Someone took a calculator and multiplied 150 by 52. The result led to my sermon yesterday. I was in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, for the 150th anniversary of St. Paul Lutheran Church. 150 years times 52 weeks per year equals 7,800 weeks in the history of that church. Much happened in those many weeks, but one thing was consistent. Every Sunday the last word worshippers heard was the benediction. “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” Every Sunday you go home with the face of the Lord upon you.
But now it’s Monday. Who’s in your face? A coworker gets in your face and takes away your peace? Is it someone in school, in the neighborhood, even in church who gets in your face and takes away your peace? I was in the St. Louis airport, standing, and noticed a row of seats. 8 of the 10 people had their face in their cell phone. Screen time can take away your peace. Think about what the news puts in your face: Putin, Hurricane Ian, Trump or Biden, whichever one you love to hate. We left church yesterday with the face of God upon us, but we let so many other things get in our face and take away our peace.
Have you looked out at the nighttime sky? Jupiter is shining bright, “only” 59 million miles away. Last week NASA crashed a probe into an asteroid, “only” 7 million miles away. Closer to home, “only” one million miles away the James Webb Space Telescope is giving us photos of galaxies never seen by us earthlings. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). So, I cannot begin to imagine what “the face of God” looks like, but God has given us an image, a relatable way to know our great, mysterious Creator. “God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). Every time over those 7,800 weeks, every time you leave church, when the pastor has pronounced the benediction, “Jesus Christ is in your face.” May that give you peace today.
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