The four of us (office manager/unofficial deaconess and three pastors) have begun to meet for an hour on Thursday mornings. We each share something we've enjoyed from Scripture in the last few days. Then we spend most of the hour praying.
This morning the last prayer used the phrase "so that we will be ready". This phrase would not have startled any 1st century Christian. However I noticed it because I can't remember when I last heard it. Several decades ago a popular Christian song plaintively repeated "I wish we'd all been ready." I think there was more talk about the return back then.
Being ready is a theme of a few of Jesus' parables. The owner is coming back. The bridegroom will arrive and the doors will be closed. Jesus promised to return. He warned us to be ready. But I suspect that I and millions like me often fail to reckon on "being ready" for the return of Jesus.
I wonder what might happen if we Christians replaced our normal greetings of "Hello, how are you?" with an occasional: "Hello, are you ready? Ready for His return?"
I remember decades ago reading of a Christian who began every day as part of His morning prayer: "Will it be today?" and ended his day by asking: "Will it be tonight?"
We are closer to the return of Christ than He was! We need to be ready.
This morning the last prayer used the phrase "so that we will be ready". This phrase would not have startled any 1st century Christian. However I noticed it because I can't remember when I last heard it. Several decades ago a popular Christian song plaintively repeated "I wish we'd all been ready." I think there was more talk about the return back then.
Being ready is a theme of a few of Jesus' parables. The owner is coming back. The bridegroom will arrive and the doors will be closed. Jesus promised to return. He warned us to be ready. But I suspect that I and millions like me often fail to reckon on "being ready" for the return of Jesus.
I wonder what might happen if we Christians replaced our normal greetings of "Hello, how are you?" with an occasional: "Hello, are you ready? Ready for His return?"
I remember decades ago reading of a Christian who began every day as part of His morning prayer: "Will it be today?" and ended his day by asking: "Will it be tonight?"
We are closer to the return of Christ than He was! We need to be ready.
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