all who gather there / by grace draw near

This past Sunday, our church talked a lot about fellowship, and worship, and the marriage supper of the Lamb. And in chapel this morning, something new about heaven struck me. I’ve always known that heaven would be wonderful because Christ would be there, and there would be no more pain, and no more sorrow, and our entrance into eternal life would at last have been achieved. But I never paused to wonder what relationships with each other would be like. Until this morning.

Pause with me for just a moment, friends, and consider the beauty of worship in heaven. On this earth, we battle for love, and strive for unity. But there, we will be perfectly united in one telos, unending in our affections for one another and our King. We will know as we are known, and this knowledge will permeate our entire being, as “perfect love casts out fear.”

One of the shortest little Psalms reads, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” (Psalm 133)

The mountains of Zion are bought with the blood of the Lamb. And when His blood has poured over us, the precious ointment of unity will flood our souls.
Paul talks about the struggles we will face on this earth, but he promises a hope-filled end. For now, we are “forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph. 4:2b-3) Last time I checked, “endeavor” was a pretty strong verb, implying a lot of work and effort. But here’s the end: “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children . . . But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ . . .” (Eph. 4:13-15).

Friends, we often talk about living in light of eternity. Keep doing it; keep pressing on. And for now, embrace a little more of the beauty of worship. Lay aside the burdens of your imperfections and others’ flaws. Love one another fully, serve daily, lay down your life without a second thought. Fight to restore what’s been broken, for Christ is coming soon, and on that day, what is will be restored to what ought to be.

Can’t wait to worship with you all on that shore!