Reflections on Endings and Beginnings, Part 2

Last week I wrote about graduations and commencement ceremonies.  Two other kinds of beginnings and endings have been in my mind recently.

According to one well-publicized account, May 21 should have been the Grand Commencement Day for everyone, when the rapture occurred and we experienced the end of the world.  To the best of my knowledge, that did not happen.  I don’t know about you, but predictions like that make me squirm uncomfortably.  It appears to add credibility to the position of those who reject or even mock Christianity while contributing to a growing skepticism about the claims of scripture among who haven’t examined the Bible closely for themselves.

So, what does the Bible really teach?  In short: Jesus is coming again and the world will end some day, but the exact timing is patently unknowable.  Although the Bible offers clues and signs, there is no precise timetable or hidden mathematical puzzle. When talking about the end times, Jesus said clearly, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” and as a result it is important to “keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:36, 42). 

The prediction about May 21 did serve a profitable purpose for me... it reminded me to think about people I knew who do not know the Lord.  I hope it did that for you, too.  Even though Jesus didn’t come on that day, He is coming, and when He arrives nothing else will matter to anyone except “Do I know Jesus?” and “Is He my Savior and Lord?”  Very close to each of our hearts should be the desire to pray and SHARE Christ with others so that they can be ready, too (1 Peter 2:9-12)... which leads to my next thoughts about beginnings and endings.

Whether we live until the second coming of Christ or not, one day we will each see Jesus face to face and our mortal existence will transform into an immortal one.  As a pastor, I have had the unique privilege to minister to a large number of individuals and families after their loved one has died, including several over the past few weeks and another service this Friday.  It is never easy, but I can say with confidence that it makes a difference when those involved know that this “end” is not “the end.” 

When someone knows and trusts in the Lord, there is a peace that comforts through the emptiness and pain of loss.  There is an understanding that a holy graduation has been observed by us and presided over by the Lord.  It truly is another kind of “Commencement” – a beginning even more profound and real than an ending – and whether deceased or surviving, each person involved has the opportunity to participate in a new adventure with God.  Death brings the end of a chapter, and it can feel dark and as though everything is finished, but it is not even remotely close to the end of the book that God is writing.[1] 

May God help you to feel His comfort and peace during times of loss, to sense His presence in all your new beginnings, and remind you to reach out to SHARE and SERVE others so that they can have the opportunity to be ready for their ultimate graduation!

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[1] We have a great ministry here at Rose Drive Friends Church called our, “Grief Support Group.”  They meet regularly during two long seasons of the year and have provided much-needed support and encouragement for many.  If you’d like more information you could call our church office at (714) 528-6496, email me at jiml@rdf.org or respond to this post.

Reflections on Endings and Beginnings, Part 1

This is graduation season.  Thousands of people all over the country are celebrating as they cross an educational finish line.  Multiplied more friends and family cheer loudly at the graduation ceremonies as their loved one’s name is mentioned and they watch them walk, jump, and/or fist-pump their way across a stage to shake hands, receive a diploma (or a representation thereof), and have their picture taken.

Over the last couple of weeks, I was privileged to be among the cheering, picture-taking throng three times as two of my sons and my daughter-in-law received their degrees: an M.Div., B.A., and a B.S.  respectively.  We are pleased and proud of their academic accomplishments and even more so at the people that God has shaped them to be.  I imagine that I am not alone.  As I watched many families blow their air horns, hand out their over-sized balloons, and buy over-priced commemorative T-shirts (oh, wait, I did that, too), I know that many people are thrilled and excited for their loved one and this milestone in their life.

Typically, we call that gathering for the conferring of degrees a Commencement ceremony.  It is a reminder that this event is not the end.  It does mark the conclusion of something, but it boasts more profoundly a new beginning.  Rather than a depressing dirge, Pomp and Circumstance is played – a victorious march that symbolizes both solemnity, success, and a hope for the future.  One chapter closes while the next one opens.  For many of these newest alumni, financial and vocational uncertainty creates new pressures and fears. However, for followers of Christ, the spot on the stage where the handshake occurs can become the doorstep for fresh adventures, opportunities to trust God in new ways, and untold possibilities for being used by Him and for Him.  Once again, there is an occasion to discover that God is faithful throughout the entire story of life, not just in one of the chapters.

The truth is, every day is a Commencement Day.  Every day can be a fresh start... a new opportunity to trust the Lord, to follow Him, to recalibrate our priorities to Worship, Connect, Grow, Serve and Share.  I know I don’t always live that way, but what a difference that would make!  What hope that could bring! 

May God help us to trust Him in all of our endings, beginnings, and everything in between.