Imagine a natural disaster (fire, flood, tornado) approaches your home. You have five minutes to grab what is most precious to you before your home is destroyed. What would you take? Write an essay using appropriate grammar and mechanics to justify each item you took the time to retrieve prior to fleeing your home.
Just kidding - but this is an actual writing prompt I used to give my students early on in a school year to assess their ability to organize an essay, express their thoughts, and justify their opinions. I did this assignment for years until I got tired of reading the value and importance of teenagers' cell phones. I even tried once to forbid them from writing about a cell phone. Their general inability to think of anything else they valued other than their phone made me sad.
I always modeled an assignment before I turned the kids loose. They never understood two of the items I wrote about - my grandmother Files’ embroidery scissors and my grandmother Lanier’s wedding ring. Why in the world would I grab those and not my cell phone, right ?!?
I have no memory of my grandmother Files’ hands ever being idle. Whether she was cooking a delicious meal, or gardening, or creating masterful embroidery work, she personified perpetual motion. When her eyesight began to fail, she purchased a lightied ring magnifying glass so she could continue to do her needlework. And what always sat on her end table beside her chair? Her embroidery scissors.
My grandmother Lanier was the only babysitter I ever had. In her eyes, I could do no wrong. I spent so many hours at her house watching the Price is Right, walking to the Holsum Bakery Store, or sitting under her kitchen table after I raided her cookie jar. I remember her hand in mine and her little gold wedding band I would twirl around her finger.
The scissors and ring are more than just a pair of scissors and a ring - they represent my grandmothers, and the extraordinary humans that they were. I guess I could say that when I was little, I worshiped them.
Have you thought of the things you would grab from your home and why?
Revelation 5: 1-14 is all about what is worthy of our worship. I know I get caught up in the stresses of everyday life, and I do not focus much attention on what I am actually giving my attention and praise.
When John has the vision of the Throne Room of God, a “mighty angel with a loud voice shouted, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’” Revelation 5: 2 CSB John’s reaction to the question caused him to “weep and weep because no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even look at it.” verse 3. John had no idea what the scroll contained, but he knew enough about scrolls to recognize the importance and agonize that it could not be opened.
Remember this vision is taking place over a thousand years before Gutenberg set the first pages to print. Scrolls were commonly used to record important government and religious documents. Some were small. Some were huge. But rarely did they write on both sides. Too much room for error - Ink bleeding through the parchment. One side smudged to illegibility if the other side was written on too soon before the ink dried. Inability to read correctly because text was read right to left, and how did a reader know which side was up or down? So when John records this scroll had writing on both sides, that was an unheard of supernatural feat in and of itself! John intuitively knew how important this document was and wept because no one could read it.
But… “one of the twenty-four elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Look, the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered so that he is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” verse 5.
We’ve talked about before that the American Church really has no idea what persecution for believing in Christ is really like. But for the people of John’s day, the symbolism of his vision of Jesus held particular weight.
First, the references to the Lion of Judah and the Root of David go back to Old Testament scripture regarding the coming Messiah. This reminded the people of the day that Jesus truly was the promised one - the holy conqueror. Second, “One like a slaughtered lamb” verse 6 provided the reference to the Israelites’ deliverance from bondage in Egypt. All the Jewish festivals that revolved around the sacrificial lamb - the one without blemish - came to an end when Jesus paid the final sacrifice with His own blood to wash us clean of our sin once and for all time.
Third, “He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth.” verse 6. This is typical Revelation that sometimes causes people to roll their own set of eyes and quit even trying to find sense. Some commentaries say the horns represent strength. Others say that many of the idols of the ancient pantheon of gods had horns and many eyes. Maybe this vision places Jesus above all the other so called gods of the day. No one really knows, but it is known that seven represents wholeness and completeness - perfection. Jesus is the perfect living sacrifice who was slain in the final act that allowed humanity to be reunited with our Holy Creator. The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Finally, Jesus stood in the center of the Throne Room of God. And what response did creation offer? The voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands. I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! Verses 11 - 14
Think about that. ALL creation worshiped. Everything in heaven, on earth, under the earth and in the sea cried out holy, holy holy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain.
So let’s go back to my writing prompt. What things would you take when disaster is imminent?
All my years of doing this assignment, only one student said - Nothing. He would be grateful to simply have his life. Now maybe he was lazy and didn’t want to write a lengthy descriptive essay, but I don’t think so. This was a kid that knew how to worship. Every aspect of his being radiated joy and gratitude. He was a pleasure to teach and an all around amazing human.
As we head into our Thanksgiving week of food, family, and hopefully fun, how do you worship Jesus? Have you ever even thought about worshiping him? Is worship an occasional Sunday event? Is worship a Sunday only agenda, but the rest of the week is for doing things your way? Is worship a way to start your day then proceed with business as usual? Or is worship a constant posture of praise recognizing He is the one thing, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" Verse 12.
The world may tell us to seek power and riches, value wisdom and strength, and strive for honor, glory, and blessing. But in the end, Jesus is the only one who is worthy. Really focus this week on being grateful for His sacrifice and all the other trials of this life will fade in the light of His glory. And remember to pray and give Him thanks because, “Each elder had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Verse 8. Our prayers of Thanksgiving are a pleasing aroma to Christ our Lord. Thanks be to God.
So Will I by Hillsong United - 100 Billion Reasons to Worship!
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