Advent Two

John Cleese (yes, the British comedian of Faulty Towers fame) has a great interest in near-death experiences.

He says he finds that people who dismiss them have not read the literature.

This goes for religious experiences in general.

A grieving father shared this with me:

Remember that fire we had over here last year. My little nine-year-old girl died in that blaze.

She was all I had.

I couldn’t eat or sleep. Couldn’t work. I grieved till I thought I would die.

One day I wandered back into the rubble of the place we had lived. I sat down in the midst of the rubble. The sorrow was heavy on me.

But then I felt a presence—a power—like a million volts of electricity. I felt it could blow up the world, but it was full of love.

The love surrounded me, and I heard a voice.

The voice from the power said, ‘Your little girl is safe and well. She is with me.’ And the power began to let me go. My heart was changed. I still hurt, but I do not hurt like I used to.

I know a thousand stories like that. They point to a personal God who cares about our pain.

But how many such stories do you know?

I was guest preacher in a church some years ago. I talked about religious experiences.

A woman said to me as she was leaving, “Pastor, I’ve been in church all my life. This is the first time I’ve ever heard that God does anything.”

A lot of people believe in a God who doesn’t do anything.

If that’s your God, you’ve been running from reality. It’s time to slow down and take notice.

+++

Christmas Show, Sat. Dec. 16, 6:00 p.m.