[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 20/March/2022]
I wonder what goes through your mind when you hear the word “heaven”. I guess the most commonly used expression of what and where heaven is goes something like… “Heaven is a place where we go when we die.” As to where exactly, most people would probably say, it is very far away, high up in the sky. But are there also times when we glimpse heaven, right here on earth, or will we only see it when we leave our earthly home?
Last Sunday, during our service, I felt like I was experiencing heaven, on earth. It was during a time of worship when we were singing, ‘Father God I Wonder…’, and as we sang the chorus, “I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises, I will sing your praises, forever more”, it’s hard to describe it, but suddenly I was both worshiping on earth at Horley Baptist Church, and yet I was also physically worshiping in the heavenly realms. It was the most beautiful experience, which filled me with happiness and joy, and it also reminded me of two things:
1) Heaven is not some distant place. The space between us on earth and heaven itself, is often described as a “thin place”, one that is so thin we can experience it wherever we are. The Kingdom of Heaven is near.
2) God wants his Kingdom to break out on earth. An online devotional that I found puts it like this: “God desires his Kingdom to invade the earth, and he wants to do it through us, his people”.[1]
And another says, “Much has been written about heaven as a future eternal home. But what if Jesus is more interested in bringing heaven to earth rather than the other way around? That life on earth is renewed every time you live out Jesus’ prayer that God’s ways will be followed on earth. And that what you believe about God’s plan for humanity and for his creation, determines how you will invest your life”.[2]
Last quote: “Truth abides in thin places; naked, raw, hard to face truth. Yet the comfort, safety and strength to face that truth also abides there”.[3]
Come Holy Spirit, come, we are your church, come invade us now!
[1]: first15.org
[2]: Biblegateway.com – Bringing Heaven to Earth
[3]: thinplace.net
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Contributed by Lesley Edwards; © the Author
