Reading
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. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 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; 4 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.” 5 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.” 6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. (Revelation 21: 1-6) Reflection Did you know there is a new & improved computer keyboard out that is washable? You can scrub that icky, sticky space bar, and the bowl of Froot Loops I dumped wouldn’t have been a total loss. Or think about lighting. Candles are nice for romantic dinners and meditation, but thanks to lightbulbs, fewer cows will burn down a city when they kick an untended oil lantern. And now there are solar lights to flicker along the garden path at dusk, and LED lighting to illuminate kitchens and TVs. You can even save electricity or affect moods with automated controls when the lights come on or go off. And all of these products come with so much more, from a bonus water-resistant mouse to included-free lighting strips. New & improved can apply beyond the material. How about a new and improved relationship with God? Tweaking a prayer routine, adopting a new worship practice, studying a neglected book in the bible – these adaptations could deliver fresh and enriched connections with the Holy Spirit. In John’s Revelation, we find the promise of a new and improved heaven and earth. One home to God and His creation in a perfected existence. Death is no more; pain and suffering are eliminated along with all the products of sin. All at a price we can afford: our faith and belief. Now I’ll buy that! --Heather Wolf Prayer Jesus, God, Creator of heaven and earth; your will be done! Help me to be an instrument of improvement to the lives of others and the world around me. In your name I pray. Amen. Our devotions are based on this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is a three-year cycle of readings telling the story of our Christian faith and corresponding to the season church calendar. On any given Sunday, we are hearing and praying and examining the same Scripture with millions of Christians around the world. In our current Year C, the Old Testament readings progress through the Prophets and have the theme of the day that it is connected to the Gospel reading. The Psalm, a song the congregation sings in response to the Old Testament reading, most often corresponds to the theme of the Hebrew Lessons and/or that of the Gospel Lesson. The lesson from the Epistles or from Acts typifies the church’s focus on the meaning of Christ for today. The Gospel lesson is connected to the season of the Church Year. This year, our gospel readings are from Luke, who writes that Jesus is the universal Savior and the perfect Son of Man. The current season of Easter brings the liturgical and biblical past into the present.
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