November 1st - Reflection

All Saints Day
Revelation 7:9-17 (NRSV)

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,

"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Reflection
Wow! What a scene! We finally figured something wonderful out! Salvation belongs to God, not to me or you, but to God. Salvation comes from believing in God. So we praise God at a great festival of light.

He that sits on the throne causes his Skekinah to abide upon them. God's presence among men. A great white light that penetrates and bounces back and forth all over all of us present at this time, filling us with the presence of God. A heavenly vision of what is to come. all with Jesus at the center to lead and guide us and wipe all tears away.

Wow! What a scene! All Saints Day. A reunion in heaven to look forward to in the hope and grace of what Christ has done for us. Thanks be to God!

 Prayer
Lord, shine this day through me that I may proclaim the great feast to come. Shine through me that I may be given the words to say and the actions to take to show the love you have given to me. What hope and glory you have given to all the saints this day. --- Amen