From the Worldwide Faith News archives www.wfn.org
The Kingdom of God is Near, Even When It Doesn't Appear So
From
PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>
Date
15 Aug 1999 16:34:54
GA99133
26-June-1999
The Kingdom of God is Near, Even When
It Doesn't Appear So, Worshippers Told
FORT WORTH-The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and
believe the good news of the Gospel. The kingdom of God is at hand, but it
is not what you expect. Repent, and stop thinking that you can decide what
God's kingdom looks like. This was the mistake of the Pharisees, who
missed the Messiah because Jesus wasn't what they expected.
This was the heart of the message the Rev. Mary Graves, pastor of
Trinity Presbyterian Church in San Carlos, California, gave commissioners
on the final day of the 211th General Assembly. She said when Jesus first
proclaimed this good news, it didn't seem as though the kingdom of God was
at hand. John the Baptist sent to learn if Jesus was the messiah or if
they should look for another. Jesus sent a message to John that "the blind
regain their sight and the lame walk and the deaf hear." The kingdom of God
had come. John heard that news and was promptly beheaded. This is the
kingdom of God?
Likewise, it may not seem as though the kingdom of God has come when
we look around us today. "Maybe things that happened this week at General
Assembly, things that are happening around the world. You look around and
there are so many things that are in decline--mainline churches are in
decline, our own denomination is in decline. We see family support systems
in decline, morals are in decline, human decency and civility are in
decline. And we get to church and doubt that the good news of God's
kingdom has come."
She said that on Thursday night of this week, she had received a call
from her church in San Carlos that a young man, a former Youth Advisory
Delegate to the Assembly, had committed suicide. She said she returned to
a church and a family full of deep darkness.
She said to commissioners, "you go back home and perhaps face your own
darkness. Yet the kingdom of God is at work even so."
"The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and
believe."
Assisting in the service were the Rev. John Miller, pastor of
Northpark Presbyterian Church in Dallas, the Rev. Dionne Bagsby of First
Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth and Grady E. Coyle, director of music at
Northridge Presbyterian Church in Dallas.
Bill Lancaster
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