2nd, 3rd or 4th
Michaelmas Sunday
Revelation 19, 11-16
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| Artist unknown |
And I saw the heavens opening
up. And behold, a white horse! And the rider who sat upon it is called faithful
and true, who judges justly and battles for justice. His eyes are like flames
of fire, and his head wears many crowns, inscribed with a name which no one
knows but he himself. The cloak that
covers him has been dipped in blood, and he is known by the name “Word of God”.
And the warriors of the sky
ride behind him upon white steeds, clad in clean, white linen. And he has a
sharp-edged sword coming out of his mouth with which to subdue the nations, and
he will shepherd them with a staff of iron. He treads on the winepress holding
the wine of the wrath of the will of God, the ruler of all.
And written on his cloak and
on his thigh is the name: King of all kings, Lord of all lords.
4th Michaelmas
October 25, 2015
Revelation19: 11 – 16
In the picture language of
Revelation we see a rider on a white horse. His name is ‘Word of God’. We are
shown this word as a sharp double edged sword. This sharp sword subdues
nations, that is, it blunts the fury of nationalism. And it protectively guides
the nations of humanity in the direction they need to go, with the upright iron
staff of spiritual strength.
The rider and his hosts precede the harvest the souls
of nations. He treads the winepress, crushing their historical deeds and
extracting the wine of their useful essence.
Such harvesting of souls may feel like wrath being visited upon us. But it
is the necessary accompaniment to the activity of the Word of God, the Giver of
Life, he who bears and creates order in the life of the world.
The father has created us for
a purpose. From time to time the old, the useless, the deadwood must be
removed, so that intended life can move forward. Life cannot just keep piling
up; in order to make room for new life, the old forms must be broken.
The fact is, we are food for
God and the angels. They helped plant us on the earth; they have nourished and
sustained us through all our growth and life changes. They have the hope, the
expectation of a harvest from their unceasing work. A harvest of reverence, a
harvest of love, a harvest of conscientious deeds. It is from the harvest of our deeds that they will give us new life in the future. So in the words of the poet:
Let us now form roots and stem,
Leaf upon leaf, a crown and
blossoms --
For does not wine bloom?
Wine, bees, and vintner, the
ground too,
On which the wheat surges toward
bread:
The Four Kingdoms of Earth
Prepare the Way-Bread for
healing.
Let us now harvest and press,
Let us grind and bake
And consecrate everything that
needs it.
Then Man the Consecrated
approaches the Grave-Table,
And with him the folk and the
circle
Experience creating the Open
Secret
That He gives to them time upon
time.[1]
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