Dear Friends

Four Sundays from now, will mark the end of another church year with the celebration of the Sunday of Eternity, when we will also remember the deceased in our church community. Our text for November is one of the passages for Sunday, 24 November 2024.

Whilst reading this text, it dawned on me how different the comfort from God is in relation to the worldly comfort. We share our condolences with phrases like: “It will be alright” or “Time heals all wounds.” We know from own experience that certain wounds never heal – especially the wounds of the inner soul. Certain things can never be alright, although we cannot change the circumstances. Maybe that is why we say: “Talk is cheap.”

God’s comfort is the promise of a totally new beginning. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, God does not fix old parts. God starts anew. Recreating a new heaven and a new earth which we await.

In our moments of sorrow and despair, our watchword for November offers profound comfort, assuring us that no matter what our struggles are, God’s compassion renews with each new day, ultimately ending in the fulfillment of the promise of Rev 4,21:

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.”