Dcn Anne Strong

“But we do not want you to be uninformed brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you will not grieve about those who have died as others do………”

Hello Sisters and brothers: through the years debates have raged about if and when Jesus will return to gather up the saints. Timing is also part of the question. There are many books written on this and, as you can imagine, facts and opinions vary.

When I was in high school this became an area of interest for me. As I recall, the millennium theory was popular as to “timing”. The rapture theory produced visual effects of Christians in clouds; planes falling from the sky and cars off the road due to no pilots or drivers.

Paul addresses the fate of the Thessalonians saying that they need not grieve as if there is no hope. As Christians, they can hold on to Jesus' death and resurrection. Not to worry….God will bring the dead with Jesus.

Paul goes on to say that the lord will issue the command and with archangels and trumpets sounding, Jesus will descend and meet the dead in Christ who will rise first.

“Take aways” from this reading for me are: that death will not have the last word. And Paul asks that we all encourage each other with these words of hope in the resurrection.

“the fairest thing we experience is the mysterious.” he “who knows it not, who can no longer wonder, can no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed out candle.” Albert Einstein

—Anne Strong