May 14, 1995	Siblings in God's Family	Revelation 21:1-6

In the Bible, God and heaven are described in a variety of ways. For instance, in Hosea God is described as turning in anger against wickedness like a mother bear bereaved of her cubs. And in Luke 15 Jesus described God as being like a woman who went seeking until she found her silver piece. And in Luke 13 Jesus even compared himself to a mother hen who gathers her chicks under her wings for protection.

It is not surprising, then, that the book of Revelation uses another feminine image to describe heaven as a home-like setting. Rather than being described as a Kingdom where a Masculine King is in charge, heaven, in the 21st chapter of Revelation, is described as being like a bride adorned for her husband, a place where humanity and God may dwell together as a loving and caring family. It is described as being a place of great comfort and love, a place where there will be no more death, and no mourning nor crying nor pain.

Certainly, this image of God's mother-like concern for us is comforting when we consider the fact that so many people find themselves in the midst of brokenness, with deep feelings of rootlessness and loneliness. The question was asked me the other day, "Who do you trust? Do you trust the government? Do you trust the schools? Do you trust the family systems? Do you trust the church?" As I considered this, I had to admit that there were times that I definitely don't trust the government. And there are times when I am, indeed, deeply dissatisfied with the schools. And there are certainly times when I have experienced the brokenness and pain of family concerns. And, yes, there have even been those times when I have not trusted the church.

Most of us have probably found ourselves feeling this sense of brokenness and rootlessness and loneliness from time to time. But, the good news (and the Bible makes this very clear) is that like a loving mother God is at work in our world and in the cosmos, itself, to bring about reconciliation and wholeness and fellowship, once again. God is at work, through the Body of Christ, the Church, to make this happen. And God knows it is a work of love that is desperately needed.

And our scripture lesson tells us that the Kingdom of God is like a bride adorned for her husband. What a wonderful image that is for us to look forward to! God's love for us, God's preparation for us, God's kingdom, is beautiful and loving and awaits us, both in this life and in the next.

I heard the other day that at least one half of all Americans don't have any church connections, at all. What that means is that as we look around us the chances are that five out of ten persons we run into every day don't have a church. We may think that sounds terrible, and it is sad. But, the wonderful thing about this, for us, is the wonderful opportunity we are offered to reach out in love to others. The missionary field that Christ sends us all out on, isn't much farther than our doorstep! We don't have to go very far to be God's missionaries in this world! And the choices that we have to offer people are more profound than perhaps at any other time in history. For, as people find themselves in the midst of brokenness, we have the opportunity to present them with the wholeness of the Family of God. As people find themselves uprooted and mobile, we have the opportunity to present them with the stability of God's love. As people find themselves lonely, we, the family of God, have the opportunity to invite a brother or a sister into our fellowship.

And, again, we can make use of that marvelous image of the Kingdom of God being like a lovely bride prepared for us. And certainly, as we think about God's kingdom this way, in terms of a marriage, we know that God has "family" in mind for us. Indeed, we all have been invited to the table to share in the wedding feast. Like family we can all sit down and call each other "brother" and "sister" when we are members of the kingdom of God.

I know that the Bible talks about how Jesus called God "Father." Nevertheless, there are many instances where God is described as being like a mother, as well. Isaiah 46, verses 3 and 4, for example describe God as being like a mother who not only gives birth to her children, but also takes care of them from birth until old age. Imagine a mother who is like that!

In fact, in the Old Testament there are six words that are used to depict God as present and acting in the world, and all of these words are feminine in gender. "Torah," the word for "teaching," "Chokmah," the word for wisdom, "Shekinah," the word for God's indwelling presence, "Bat kol," the word for God's voice, "Ruah," the word for "Spirit," and "Reham," the word for God's mercy and compassion, are all feminine words. From knowing this we should be reminded that God's love is like that of a gentle, loving, mother, eager to protect and nourish and guide her children. From knowing this we should be reminded that God's motherly love is something that we might also wish to imitate, whether we are mothers or not. From knowing that God has a feminine side, we should know that God must hold a very dear place in his heart for mothers; that being loving and nurturing like a mother is one of the most wonderful things a woman or a man could hope to be.

As I think about God's love this way, as being like the tender, comforting love of a mother, eager to hold her children in her lap, I am reminded of our task as a church. I am reminded of the sinner in need of repentance who need not fear God's wrath, but need only look forward for the forgiving, comforting love of God. And I am reminded of the person who has wanted to live an independent life, away from God, who inspite of having been given life by God, has purposely walked in the other direction, away from God. That person need not fear a vengeful God if he or she would simply turn around and walk towards God, once again. For God receives us with open arms and loving hugs and kisses. Can we believe in a God like that? I can.

I remember a story about an English home in World War I and a widowed mother whose husband only son had died on the battlefields of the Western Front. The widowed mother would not be consoled. She had a bitterness about her that was made all the worse because she had a neighbor with five sons, all of whom had come back from the war safely.

One night the widowed mother had a dream. In the dream an angel appeared to her and said, "You may have your dear son for ten minutes. At what period of his life do you wish him to return to you? As a cooing babe upon your bosom, as a little chubby- fisted, starry-eyed toddler about your feet, or as a little lad starting school, a youth just completing his course in school, or the young soldier in his brave new uniform with the shining brass buttons, journeying away to the battlefield?"

The mother meditated a bit, then replied, "I want him back, not on none of these occasions. I think I would like best his return when once I told him sternly that he couldn't have something he had wanted. In a fit of anger he cried out, 'I hate you — I don't like you any more, and I won't stay with you,' then rushed away into the garden. When his anger had subsided, he came back to me, his grimy, wistful face stained with tears, and, holding out his little arms, with quivering lip he said; 'Muvver, I'm so sorry I was a naughty boy. I won't be bad any more ever. I love you and want you to hug me again.'" Looking at the angel in her dream the widowed mother pleaded, "Give him back to me and let me feel him clinging close to me while he sobs his little heart out in repentance and love. That's when I loved him the best."

Certainly, God always loves us. But, somehow I feel that God, like that loving mother, has the greatest joy when we are gathered around God's table in repentance, admitting our need for God's hug.

Are we ready for that gentle embrace? Certainly it comes to us as we gather in worship. God's motherly embrace comes to us as we experience the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in Christ. God's motherly embrace comes to us as we reach out in service to others. And as God embraces us we are reminded of the promise: "God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more."

God is working on the problems of our world, the problems of rootlessness, of brokenness, of loneliness. Like a loving mother, God struggles with us to make us all that we were meant to be and gives birth to opportunities for us to be nourished together in a heavenly love. Let us yield ourselves to the One who brings connectedness, and wholeness, and family into our lives, again.

Amen.