Pastor Steve's Weekly Letter for Wednesday, July 11, 2019

A couple weeks ago I installed a new dishwasher. Our old one had worn out. The install went smoothly, and I felt a sense of satisfaction. The new dishwasher worked beautifully. The task took a relatively brief amount of time to complete—even if it took me twice as long as a professional (although I’m certain the contractor built the cabinets around the dishwasher!). I felt the satisfaction of a task finished successfully in a short time with great results. Often, I wished the Christian life worked like this. But it doesn’t. It is a slow, arduous, messy process. To borrow a phrase from Eugene Peterson, it requires a long obedience in the same direction. Thankfully, the outcome is certain. Philippians 1:6 says: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Quite frankly, I would like to be a completed project now. I’d like the same for you—the people whom I serve as pastor. But we must accept that growth is slow. Hopefully it’s slow and steady. But it will always take a lifetime to reach completion.

One of the blessings of being a “finished project” will be the ability to see face-to-face. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” The first part of the verse contains a difficult word to translate. Several English versions render it as: “For now we see in a mirror dimly” (ESV, NASB, RSV). New Testament scholar Gordon Free points out that the Greek term, which appears only here in the New Testament, means “in a riddle, or figurative way.” The idea is that now we see indirectly or indistinctly—like looking at a reflection in a mirror. Another New Testament scholar, Anthony Thiselton, reminds us that “Corinth produced and exported some good-quality bronze mirrors, by the standards of the day. Polished bronze could provide a fairly good reflection of the person who looked into the mirror.” So the point is not that our present seeing is distorted. Rather, we see indistinctly or indirectly. One day, though, we will have face-to face contact. But with whom?

The day will come when we will see Jesus face-to-face! 1 John 3:2 declares: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” What a day that will be! Throughout Scripture, seeing the face of God is associated with joy (Psalm 16:11), protection (Psalm 31:20), light (Psalm 89:15), and salvation (2 Chronicles 20:9). If you look at any of these statements, you will see the word “presence.” This is the translation of “before the face.” God’s presence, then, is standing before the face of God. Today, God is with us through the Spirit of Jesus. We experience his presence now. But one day, we will experience the unfiltered presence of God. We will see him as he is. That’s a great hope as we go through the day to day slowness of becoming all that God has designed us to be.

Last week, when we were in Washington D.C., we visited the Bible Museum. Several people have asked me what it was like. It was impressive—especially the recreation of a town during Jesus’ day. Honestly, in terms of sheer artifacts from Bible times, nothing compares with the Oriental Institute Museum (OIM) on the campus of the University of Chicago. I’m always willing to take folks from our church on a tour. Besides, the OIM is free! My one complaint about the Bible Museum—at the time—was the lighting. I had trouble seeing the print in some of the Bibles and the scrolls. I figured the lighting was dim in order to protect old Bibles and other artifacts. On the way out, when a museum staff member asked us what we thought about our experience, I almost said something about the lighting. I’m glad I didn’t. When I glanced in a mirror near the exit, I realized I had been wearing my sunglasses the entire time! Someday I’d like to see the displays in normal light. Priscilla and I are going to begin our drive to Denver tomorrow. We’ll spend two weeks there while I work in Denver Seminary’s library. I will take three days off to fly fish!

This Sunday, July 14, is Youth Sunday. Pastor Andy Schmeck and members of Gateway (our high school youth group) will lead our service and report on their missions trip to Monterrey, Mexico. Andy will preach Romans 8:14-17 and focus on God’s adoption of us, his children. Finally, on the family front, I saw this note on our kitchen counter a couple days ago. Our grandson, Blake (8), wrote: “Sorry. Me and Kolby broke the car. We know it is new. From: Blake. To: Aunty Erin.” It turns out that Blake and Kolby had accidentally broken a small piece on their cousin’s toy car. It was hardly noticeable. We (the adults) all agreed that at age 8, we probably would have put the car deep in the toy box so that no one noticed! Anyway, thanks for reading. I’ll see you in a few weeks.

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