Heading into the best future together: this is the underlying thought behind the Sunday services in the month of November. There are five of them this month.
2 November: at work here and there
“My Father, who has given them [sheep] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” Or to put it another way: God is almighty. He does what He wants. Likewise, God the Son has all power in this world and in the beyond. And that is why a service for the departed means more than just remembering the dead.
Jesus is the good shepherd who calls His flock. Some He calls in this world, others in the beyond. Some He calls before His return, others in the kingdom of peace. He knows every person and wants to give all human beings the same thing, namely eternal life. This requires faith in Christ and, for now, the sacraments. This is why Holy Baptism, Holy Sealing, and Holy Communion are also dispensed to the dead—by proxy upon the living.
9 November: finding Christ in the needy
The parable of the Last Judgement, including the famous sentence: “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25: 40), is the conclusion and culminating point of Jesus’ end-time discourse. And that means: Christ measures our love for Him by how we treat the poor, the weak, and the vulnerable in this world.
It becomes clear that mercy and acts of kindness are not only required in the kingdom of peace. And an encounter with God does not only begin in the new creation. This is what the divine service on the second Sunday of the month will explore.
16 November: the double return of Christ
“Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” it says in Revelation 22: 20. And yes, of course the believers are preparing for the return of Christ. But which one? Because there are two aspects to Christ’s return.
On the one hand, there is the rapture of the bridal congregation to the Lord in heaven for the marriage feast. This community will experience the presence of God there and a bliss that is unrivalled. The second return is the Lord’s appearance with the bridal congregation on earth to establish the kingdom of peace. Evil will be bound then and divine standards will apply. More answers will be given on the third Sunday in November.
23 November: new creation in the making
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes,” it says in Revelation 21: 4. The service on the fourth Sunday of the month will go a little further, in fact, right into the new creation. Communion with God will be immediate and eternal. His final “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21: 5) means that every individual will feel accepted, whole, and healed.
But is this more than just a hope? Through the sacraments, God brings about the renewal of humankind. And so, the signs of the new creation are evident where people act out of pure love, where peace is made, and reconciliation is sought.
30 November: when the light dawns
The perfect ending is followed by anticipation of a new beginning because the fifth Sunday in November is already the first Sunday of Advent. The divine service will approach Advent from the perspective of the Old Testament.
Darkness reigns. But a light will arise. And all darkness must dissipate. This is what Isaiah 60: 2–3 promises the Israelites returning home from Babylonian captivity. And this is what the Christmas message of the birth of the Saviour proclaims. This is what our hope in the return of Jesus heralds: a radical change not only for the better, but for the best.
Photo: Nur – stock.adobe.com