December 31: Yearning for Christ's Second Advent
♫ Music:
Day 34 - Friday, December 31
Title: YEARNING FOR CHRIST’S SECOND ADVENT
Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Poetry:
from Four Quartets
by T.S. Eliot
What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make and end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from. And every phrase
And sentence that is right (where every word is
at home,
Taking its place to support the others,
The word neither diffident nor ostentatious,
An easy commerce of the old and the new,
The common word exact without vulgarity,
The formal word precise but not pedantic,
The complete consort dancing together)
Every phrase and every sentence is an end and
a beginning,
Every poem an epitaph. And any action
Is a step to the block, to the fire, down the sea's throat
Or to an illegible stone: and that is where we start.
We die with the dying:
See, they depart, and we go with them.
We are born with the dead:
See, they return, and bring us with them.
The moment of the rose and the moment of the
yew-tree
Are of equal duration. A people without history
Is not redeemed from time, for history is a pattern
Of timeless moments. So, while the light fails
On a winter's afternoon, in a secluded chapel
History is now and England.
With the drawing of this Love and the voice of
this Calling
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Through the unknown, unremembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea.
Quick now, here, now, always--
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flames are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.
YEARNING FOR CHRIST’S SECOND ADVENT
Last week I ran my first 5K. I didn’t run alone; I had two friends to run alongside. One friend set the pace and the other kept the conversation going. Without these ladies and their individual skills, I would not have completed the race, let alone enjoyed it. Lining the streets throughout the race were well-wishers, complete strangers who were encouraging us to persevere with shouts of, “Keep going!,” “You can do it!” and the most delightful, “It’s downhill just around the corner!” At significant moments in the race one friend’s husband appeared to cheer us on and the familiar face was the additional motivation that we needed to run another mile. As we approached the final straight, the crowds were thicker and I spotted my family, “Go Mama, go!” What a cloud of witnesses to see us over the finish line!
Our Bible passages today use this same race analogy – pressing forward to run the race marked for us, casting off hindrances because of the example of Jesus. Take a look at today’s painting, the full circle of the crown of righteousness waiting for the people of God as they complete the race marked out. This ultimate reward is sure and certain, “laid up for us” by “the Lord, the righteous judge.” Notice how artist Jonathan Howe portrays both Jesus’ suffering and the “joy set before him,” how victory is “in-folded into the crowned knot of fire” (TS Eliot). This is a breathtaking reminder of both the wrath and the mercy of our God who judges with righteousness; as Eliot describes it, “the fire and the rose are one.” Because of Jesus’ obedience and his endurance at the cross, we will “not grow weary or lose heart.” This is our hope, “and all shall be well.” Today, as Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, he is calling us home, not as one unfamiliar with sufferings, but as one who has endured and triumphed.
Listen to today’s music. As you reflect back on the past year with all of its challenges and heartache, all of its joys and celebrations, acknowledge with Eliot that, “The moment of the rose and the moment of the yew-tree are of equal duration.” Praise God for each separately; for the moments of difficulty and the moments of ease, and then praise him for the experience of life combining the two. Thank him for those who have come alongside you as you ran the race of 2021, who have cheered you on through yet one more year, refocusing your gaze on Jesus.
As we consider the past year, we simultaneously look forward to continuing the race in the New Year with a longing for Christ’s second advent. Eliot again,
“What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make and end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from”
The close of one year becomes the opening of another bringing us closer to that second coming of our Lord. As Christians we wait with resurrection hope knowing that death can and will bring life. He will come, we just don’t know when.
At the end of that first 5K race, I remember feeling both exhausted and elated as we crossed the finish line. A line which thirty-four minutes before had been our starting point. We had reached our final destination where our “crowns” were much appreciated: bottles of water, participation medals, and hugs from family and friends. The race had been run; the prizes enjoyed.As you continue to run the race in 2022, may the Lord of all comfort, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you as you press on, ever closer towards your crown of righteousness and may we all be eagerly awaiting his second coming in this New Year.
Prayer:
O IMMORTAL Lord God, who inhabitest eternity, and hast brought thy servants to the beginning of another year: Pardon, we humbly beseech thee, our transgressions in the past, bless to us this New Year, and graciously abide with us all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
–Book of Common Prayer
Devotion Author:
Sian Draycott
Instructor
Torrey Honors College
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, poetry, and devotional writer selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork #1:
Lest Anyone Take Your Crown
Jonathan Howe
2018
Oil on canvas
12 x 12 in.
In 2018, artist Jonathan Howe was walking down the hallway in his home, when he heard the words "that no one may take your crown" ring out in his heart and mind. Feeling that the Holy Spirit was speaking to him, Howe started to research the Scriptures and found the phrase refers to a Scripture found in Revelation 3:11, "Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown." Feeling compelled to share this message to others, Howe created this painting of the crown of thorns to represent a message of perseverance—to withstand and press through life’s inevitable difficulties, trials, and opposition by holding on to the promises of the Lord. Howe writes that “there is great reward to those who follow Christ to the end! God is delighted to place honor on His beloved.”
About the Artist #1:
Jonathan Howe is a professional artist working in many fields of art, including drawing, painting, photography, graphic design, and carving. A graduate of Maryville College, he is devoted to pursuing a career as an artist. Jonathan’s passion lies in the intimate details that form a true likeness in oil portraits and the subtle lighting of rolling landscapes. His portraits show brilliant color and dramatic lighting that capture the personality and display the very soul of his subject in unique masterpieces. His landscapes reveal his love for the outdoors, developed by his many years of hiking the trails of the Great Smoky Mountains and other national parks across the country. Committed to merging art and his faith in Jesus Christ, he and his wife, Sarah, are active in their local church, combining their talents for art and music and their heart to see others come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Other than their work, Jonathan and Sarah enjoy hospitality and taking care of their two daughters, Aidyn and Susanna. "I have always been fascinated by the uniqueness of each human face and the story it tells. The work of portraiture is never dull and each blank canvas is the opportunity for adventure and challenge—the challenge to freeze time, yet show personality and a glimpse into a person's world using color, light and texture. I feel as though I am just beginning to understand the full spectrum and depth of colors and the possibilities they hold. This desire to understand color and light is parallel to my desire to know the very One who created light and color and beauty. Thus, I seek to give Jesus the honor and glory in the art that He lets me create. I believe that drawing and painting with excellence and beauty is part of magnifying His work in creation."
https://www.jonathanhowefineart.com/about
About the Music:
“The Lamb Of God” from the album Greatest Christmas Songs
Lyrics:
Awake! Awake! ye drowsy souls
And hear what I shall tell
Remember Christ, the Lamb of God,
Redeemed our souls from hell.
He’s crowned with thorns, spit on with scorn,
His friends have hid themselves.
So God send you all much joy in the year.
So God send you all much joy in the year.
He’s crowned with thorns, spit on with scorn,
His friends have hid themselves.
So God send you all much joy in the year.
So God send you all much joy in the year.
About the Performer:
Julie Andrews, DBE (b. 1935), is a beloved English actress, singer, and author. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, she has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and six Golden Globe Awards. Andrews was made a Disney Legend in 1991, and has been honored with a Honorary Golden Lion as well as the AFI Life Achievement Award. In 2000, Andrews was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the performing arts. Andrews, a child actress and singer, made her Broadway debut in The Boy Friend (1954). She rose to prominence starring in Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady (1956) and Camelot (1960). In 1957, Andrews starred in the premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's written-for-television musical Cinderella, a live CBS network broadcast seen by over one hundred million viewers. Andrews made her feature film debut in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins (1964) and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the title role. The following year she starred in the musical film The Sound of Music (1965), in which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. Between 1964 and 1986, Andrews starred in various films working with directors including her husband, Blake Edwards; George Roy Hill; and Alfred Hitchcock. From 2001 to 2004 Andrews starred in The Princess Diaries (2001) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). Apart from her musical career, she is also an author of children's books and has published two autobiographies, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years (2008) and Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years (2019).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Andrews
About the Composer/Lyricist:
“The Lamb Of God” is a traditional English folk song arranged by André Previn.
André George Previn, KBE (1929–2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. Before the age of twenty, Previn began arranging and composing for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and would be involved in the music of more than fifty films for which he won four Academy Awards and ten Grammy Awards, and, in addition, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. He served as music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra (1967–1969), principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra (1968–1979), music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (1976–1984), conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1985–1989), chief conductor of the Royal Philharmonic (1985–1992), and chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic (2002–2006).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Previn
About the Poet:
T. S. Eliot (1888–1965), one of the twentieth century's major poets, was also an essayist, publisher, playwright, and literary critic. Born in Missouri to a prominent family, he moved to England in 1914 where he settled, worked, and became a British subject. It was poet Ezra Pound, in his role as a friend and editor, who helped establish Eliot as a preeminent figure in the modernist poetic movement, particularly through his editorial assistance onThe Waste Land (1922). With its collage of voices, its violent disjunctions in tone and wealth of cultural allusion, Eliot’s The Waste Land resonated as a depiction of the ruins of post-war European civilization. The 1920s also saw Eliot become increasingly conservative in his outlook, particularly following his conversion to the Anglican Church. His religious conversion would have a far-reaching impact on the rest of his career, culminating in the Christian meditations found in Four Quartets (1943), which garnered him the 1948 Nobel Prize for Literature. Four Quartets is a set of four poems that were published over a six-year period. The work is composed of four interlinked meditations with the common theme of man's relationship with time, the universe, and the divine. In describing his understanding of the divine within the poems, Eliot blends his Anglo-Catholicism with mystical, philosophical, and poetic works from both Eastern and Western religious and cultural traditions. He was also known for his seven plays, particularly Murder in the Cathedral (1935) and The Cocktail Party (1949).
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/t-s-eliot
About the Devotion Author:
Sian Draycott
Instructor
Torrey Honors College
Biola University
Sian Draycott grew up in Wales and graduated from Oxford University with an M.A. in Theology. Her M.A. in Classical Studies from the Open University (UK) developed her research in Greek tragedy and comedy as seen in the relationship between Euripides and Aristophanes. In addition to team-leading with IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) in Portugal, Sian has experience as a high school teacher in the UK and as an ESL tutor. She loves talking to people about Jesus and watching Wales play rugby.