© Bexleyheath Methodist Church, allrights reserved 2020

FROM THE MANSE

Words of Encouragement from the Manse

Back to Previous Page The Coming of the Lord has three dimensions - past, present and future. The Lord has come, is coming and will come! Most of us prioritise the Coming of the Lord in the past at Christmas, often called the First Advent. It is an integral part of our tradition. As per the latest information from the government, special provisions have been made for Christmas celebrations throughout the UK during 23 - 27 December 2020, of course in a strange and limited way, despite the threats of COVID-19, even in the midst of the pandemic restrictions. Christmas celebrations are good, but certainly not at the expense of the Coming of the Lord in the present, here and now. Most of us equally prioritise the Second Coming of the Lord in the future at the Second coming, often called the Second Advent. This is important, but certainly not at the expense of the Lord's Coming in the present, here and now. The Lord has come in the past. We gratefully and joyfully celebrate this at Christmas. But the Coming of the Lord in the past is not limited to Christmas. There was indeed no time when the Lord had not visited the people or when God was absent from the world! The Lord comes to us here and now, in the present. More often than not, we are insensitive to the Coming of the Lord to us in the present, in the midst of our circumstances here and now. Jesus' parable of the final judgement by the "Son of Man when he comes in glory" (Matthew 25:31-46) is very eloquent and most picturesque in reiterating the criteria for the judgement of the nations. What matters is not the faith or the cult or the practices we uphold and cherish, but what love requires. The question is whether or not our religious faith and practices make us helpful to others in their desperate circumstances. Can we be "little Christs" to the less fortunate ones in their needs? The Lord will come again. We are familiar with the notion of the Second Coming of the Lord, also known as the Second Advent. We look forward to the coming of God's Kingdom when God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. We hope for the sovereignty of God becoming a reality in all aspects, personal, interpersonal and structural, local, national, regional and global. We look forward to the kingdoms of the world becoming the Kingdom of Christ and God. Advent hope instils in us a "passion for the possible". We cannot simply remain as talkative people or babblers, portraying a false or utopian hope that all will be well in heaven or in the next world. Faith should never be communicated as a pie in the sky. Advent hope calls for committing ourselves to do all we can for real transformation here and now. A year ago, I received a telephone call from an unknown person. He was in need of some urgent help, and hence he wanted to meet with me in person. We met. After introducing himself, he said: "Please do not say, I don't know. Please do not say, just Google search. Please listen to me and see whether or not you are able to be of help to me in my pathetic situation." With the support of some friends, we managed to offer him the needed help. Instead of doing this, if we told him that he would be alright in heaven and God would take care of him, we would have been hypocrites. Later on, he told me: "We have lost our neighbourliness though we have neighbourhood watch. We are not willing or prepared to listen to others. It is unfortunate that 'I don't know and just Google search' have become our slogans." Certainly, we can listen to people. We can be qualitatively different. Let us just consider the mental agony that the lonely suffer during this ongoing pandemic and see what we can do. Jesus' words to the lawyer (Luke 10:37), "Go and do likewise" come to us as a command from God. It is in doing so that we prepare ourselves for the Coming of the Lord. If not, our celebration of Christmas and our hope of the Second Coming of Christ will have no meaning. To be a human or a Christian is to be a Good Samaritan! This is indeed the challenge of Advent hope. The Lord Jesus Christ Comes! May the Lord Jesus Christ Come! Revd. Dr. Chellaian Lawrence Bexleyheath Methodist Church 29 November 2020 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
METHODIST CHURCH BEXLEYHEATH
Sunday Service 10:00 -11:00 am Join Us
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© Bexleyheath Methodist Church, allrights reserved 2016

FROM THE MANSE

Words of Encouragement from

the Manse

Back to Previous Page The Coming of the Lord has three dimensions - past, present and future. The Lord has come, is coming and will come! Most of us prioritise the Coming of the Lord in the past at Christmas, often called the First Advent. It is an integral part of our tradition. As per the latest information from the government, special provisions have been made for Christmas celebrations throughout the UK during 23 - 27 December 2020, of course in a strange and limited way, despite the threats of COVID-19, even in the midst of the pandemic restrictions. Christmas celebrations are good, but certainly not at the expense of the Coming of the Lord in the present, here and now. Most of us equally prioritise the Second Coming of the Lord in the future at the Second coming, often called the Second Advent. This is important, but certainly not at the expense of the Lord's Coming in the present, here and now. The Lord has come in the past. We gratefully and joyfully celebrate this at Christmas. But the Coming of the Lord in the past is not limited to Christmas. There was indeed no time when the Lord had not visited the people or when God was absent from the world! The Lord comes to us here and now, in the present. More often than not, we are insensitive to the Coming of the Lord to us in the present, in the midst of our circumstances here and now. Jesus' parable of the final judgement by the "Son of Man when he comes in glory" (Matthew 25:31-46) is very eloquent and most picturesque in reiterating the criteria for the judgement of the nations. What matters is not the faith or the cult or the practices we uphold and cherish, but what love requires. The question is whether or not our religious faith and practices make us helpful to others in their desperate circumstances. Can we be "little Christs" to the less fortunate ones in their needs? The Lord will come again. We are familiar with the notion of the Second Coming of the Lord, also known as the Second Advent. We look forward to the coming of God's Kingdom when God's will is done on earth as it is in heaven. We hope for the sovereignty of God becoming a reality in all aspects, personal, interpersonal and structural, local, national, regional and global. We look forward to the kingdoms of the world becoming the Kingdom of Christ and God. Advent hope instils in us a "passion for the possible". We cannot simply remain as talkative people or babblers, portraying a false or utopian hope that all will be well in heaven or in the next world. Faith should never be communicated as a pie in the sky. Advent hope calls for committing ourselves to do all we can for real transformation here and now. A year ago, I received a telephone call from an unknown person. He was in need of some urgent help, and hence he wanted to meet with me in person. We met. After introducing himself, he said: "Please do not say, I don't know. Please do not say, just Google search. Please listen to me and see whether or not you are able to be of help to me in my pathetic situation." With the support of some friends, we managed to offer him the needed help. Instead of doing this, if we told him that he would be alright in heaven and God would take care of him, we would have been hypocrites. Later on, he told me: "We have lost our neighbourliness though we have neighbourhood watch. We are not willing or prepared to listen to others. It is unfortunate that 'I don't know and just Google search' have become our slogans." Certainly, we can listen to people. We can be qualitatively different. Let us just consider the mental agony that the lonely suffer during this ongoing pandemic and see what we can do. Jesus' words to the lawyer (Luke 10:37), "Go and do likewise" come to us as a command from God. It is in doing so that we prepare ourselves for the Coming of the Lord. If not, our celebration of Christmas and our hope of the Second Coming of Christ will have no meaning. To be a human or a Christian is to be a Good Samaritan! This is indeed the challenge of Advent hope. The Lord Jesus Christ Comes! May the Lord Jesus Christ Come! Revd. Dr. Chellaian Lawrence Bexleyheath Methodist Church 29 November 2020 _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _______________
METHODIST CHURCH BEXLEYHEATH
Sunday Service 10:00 -11:00 am Join Us