Feeling the nearness of God—and allowing others to feel it too
Sin separates from God, but God does not separate Himself from the sinner. Quite the contrary: God seeks and grants encounters between Himself and humankind—and this can happen in many ways. That is the emphasis of the divine services in the month of September, which happens to have five Sundays.
God goes out for a pleasant walk through the Garden of Eden in the cool of the evening—just as if He were a human being. This image is recorded in Genesis 3 and demonstrates how close God can come to humanity.
God visits humanity
The problem is that these humans distance themselves from God—in their deeds, thoughts, and feelings. They find the will of God disturbing, they go their own way and hide. Ever since then, people have been living in a state of remoteness from God.
But God does not give up. And that is the focus of the service on the first Sunday in September: in Jesus Christ, He walks among human beings as one of their own. For a while, it is again possible to encounter God directly. Today, word and sacrament are the signs of divine presence. But in the new creation, people will finally have perfect fellowship with God.
Where God can be found
Elijah is at the end of his rope: he is in dire need of an encounter with God. For this reason he walks toward Mount Horeb for forty days and forty nights. There God reveals Himself to him and unveils his future for him. However, God reveals Himself in a completely unexpected way—not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but rather in the form of a rustling whisper.
This image still speaks to us today—and it is explained in the second Sunday of the month: God encounters human beings through the sermon, through Holy Communion, and in the fellowship of the believers. Those who wish to truly experience this must sensitise themselves to God’s nearness and concentrate on His proximity.
Jesus is prepared to meet with anyone
The little man is very good at making money at the expense of others. And the people of Jericho are all the more disgusted that Jesus Christ would pay attention to him, of all people, and even visit him at his home!
The third Sunday of September makes it clear that Jesus Christ is prepared to encounter all people, both the poor and the rich, both the good and the bad. No one can earn His care or grace. When He comes to meet us in His word and sacrament, it leads into eternal fellowship with God. This is something that believers wish to communicate to all people and enjoy with all people.
Serving out of gratitude
Joshua knows he is coming to the end of his earthly life. He gathers the people of Israel together, reminds them of their beginnings, and attests that God has kept all of His promises. Joshua expresses his gratitude to God with a vow: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Those who experience encounters with God will respond with trust in His promise and gratitude for His favours. Serving God means supporting His will and helping others to find their way to salvation. However, we can only succeed in this if we are humble and truthful. The divine service on the fourth Sunday of the month explains what is meant by this.
The angel service
Mary hears an inconceivable message. Nevertheless, she accepts its content and acts accordingly. She knows who is talking to her—it is not the author of the promise, but His messenger, the angel. These divine beings are the subject of the sermon on the fifth Sunday of September.
The Bible frequently attests of such encounters: angels announce salvation, but they themselves do not bring salvation. They are helpers in need, but they do not act on their own authority, but as “ministering spirits”, who only act on the order of God. And at times it is a divine inspiration that causes human beings to become “angels” to others.
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