Christ the King Lutheran Church - Gladwin, Mi.
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    • Pictorial Directory
    • Contact Us
    • Links
  • Who are We
    • Mission and Vision
    • Staff and Office Hours
    • Church Council
    • History
    • Newsletter
    • Calendar
  • COVID 19 WORSHIP VIDEOS
    • Lenten Madness Monologues
    • Matins with Noodle
    • For the Kids
    • Bulletins
    • Sermon 9-16-19 The Sheep
    • Maria Skobtsova
    • Isidor
    • Elisha
  • Faith Formation
    • Sunday School
    • Christ the King Youth
    • Camping Ministry
    • Kids Club
    • Confirmation
    • Thursday Adult Bible Study
    • Vacation Bible School
  • Ministries
    • Stephen Ministry
    • God's Work Our Hands
    • Quilting
    • Food Distribution
    • Backpacks for kids
    • Prayer Shawl Ministry
    • Parish Nurse
    • Columbarium
  • Worship
    • Schedule of Worship
    • How we worship
    • Children
    • Choir
  • Special Events
    • Pumpkin Farm
    • Christmas Tea
  • Budget
  • Blog
  • Letter from Pastor
  • Masks
  • sermon
  • Audry
  • Rick McCoy
  • Ballot for Church council
  • Holden Prayer 12-23
  • Dec 20 Children's Program
  • Christmas Eve
  • Lenten Service
  • Ash Wednesday
  • Week One February 25, 2021
  • Week Two Lent
  • Lent Week Three
  • Lent Week Four
  • Lent Week Five
  • Good Friday

Clever Words for the Apocalypse

The Apocalypse is nigh and we have the vocab!

11/25/2020

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     One of the lesser appreciated parts of Advent is the eschatological anticipation.  What I mean is, even as the season looks forward to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, it also anticipates Jesus' arrival, his advent, in the here and now. 
      When it comes to the glory of God being revealed or "uncovered" in our own reality, the word we use is apocalypse, ἀποκάλυψις in Greek.  And when we want to get a good dose of apocalypse we go to the Book of Revelation, which is actually a translation of the word apocalypse.  
      In Revelation we are treated to cosmic battles, demonic dragons, and visions of both utter destruction and transformative renewal.  There is life, there is death, and there are demon locusts!
       Yet, even as the Prophet John describes the unmaking of the entire universe, he has a particular group of people in mind, a specific set of congregations: seven churches located in what is now eastern Turkey.  John wrote to these churches because they were in the midst of their own 2020 moment. 
      For these  congregations keeping the faith of Jesus could be dangerous, leading to arrest and trial.  Keeping the faith could also be exhaustingly inconvenient, resulting in economic hardship and cultural isolation.  The churches were growing weary and discouraged.  Being church was no longer a life giving, soul restoring experience for them, it was just plain difficult. 
     In Revelation, John uncovers for these churches the bigger, dare I say cosmic, picture.  But before he begins to paint his vision of demonic tribulation and celestial glory, John addresses each of the churches, offering them encouragement and admonishment.  These addresses all share a similar outline and a number of words show up again and again.  Quite clever words, indeed.
       Since we too find ourselves in days of tribulation and isolation, the Liturgisaur will be examining a number of the words that show up in the first three chapters of Revelation.  On the Tuesdays and Thursdays in Advent this blog will have a new post about a different apocalyptic word accompanied by a devotion.
      I hope you will be able to use these reflections as a spiritual resource as we enter into this season of hope and anticipation.

In Christ,
   Pastor Emily and the Liturgisaur     
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    About the Blog

    In this season of plague, flood, fire, hungry cats, and Advent, we invite you to reflect on the words (such clever words!) of the Prophet John in the book of Revelation.
    Join the Liturgisaur on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Advent for devotions based on the first three chapters of Revelation
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      Perhaps you have encountered the #Liturgisaur on Instagram or Facebook.  He is a small, green, pants wearing, one armed dinosaur who makes the rounds in Gladwin County and beyond, highlighting the various ministries of Christ the King Lutheran Church.   
         The word dinosaur is Greek in origin, a combination of the words  δεινός (terrible or clever) and σαύρα (lizard).  You may have heard about how dinosaur means "terrible lizard," but you probably didn't realize that it can also mean "terribly clever lizard."   And the Litrugisaur is quite clever.  
         This Advent you invited to check into this blog for theological reflections (some clever) and insights from the Liturgisaur and his minder, Pastor Emily Olsen.  We will be focusing on the first few chapters of Revelation, or as they call it in Greek, The Apocalypse. 

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Christ the King Lutheran Church
600 S. M 18 
Gladwin, Mi. 48624
989-426-1659
Pastor Emily Olsen
pastor.ctkinggladwin@gmail.com


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