One Day…
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, comign down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bridge adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying:
See the home 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 first things have passed away.”
-Revelation 21:1-4 NRSV
Before I get into the devotional part of this e-mail, I’d like to give you an update on how our Stewardship Campaign is going.
Stewardship Update
(As of 1/27/2025)
Pledge cards and recurring gifts for 2025: 112
Pledge cards and recurring gifts in 2024: 147
Amount pledged for 2025 so far: $753,579.66
Amount pledged for 2024: $959,411.12
New pledgers to Creekwood: 8
Number who increased their pledge from 2024: 37
Average pledge amount for 2025, so far: $6,728.38
Average pledge amount for 2024: $6,526.60
We are on a great track for 2025! Let’s see if we can hit 148 pledges or recurring gifts for our highest totals ever! You can go online to PLEDGE or set-up a RECURRING GIFT or you can turn your pledge card in during worship. To help us set the best budget that we can, please turn in your pledge cards or set up recurring giving by February 2.
Now, on to the devotional.
If you didn’t read the scripture from Revelation above, please go back and read it.
Take note of how you feel.
Does it seem like a dream?
A far-fetched dream?
A vision of hope on the horizon?
A possible reality?
A bridge too far?
Do we believe we will experience a world described with no pain or suffering…one day?
“One day” is a very powerful addition to a sentence. Depending on the punctuation involved, it can express a multitude of different emotions.
“One day I will buy that car!”
“One day my prince will come…”
“We’ll have peace on earth…one day.”
All three are declarative statements, but notice the switch from determination to hope to despair. “One day” is either something to work towards, wait on, or so far off that we can’t even begin to imagine it.
Revelation is a circular letter sent to 7 or more churches who are in the middle of despair and hope. From Laodicea to Philadelphia to Sardis, they have joined the growing movement of Christianity, which promises the return of Jesus who will establish a new world order based in grace, peace, justice, mercy, and love. As Simon Sinek says, “it’s a cause they’ll probably never see, but it’s worth dying for.”
And they were.
Early Christians did not enjoy the privilege we are accustomed to in the United States, so every pledge card and every prayer meeting was both an act of bravery and commitment to a hope that seemed so distant from the reality of the Roman Empire. Which made every pledge card and every prayer meeting also an act of defiance.
Many people have read Revelation as a prophetic tale of destruction and rebuilding, often attempting to join the “guessing game” by seeing which historical or modern events seemingly line up perfectly with the timeline outlined in Revelation. And…many people have failed at predicting the coming of Christ and end-times prophecies, because that’s not how Revelation works.
Revelation is a multi-layered vision in which events written about linearly are happening all at the same time. When read linearly, it creates some form of understandable timeline, but when read accurately the timeline becomes far more jumbled – because there isn’t a prescribed timeline. Revelation is about “one day.”
It is a letter circulated to Christians who are trying their best to stay faithful under impossible circumstances and promising them that the current day WILL turn into “one day” because of Christ with them and Christ coming again. When we read it as a tale of heavenly destruction in the most literal of terms we negate the desired impact of the vision – to turn despair into hope into determination.
How else do we see Christianity go from a hunted/oppressed people to the official religion of the largest empire on Earth in just under 380 years? Determination. Faithfulness. Vision. Hope.
Revelation is a letter meant to inspire us to live “one day” in our current day, not to sit back and wait. Jesus’ parting words in John and Matthew specifically compel the Apostles to action, which they recruit others to in Acts. While they await the perfection that Jesus will bring “one day” they work for “one day” with all of their hearts, souls, strength, and mind.
Often, when we’re in the despair emphasis of “one day” it’s hard to put our money or time where our dreams lie. The world seems so far from the vision of perfection, it’s just easier to isolate, give up, or wait until the world changes before we give our energy. And while I fully believe Jesus is going to come back and set everything right, I firmly also believe that to sit and wait would be antithetical to pretty much every scripture in the New Testament.
We’re called to invest in “one day” right now.
We’re called to invest in the next 50 years of Creekwood, right now.
We’re called to invest in the adult lives our children will lead, right now.
We’re called to make “one day”…today.
I pray that the vision of “one day” might be enough to get you out of bed today.
To lead in our community today.
To offer compassion today.
To alleviate suffering today.
To bring peace today.
To share God’s love…
Today.
Revelation is a promise to Christians that the way of the Romans will come to an end. I’d like to say that it has after 2,000 years, but we’re still pretty good at the sins of the Roman Empire.
But. I believe in “one day.”
I hope you do too.
Peace,
David Lessner
PS – Please return your pledge card before or by February 2. You can do so by bringing it to the office, to worship on Sunday, or filling out the online pledge form.
