Maranatha

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.  Amen.  (Rev. 22:20, 21)

We conclude our study of Revelation with the same words John uses to conclude his book – i.e. a prayer and a blessing.

The prayer:  “Come, Lord Jesus.”  In the original Aramaic, this phrase is one word:  Maranatha.  It was the earliest Christian prayer.  It had a two-fold meaning or application:

1. It was a prayer that Jesus would indeed come (return) quickly to gather up His people, deliver them from the difficulties of life, and bring to consummation God’s full plan of redemption.
2. It was a prayer before Holy Communion.  John’s words were read/spoken in worship.  It is believed that as a part of the liturgy these words/this prayer was prayed just prior to receiving the elements of Holy Communion.  Thus, the prayer was:  Come, Lord Jesus and be present in this bread and cup, this holy meal, indeed made holy by your very presence.

Might I suggest that, if you don’t currently have a table grace that you use, or if you do, that you add this one to your choices:  “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed.  Amen.”  In so praying, we are doing two things: (1) sharing in the experience of the earliest church and (2) acknowledging Christ’s presence in your mealtime fellowship, making each meal a holy meal.

The blessing:  “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.  Amen.”

It’s been a joy to be on this journey through Revelation with you.  Amen.

A New Heaven and New Earth

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea.  (Rev. 21:1)

We are nearing the end of our study of the book of Revelation. We will have one more day and then on Wednesday -  it being Ash Wednesday -  we will switch to our Lenten theme.  I will miss our time in Revelation.  This has been one of the most rewarding and informing (for me!) studies I’ve done.  I’ve appreciated your insights shared and your many words of affirmation and appreciation of this pastoral approach.  One of you sent me what I think is an absolutely outstanding piece by the great Roman Catholic New Testament scholar, Raymond Brown.  His take on how to interpret Revelation is so well said, I want to share it with you here:

“How can Revelation be presented in a way that is both factual and meaningful?

1.     The first step may be to insist that the book be read through as a whole.  That avoids the tendency to pick out a few symbolic references and to speculate about them.
2.     The second step is to insist that it was addressed to the seven churches and its details and historical context pertain to the first century rather than to the 20th or 21st century.  That will dispense with the fanciful decoding of Revelation in the light of today’s headlines.

To a contemporary culture that idolizes science and calculable knowledge, apocalyptic is an enduring witness to a reality that defies all our measurements; it testifies to another world that escapes all scientific gauges and finds expression in symbols and visions.  That world is not created by imagination, but images serve as an entrée.  Artists ranging from Pieter Brueghel through William Blake to Salvador Dali have understood that.  On a psychological level, Jung sought an entry into that world through symbols.  On a religious level, mystics have offered insight.

Liturgy, properly understood, brings ordinary believers into contact with this heavenly reality (Sacraments are sacred acts which convey a spiritual reality!).  To a world that accepts only what it can see, hear, and feel, Revelation is the final scriptural gateway to what the eye has not seen and the ear not heard.  Because its visions are filled with theological symbols, not with photographic reproductions, Revelation does not give an exact knowledge of that other world, a world that cannot be translated into human concepts.  Rather, it attests forcefully that at every moment of human history, even the most desperate moment that causes people to lose hope, God is present.  The Lamb standing as though slain is the ultimate guarantee of God’s victorious care and deliverance, especially for the downtrodden and oppressed.”  (p. 810, Brown’s “Introduction of the New Testament”)

Parenting Study - "The Five Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman, Ph.D and Ross Campbell, M.D. The study will be on Wednesdays from 7:00pm - 8:00pm from February 22 - March 28 in room 224.

>>Register Here

Our Evangelism and Youth department would like to invite everyone to a church wide movie night in the youth building at 6:30pm this Sunday evening.  We are featuring the outstanding Christian based movie “Courageous”.  This is a great movie for families that teaches how honor begins in the home.  It also will challenge parents to take a stand for the sake of children and their future.   We’re planning to provide light refreshments such as popcorn, candy and beverages. We hope to see you there.

Looking for a good gift?  Art Cards by Dottie Giro, Artist & Alpha Graduate.  Each card, from her original watercolor, features a Florida Sunset & the Fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).  Note Card (4.5 x 5.25 size) $2 each or Greeting Card (5 x 7 size) $3 each.  Fine Art Giclee prints and Card Sets also available.  All sales benefit Trinity's Alpha Course (www.Alpha.org).  To order, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (371-4092).

Just as we did last year with The Hole in Our Gospel, this year we are asking you to host, lead or find your way into a small group discussion of Generous Justice, by Timothy Keller.  There will be a kick-off dinner on Ash Wednesday with discussion groups beginning the week of February 26th and ending the week before Holy Week. Copies of Generous Justice are available in the Trinity bookstore ($14).

Join a discussion group

Download the study guide (prepared by Dr. Dan Johnson)

...that Trinity United Methodist is a charter for Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts? There are two Cub Scout packs and one Boy Scout troop chartered by Trinity. If you have a boy in 1st through 5th grade who is interested in camping, outdoor activities and learning cool things, they may want to be a Cub Scout. Boys age 10 ½ years or have completed the 5th grade are qualified to join Boy Scouts. Scouting helps develop new friends, leadership skills, respect for our environment and camping trips they would not experience in other organizations.

If you child are interested in scouting please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call Curtis Kirby at 331-5839.

Friends from the Past will speak on the theme:  “Let Justice Roll Down.”  Each Wednesday a light meal will be served from 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm with the service of worship from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm.  Also, this will include the ever popular Children’s program, Lentapalooza

Schedule of Events

February 22: Ash Wed Service, Generous Justice Small Discussion Groups Kick-off Dinner

February 29: Sharing from our many recent Mission Teams.

March 7: The Rev. David Dodge

March 14: The Rev. Mark Becker

March 21: The Rev. Jane Pearce

March 28: The Rev. Jan Richardson

Register for Dinner (To ensure enough food without wasteful spending, dinner reservations MUST be made by Monday at noon. If you do not make your dinner reservations in time, please still join us for the program at 7pm. Thank you for your understanding.)

Just as we did last year with The Hole in Our Gospel, this year we are asking you to host, lead or find your way into a small group discussion of Generous Justice, by Timothy Keller.  There will be a kick-off dinner on Ash Wednesday with discussion groups beginning the week of February 26th and ending the week before Holy Week. Copies of Generous Justice are available in the Trinity bookstore. Sign up to host, lead or attend a discussion group

Join us for a one night marriage seminar with Trinity Member Susie Osborne. Enjoy a nice dinner and affordable childcare while you enrich your marriage. Based upon Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Dr. Susan Johnson.

Details:

What: 1-night Marriage Seminar

When: February 18, 5:30 - 8:30 pm

Where: Youth Building

How Much: $15 per couple.

Kids: Childcare is available as needed ($10 per child, includes dinner)

Additional details: Books are available in the Trinity UMC Bookstore.

Register: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (416-3004)

We are seeking donations for the Spring Break Youth Medical Mission Trip to Nicaragua on March 31. Our wish list includes;

• adult and children's vitamins
• pain relievers (Tylenol, Advil, Aspirin)
• allergy meds
• stomach preparations (Tums, Prilosec)
• cough medications, etc.
• reading glasses
• sunglasses

Donations can be dropped off any time from now through February 19th in the collection boxes located in the Narthex, at the front desk of the education building, over in the Atrium, or at the youth building. There are information sheets and bags available in the boxes. Thank you for your generosity!