"Even So, Lord Jesus Come"
We had our Advent Pageant at church
today. Yesterday during the rehearsal I was overseeing some of the
4-8 year old children and we had quite a bit of time to wait while
the youth and older children were working on their parts. While we
sat in the back of the church, I talked with my 4-year old son and
another boy about the season of Advent and how we are waiting both
for Christmas and for Christ's return. This was the first time Timmy
heard that Jesus was coming back. “Really?” he asked.
Later at bedtime we talked again about Jesus' return. Timmy was really tired so his emotions were pretty raw. He started to cry... really hard. “But I don't want to miss Christmas!” he sobbed at the realization that Jesus' return would transform life as we know it. He felt afraid of the unknown. As Clint and I talked with Timmy and explained that being with Jesus is the best thing ever (even better than a room full of toys!), he started to laugh...and laugh...and laugh. At times it was hard to tell which he was doing – laughing or crying.
I think that a mixture of emotions is normal when we consider the parousia. (That's the Greek word used for the second coming of Christ.) We are filled with joy as we anticipate no more death or pain (Rev. 21:4), being with God forever (1 Thes. 4:17), and all things being reconciled to Christ (Col. 1:20) but we may also be filled with fear or the unknown as well as holy fear as we acknowledge the great power of God who we will meet face to face (Hebrews 12:28-29).
This morning, Timmy was asking me repeatedly, “Is Jesus coming today?” I would answer, "I don't know." Twice he told me: “You know Dad says that the Bible says that Jesus is coming back soon.” During the Pageant he brought it up a few times. He really was ready for Jesus to show up in church today. His eyes were looking up to the church ceiling as we sang “Even So, Lord Jesus Come” to conclude our service. What faith!
This is a day that will become an Advent memory for me. Watching my son grow in his faith as well as the reminder that it may be very soon that Christ returns were good for me. And so I join with the church throughout history and proclaim “Even so, Lord Jesus Come!”
Later at bedtime we talked again about Jesus' return. Timmy was really tired so his emotions were pretty raw. He started to cry... really hard. “But I don't want to miss Christmas!” he sobbed at the realization that Jesus' return would transform life as we know it. He felt afraid of the unknown. As Clint and I talked with Timmy and explained that being with Jesus is the best thing ever (even better than a room full of toys!), he started to laugh...and laugh...and laugh. At times it was hard to tell which he was doing – laughing or crying.
I think that a mixture of emotions is normal when we consider the parousia. (That's the Greek word used for the second coming of Christ.) We are filled with joy as we anticipate no more death or pain (Rev. 21:4), being with God forever (1 Thes. 4:17), and all things being reconciled to Christ (Col. 1:20) but we may also be filled with fear or the unknown as well as holy fear as we acknowledge the great power of God who we will meet face to face (Hebrews 12:28-29).
This morning, Timmy was asking me repeatedly, “Is Jesus coming today?” I would answer, "I don't know." Twice he told me: “You know Dad says that the Bible says that Jesus is coming back soon.” During the Pageant he brought it up a few times. He really was ready for Jesus to show up in church today. His eyes were looking up to the church ceiling as we sang “Even So, Lord Jesus Come” to conclude our service. What faith!
This is a day that will become an Advent memory for me. Watching my son grow in his faith as well as the reminder that it may be very soon that Christ returns were good for me. And so I join with the church throughout history and proclaim “Even so, Lord Jesus Come!”
Comments
Post a Comment