Psalm 90:11 “The years of our lives are but three score and ten. With a reasoned strength, four score. But all the span of our lives is toil and trouble, and then they are gone, and we fly away.”

The psalmist knows what we all know, that life is fleeting, that we are mortal, that 70 years in eternity flies away, like a mist on a blade of grass in the morning, the sun shines and the mist disappears. Sadly, most folks are but waiting for the other shoe to drop, another vacation, another New Year, another drink, another smoke, another game, another lottery ticket, another sigh, another breath, then life is no more.

Breaking into our revelry is the Word of God, transcendence, love, beauty, truth, and goodness, saying “I have called you by name, you are mine, come, God’s time is at hand, the kingdom of God has arrived, stop chasing your tail, turn, go in the direction of God in Christ Jesus.”

For our anniversary last week Kate and I went to see Terrence Malick's film "The Tree of Life.” As we were walking out after the show a woman said to her friend, “Well, this is certainly one I won’t recommend to anyone.” It would have been useless for me to have called out to her and remonstrate on this film’s beauty. (There is a rabbinic saying that for those with imagination God told stories, to the rest he made up rules.) But whatever it was that divided us I was privileged to enter into a place this woman could not, or would not go.

I highly recommend this movie with the admonition to go into it with Wordsworth’s “suspension of disbelief.” And what I hope happens to you is that you enter a vision of profound love and beauty, of tears, of joy. I, for one, think that The Tree of Life is very similar to the book of Job, as it moves through the question of suffering and righteousness in eternity.

In the movie the spiritual nature of suffering is presented as play between nature and grace. Nature is unforgiving, grace is forgiving. Our suffering is not resolved, nor could it be. But therein, between nature and grace is beauty, love, and freedom to say yes, to transcend one’s own finitude, to realize a spiritual evolution unto eternal life.

As I begin my sixth year at Minburn I give thanks to God for you and for the community of faith that allows us to enter again and again into the transcendence of God in Christ Jesus through worship. There is nothing in all of eternity more to be desired than to know Jesus Christ, to share the cross of his suffering, to speak the word of love to all that we see, to hear once more the old, old story. I just wish everyone could see it, don’t you?

After Jesus death and resurrection people asked the Apostle, “What then shall we do?” The answer is the same today: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. That is transcendence. The love of God, the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you, now and forever.

I remain, Yours in Christ.

“Go with the flow, roll with the punches, proclaim Jesus Christ, support your local churches."

Pastor Al Milligan
515-971-4607 / Email: pastoral@minburnumc.org