For literally centuries, Christian denominations and congregations have celebrated what is called the “Church Year.” Not all celebrate the yearly cycle of the Church Year, but many do. The cycle begins in late November/early December with Advent. From Advent to Christmas to Epiphany to Lent to Easter to Pentecost, the Church Year moves. It culminates in what we will celebrate this weekend – The Last Sunday of the Church Year.
The Last Sunday of the Church Year (and actually the two Sundays preceding it) is intended to give God’s people an opportunity to reflect on the very important fact that this earthly world will end someday and the Lord Jesus Christ will return for the Judgement Day. (Zephaniah 1, Matthew 24-25, 1 Thessalonians 5, and MUCH of the book of Revelation as well as many other places in Scripture indicate this truth.)
God’s Word tells us that the Judgement Day and the days leading up to it will NOT be pleasant. There will be much turmoil and unrest. It will not be an easy time. There will be wars and natural disasters and divisiveness and death.
Sounds a bit like 2020, doesn’t it? Suffice it to say, we’ve experienced all of this so far this year. As God inspired St. Paul to write to the Thessalonians, he addressed the issue of the Last Days and wrote “Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Great advice! In tough times, encouragement is needed. Hard times call for uplifting, not tearing down.
While I have certainly heard some negative talk, I have also heard some encouragement as well. I have heard people trying to stay positive and encourage others that we will get through this. The two most common statements of encouragement I have heard lately follow along these lines: “There will be a vaccine before too long” and “If my political party is in control, we will get through this.”
[Deep Sigh] With as much as I want this virus to be gone and with as much as I loathe and despise the divisiveness in our country, the “words of encouragement” I hear are not truly “words of encouragement.” Will it be great to be over and done with all of what we are going through this year? Absolutely! But every generation has had tough times. We live in a sinful, fallen world. That is not going to change.