Rise up and sing
Your journey’s done
Arise with joy, your journey’s just begun
Rise up and sing*
Take a moment this week and remember someone you love. Say the names of loved ones whom Jesus has saved from death and are with Him in glory. Today I say, “Rowena”. I composed the *lyric above when my grandmother Rowena died and we kids were asked to sing and play trumpet at her funeral. Because Jesus said to His disciples,
1“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1–3 (ESV)
I pictured Jesus reaching out and lifting my grandma to her feet, and her face was full of joy as they walked off together upward into bright light. How do you picture the moment shared between your loved one and Jesus, the moment He arrived to bring your loved one to glory?
We have this description of our loved ones who are in heaven living eternally in the kingdom of God,
15b“he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:15b–17 (ESV)
Jesus is that “Lamb in the midst of the throne” who is the “shepherd.” Because He gave His life for us on the cross and rose in victory over sin and death, He is the meeting place for us who are on earth and for those who are in glory. In Holy Communion are all brought together in Him.
I am looking forward to seeing Jesus, and heaven, and my grandmas and grandpas and the many, many others I have met and loved who found their salvation in Jesus. I’m thankful that they taught my mom to know and trust Christ and that she has done the same for me and so many others. There are and will be many, many people rejoicing in heaven because their sins are forgiven by grace of God, through faith in Christ (Rev. 7, Eph 2). Since the book of Revelation tells us some of the words sung there by saints and angels, we have chosen to include those same words in our Sunday communion liturgies: 12“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:12 (ESV)
Gather together this month in affirmation of your faith, in joy as redeemed saints by the grace of Christ, and in remembrance and thanksgiving for those who have gone before us in faith. Serve Christ for the salvation of a new generation of God’s beloved. May Christ knit us together in Holy Communion with Him and all who are in Him here and everywhere, including heavenly glory.
In Christ’s peace,
Pastor Stephen
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)