News of wars, natural disaster, and human suffering greets us every evening, without
fail. Where is God in this? Does God not see? Jesus warns his disciples of the temple’s
destruction, and worse, yet to come. Indeed, God in Christ does see what human
beings are doing to one another. It is we who cannot stand to look, listen, or respond to
the fires, the famines, the faces of suffering around us. And yet, and yet. Jesus comes
among us to announce God is near at hand, God’s gracious will is carrying forth, God’s
reign unfolds in our very midst. God is with us in the midst of earthquake, flood,
homelessness and hopelessness. As the fig tree comes into blossom, so the ministry of
fellow believers serves as sign of new life to us. The coming of God’s reign isn’t going to
look like yesterday. We wait with prayer and expectation. Christ is coming soon.

Preacher: Pam Russell
Sermon begins at minute marker 5:38
 Mark 13.1-8, 24-37

• Image: Photo by Federica Gioia on pexels.
• Voices Together 319, Stay With Me the Night Has Come. Music: Welsh traditional. Text: David Bjorlin (USA), © 2016 GIA Publications, Inc. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.