Heaven and Earth - Night 4

Well, night four was not one to be missed. This was a very special time.

Rod Thompson took the bulk of both sessions, starting the first under the heading of 'The End of the Story'.

He talked about the Bible as one story (a familiar idea to the Wineskins, of course), but added that this one story is not a collection of a bunch of smaller stories in that they lose their meaning and then become something else, but that the whole story enriches and affirms their meaning.

Showing this, he criticised (respectfully) the 'harmonisation' of the 4 gospels in 'Life of Christ in Stereo' by Johnston M. Cheney, and insisted that each of the gospels must be allowed to tell their own story in their own way.

He provided a picture-description of each of the four biblical gospels:
Matthew was like a furnished, well-ordered, 5-bedroom house,
Mark was like a narrow, dark, deep lake,
Luke was like a vast, rambling, vista of the rich, varied open country (leading to Acts - just over the far ridge)
John was like the sky/heaven coming down to earth to stay...

He then presented three 'scenes' from John's Gospel that emphasise this theme of John (coming together of heaven and earth)...
Scene 1 - The tent in the afternoon
Scene 2 - The throne at sunset
Scene 3 - The beach at sunrise

Scene 1 - The tent in the afternoon

John 1:38-39 - When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

The dialogue was emphasised here: Jesus says 'What are you seeking?' - The disciples ask, 'Rabbi, where are you staying?' - Jesus replies 'Come and see...'

The Eternal Word had been made flesh, the Son of God had come to earth - for good. The 'abiding'/'staying' language continues in John (i.e. John 15 - 'abide in me'). The Incarnation is God 'staying' in humanity from now on, with Jesus also 'staying'/'abiding' with Father and Spirit.

Scene 2 - The throne at sunset

John 12:20-23
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

More dialogue. This time it is Greeks (almost certainly 'God-fearing Greeks' - Roman believers in the Jewish God who had not undergone circumcision) starting things off! 'We wish to see Jesus.' - when Jesus hears of this, he announces, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.'

Here Rod briefly read from chapter 19 - to this glorification - which is the enthronement of the King of the Universe - on a cross. This is one of John's unique perspectives. The crucifixion of Jesus on a cross is the enthronement of the World's true Lord, and it is announced publicly - the inscription recorded it in Hebrew, Latin and Greek - for all the world to see and know.

Before moving to scene three, Rod demonstrated the structure of John's gospel, and how chapter 21 is a most fitting ending (and almost certainly not a latter addition).

Prologue - John 1:1-18
The Seven Signs - John 1:19-20:31 (2:11; 4:54; 6:2; 6:14, 26; 9:16; 12:18 - 2:18-19)
Epilogue - John 21:1-25

Scene 3 - The beach at sunrise

Revelation 21:11-12
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord.

Here, Jesus' invitation is central: 'Come and have breakfast.' Also, Peter's discussion with Jesus over the charcoal fire reminds us - and especially Peter! - of another charcoal fire earlier where Peter had denied Jesus. Denial and betrayal at one fire, restoration and reconciliation at the other.

Rod closed the first session by emphasising that the christian story is about God coming to earth to Stay. And the Christian life being about a truly human experiencing of the world - we 'come and see' and we weep, wonder and worship.

After the tea break, Rod began by 'controversially' taking issue with some Christian teaching and songwriting. He said that the belittling of Christian faith by such as Nietzsche, Marx, Rousseau, Orr and (even) Schaeffer was not without cause - we have for far too long been talking of this present live as not mattering at all...

Here, Rod (respectfully) critiqued some of the teaching by Rick Warren - particularly his talk about 'not getting too attached' to our life here on earth (because our true home - says Warren - is in heaven).

Next up was the words of a few songs...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
(Helen H. Lemmel - 1922)

Rod focused on the line about the 'things of earth' growing 'strangely dim' in the light of Jesus glory and grace - commenting that for him, coming to faith in Jesus made things - not more dim - but all the brighter and more colourful.

When I look into Your holiness
When I gaze into Your loveliness
When all things that surround become shadows
In the light of You

When I've found the joy of reaching Your heart
When my will become enthroned in Your love
When all things that suround become shadows
In the light of You
(Wayne & Cathy Perrin)

Here, Rod's criticism aimed at the line about 'all things that surround' becoming 'shadows' - and for similar reasons as above...

From this, Rod then presented a fourth scene...

Scene 4 - The wedding on a new day

Revelation 21:3-5
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the dwelling place of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the former things have passed away.’
And the one who was seated on the throne said,
‘See, I am making all things new.’
Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’

Rod noted the language of 'dwelling' - with God here dwelling ('tabernacling') with humans. The 'former things' which pass away are not the created order, but (in context here) rather the tears, death, mourning, crying and pain - the groaning comes to a final end when Jesus makes all things new.

Rod then made reference to Revelation 19:8 and the analogy of the fine white linen representing the righteous deeds of the saints. His point here was that this event at the end of history is not the 'junking' of history, but that things done rightly, godly and truly humanly will be affirmed, welcomed, redeemed and brought into the new world.

In closing, he reminded us that this story is Invitational, Embracing and Relational - and trumps all other stories about reality that could ever be told - whether it be the story of the Roman Empire (context of Revelation) or modern materialist meaning-crunching stories which leave us bored and retreating into virtual worlds of fantasy. God has taken flesh - heaven and earth have met and will be fully redeemed.

Mark then closed the night - and series - with more wonderful reflections about what it would look like for the church to be this kind of church - diving into all kinds of truly human tasks - striving for excellence in all areas. Mark shared how this is the vision and goal (with both confidence and humility!) of Laidlaw college as they respect the tradition of all that has gone before and seek to forge new paths ahead.