UPWARD: From the End to the Complete

  “…when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end” (1 Corinthians 13:10, NRSV.) 

I remember the first time I saw them in college. They wore denim overalls, had long beards, and brought their own sound equipment. One could easily mistake them for a ZZ Top cover band, but their message was filled with brimstone and fire. Several of them had sandwich board signs hanging around their necks announcing all the things God hated with “selective” Scripture passages. They stood in the middle of Speaker’s Circle every Wednesday morning shouting at coeds making their way to their next class. They said many scary things, but their main message was, “The End is Near.” Most people walked on by ignoring their condemnation, but a few would stop and engage them in arguments. For all their effort, I don’t believe any souls were saved in the center of the Mizzou campus. I’ve seen similar displays in California, Alabama, and throughout Missouri. Perhaps, you’ve encountered them too. Every bullhorn blazing sermon announcing the end is nigh. This message stuck with me for many years. I don’t know if it was the repetition or my internal dread, but my spirit lived in fear of the end (whatever that might be.) 

I remember the first time I received the theologicalantidote to this toxic theology. I was a second semester seminarian sitting in my New Testament class. The professor’s lecture, “What Does Revelation Really Reveal”walked students through the history, meaning, and misuse of the apocalyptic text. He reminded us the Bible never talks about the “end” of time; it only speaks about its completion. Jesus tells the disciples he did not come to end the law; he came to complete it. His message was not abolition, it was fulfillment. I felt the scales falling from my eyes and the weight lifted from my spirit. I didn’t have to fear the end of things; I could look forward to the completion of God’s work.

I hope you remember this good news as we make our way into a new month together. We are celebrating the completion of several important seasons here at St. Mark. On June 8, we concluded our 40-day journey for our UPWARD Capital Campaign with our Celebration Sunday. I am excited to announce we already have financial commitments for over one-third of the total cost of the projects. This is an exciting time in the life of our congregation. On Sunday, June 15, we will celebrate the completion of Pastor MP’s service in our community of faith. We are so thankful for the past five-and-a-half years and pray God’s blessing on this next chapter. I hope you will join us for these important celebrations.

 In Hope and Confidence, 

Pastor Dave