"Hints of Things to Come"

     One can't watch any late night TV (I don't know about you, but that's pretty much the only time I get to watch it) without being bombarded with ads for Psychic Buddies, Mystic Tarot card readers, Fortunes Are Us, and a whole host of similar telemarketing scams dressed up in old/New Age garb to bamboozle people who are fearful, desperate or sleep-deprived enough to pay insane amounts of money to be told a version of the future.
     I call it "a version of the future" because there is something interesting going on there.  The famous line, "You will meet a tall, dark, handsome (or beautiful) stranger" in fact conditions you to look for big people with tans that you've never met before.  You begin looking for what you are told will happen, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  These telemarketers are trained with a few "carnival barker" type tricks to lead you to telling them what they need to know, make you think they've tuned into your karma (or essence or spirit or whatever), and you're hooked!  Some people are actually addicted to these kinds of scams, unable to make a move in life without consulting the spirits or cards or con artists. Not that I'm prejudiced against such things...
     Why am I going into this?  The title of this article is also the title of my sermon for All Saints’ Sunday, November 5th.   What we celebrate on that day is the ultimate "version of the future": a look into God's future for us.  The scriptures tell us what we need to know about what's coming: that God has prepared an amazingly wonderful place for us, that others who have died in faith are with the Lord, and that God has been preparing this from the beginning.
     The Bible is admittedly a little short on specifics, like how long is eternity, how much gold are the streets paved with, what exactly is served at the heavenly banquet, when is Judgment Day and do we need a good lawyer (actually, the Holy Spirit is our Advocate, so NO, we won't need a lawyer).  Most importantly, the Bible doesn't tell us what's happening next.   We just don't know, and I don't know about you, but I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.  I would rather trust God, look for his presence and guidance in my life, and do the best I can as his child.
     And because of this lack of detail on what's just around the corner, sometimes we are tempted to doubt God's care for us.  This is especially true when our lives seem unsettled by worry, tragedy or loss.  This week has been particularly trying for several families in our congregation, and it is good to celebrate the things lifted up on All Saints' Sunday: God IS the victor over all, and that what we experience here is not God's final word on things.

God's blessings to All the Saints here at Trinity Lutheran

Pastor Larry