GLIMPSES OF GLORY
Page Three
During the early 1980's, my wife and I were worshipping in a very "high" church. It wasn't a comfortable time, but we believed we should be there. Having obtained permission from the minister, we started a little bible study group that met weekly in our house. A curious variety of people came along, and week by week, we read the Bible, prayed, and drank tea together. (Apologies to any of my American friends, who may struggle with recognising the social values of "a nice cup of tea".)
On this particular occasion, we had been reading that lovely Psalm, which declares:
"Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the
King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in
battle"
I was saying that this is one of my favourite word-pictures of Jesus, that He is not just a wimp. He doesn't just float around in a white nighty blessing people, but that He is a warrior, and what hope that gives us for justice in a fallen world."
One one dear old lady with whom we had a number of 'points of difference' chimed in at that moment "But I don't like to think of Jesus like that. For me, He will always be Gentle Jesus meek and mild!"
As far as I was concerned, that killed the study. If we can't read the Word, and open our eyes to be honest about what it says, then everything else is just our own pre-digested opinions! I wasn't opening my home every week just so people could carry on in their ignorance. I was livid!
After a few people had talked about the way in which they like to imagine Jesus, and it moved onto how they like to imagine heaven, I brought the discussion to a close, and went out into the kitchen to make the tea.
I was spitting feathers, and said so to God, as I banged around in the cupboards. Then, like a shower of cold water, the verse came to me "The wrath of man does not accomplish the purposes of God". (James 1:20, I had to go and look that one up too!)
Taking a deep breath, I stopped slamming around in the kitchen, took the tray of refreshments back to the group and just let the evening unwind at their pace, not mine.
Some months later, one middle-aged couple who had been there that night, confided in me that the husband had recently, and slowly, become a Christian. They were very apologetic, but felt that they had to leave the church and bible study group, and go to the (evangelical) church down the road. Apparently, the one thing that impressed the husband more than anything else, had been the fact that I had made the tea that night. He was of the old school, and didn't expect to ever do anything in the kitchen.
I quietly thanked God that I hadn't blown up and sent them all home early
that evening (which was what I had wanted to do.) A year later, my wife and
I had the privilege of watching them get baptised together. They had been
husband and wife for forty years, and now finally, they were united in their
faith.
How patient our God is, with all His children!
Submitted August 13, 2007
Used with permission
