Yesterday was a full and fruitful day. The funeral lunch for the James family was so well done, the visitation and funeral of Louise James in the sanctuary went well and was well attended, and the graveside committal service was a meaningful conclusion to the process. Last night 40 staff and spouses gathered for the Christmas party at Riad’s restaurant, with great energy and good conversations around the tables.

This morning I will join our team which welcomes students to York Elementary School. Later today we will meet to coordinate final details of Christmas eve services. Dave Synder is predicting 1-3 inches of snow on Christmas eve, with maybe some freezing rain. This developing weather could provide a great ambiance to the evening services, and could also impact attendance. There are television and radio ads inviting people to the five services. This evening David and Danelle will join us for dinner, and begin a visit that will last through Christmas afternoon. It will be great to see them again. Last year their Christmas visit was cancelled because of the inclement weather.

Rev 12:18-13:18

The beast with 7 heads and 10 crowns comes up out of the sea. A second beast with two horns and the voice of a dragon comes from the earth, builds a statue of the first beast, makes it speak, and causes everyone to worship the statue. In order to buy food, everyone must have the mark of the beast on their forehead or their right hand, its number is 666. This vision of the end times with the mark of the beast is the topic of much speculation. Could it be related to future use of bar codes or micro chip technology that is scanable and will be required for commerce? How close are we to these end times?

This morning I am convinced that the best way to live is with the expectation that the end times could be near at hand, and my life should be ordered accordingly. I do not think it is helpful to speculate about every detail, and which country or leader might be part of this vision. I realize that the world as I know it could melt away in a moment, and this fuels the intensity and focus of my journey today. Complacency is one of the most dangerous enemies of the church, and reading this chapter today compels me to zealously guard against it. Guide my steps, my words, my thoughts, my planning today in ways that bring honor to the King of kings and advance the Light of the world in this generation. Amen.