November 14, 2004

Mindekirken Nov. 14, 2004
Pastor Jens Arne Dale

Revelation 21:22-27

Have you ever been to Norway in the spring and seen the seventeenth of May parade? Children and adults wear their best clothes, and with waving flags and cheering hurrahs they celebrate the constitution. In the book of Revelation Christian hope is described in beautiful pictures.

One of these pictures reminds me of the seventeenth of May parade. It’s told about the city of God, the new Jerusalem. A parade of all peoples of the earth will approach the city and walk through the gate. People will bring into the city the glory and the honor of the nations, the text says.

It doesn’t look like the 1^st of May parade at the Red place. There the parade consists of tanks, rockets and soldiers. It’s a demonstration of military power and political influence. And it’s not similar to the Romans’ triumphant march through the arch of triumph where looted assets and captives from conquered nations were on display. Maybe it will be more like the opening ceremony of the Olympic games. All peoples are represented. The parade displays joy, peace and celebration.

When I was a kid, I got to participate in the thanksgiving feast at the church. We went in a procession and brought potatoes, carrots, apples and cabbage into the sanctuary. Then we thanked God for everything that grows in the field. But it’s not only the harvest of the farmland that’s God’s gift to us.

What about the Eiffel tower, Holmenkollen and the Minneapolis skyline? I don’t say we should try to bring it into the church, but isn’t man God’s trusted and co-creator? Don’t we feel God’s finger when we listen to Beethoven’s ninth or look at Leonardo DaVinci’s Mona Lisa? And what about the wonders of technology and the progress of medicine? Are not all the achievements of the human culture ultimately God’s gifts? People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.

Christian hope is not about the evacuation of the soul to a heavenly realm, far away from all things which are earthly, sinful and evil. No, the earth and all in it belongs to God. It’s not inferior, nor should it be despised. When God one day will make everything new, it doesn’t mean he will throw this world in the rubbish dump.

Just the opposite, God will renew and cleanse what he once created, and make it perfect as it once was in his mind. In this, there is an enormous acknowledgement of what is created, the fruit of our labor. It is God’s recognizing smile at a culture which in spite of all its weakness has provided life and growth in this world. On these premises Christianity is a remarkable earthly religion.

When the Norwegian section of the heavenly parade will come, and all our glory and honor will be brought into the city, I envision people in bunads, dancing to the music of hardanger fiddles. Some carry the dramas of Ibsen which penetrate so deep into the human mind. Even the Scream of Edward Munch has been found again. The Viking ships and the dragon heads of the stave churches compete for attention with the oil platforms of the North Sea. And who knows, maybe the whole parade smells of lutefisk? Don’t we thank God for salmon and lefsa and all other good stuff on our table?

When we celebrate Stewardship Sunday today, I envision that as a rehearsal of the parade we read about in today’s text. We offer with joy and thanksgiving what God has first given us – ourselves, our time, our possessions, signs of his gracious love. That’s also the perspective when we today offer our "estimate of giving cards". We belong to God with everything we have, and offer what is his. We renew our dedication to his service.

Koffi’s paintings which decorate the church today are inspired by Bible texts which underline what we talk about today.

Psalm 19:2 The heavens tell God’s glory, and the firmament reveals of the work of God’s hands. We have the fall sky over Minnesota today. It’s different from the light and warmth of summer. But the display of seasons, the beauty of nature, and the change between day and night tell us about God as creator.

Song of Solomon 1:5 I am black, but lovely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, I am like the tents of Kedar, and the tent curtains of Salomon. In Chad, where Koffi comes from, this text is often interpreted in terms of race. I am black, but lovely. It’s a joyful verse which boosts self-esteem. Originally, black referred to being sunburned. The words originate from a culture where it was important to protect oneself from the sun.

But even if one got sunburned, one couuld be beautiful. Applied to us; Even if I have gotten more wrinkles over the years, I may be beautiful. My body may be old, but I may still enjoy it. The Song of Solomon is a wonderful description of the sensual love between a male and female. And the message is that it’s not only the youth who may enjoy the body.

This is a liberating text for us who are living in a culture where the demanding body ideal of the commercials is prevailing. The tents of Kedar and Solomon might have made one think of gracious lines and female beauty. But how would you ladies have reacted to being complimented in this way: You look like a tent!

I am suspicious that the tent curtains of Kedar might not have been that elegant. But the point might be to enjoy the body and sensuality regardless of the beauty ideal. You sense rain and sun on your skin. Physical touch and eye contact are good. Traditionally the church has some times linked body with warning against immorality in a way that has suppressed the joy of life. But our body isn’t inferior. Every Sunday we confess the resurrection of the body. Paul says: Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Rom 12.2. Enjoy your body. With your body you serve the Lord.

Psalm 23.16 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. God hears their cries. The righteous stand here as a contrast to the evildoers. This is all about being g good stewards. The righteous are people who are friendly to others, who fulfill their obligations towards family, friends and community. In this connection you should be confident that you’re among the righteous. This text is about living the good life. It’s not a text regarding us as sinful. God has given us a fabulous gift by the fact that we’re basically people of good will.

At an Olympic opening ceremony history and mythology are sometimes featured. When people will bring into the city of God the glory and the honor of the nations, I envision that great human achievements will be displayed. Maybe Nelson Mandela’s fight for equal rights for the races in South Africa will be dramatized. The Jesus who praised the peacemakers will receive as an offering all the effort which has been done in order to create reconciliation and peace in this world. God will be honored by the fight for justice, by food and clothes brought to the needy ones, by comfort given to the grieving and sick ones.

To be a good steward means to live as if one already participated in the great parade where people bring all the glory and honor of the nations into the city of God. God receives our gifts, and he blesses our work.

Glory be to God, The Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church ·  924 E. 21st St, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2952 ·  (612)874-0716