“The Angel of Heart of the Rockies”

May 5

Revelation 1:9-20

Heart of the Rockies Christian Church

David A Shirey

We’re in week two of a four-week study of Revelation. It goes without saying that the Book of Revelation has been found difficult to understand and prone to misunderstanding. I’m mindful of G.K. Chesterton’s words, “Though St. John saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as some [of the interpretations of Revelation]”[1] Or, as the late Eugene Boring, one of our finest Disciples Bible scholars who taught at Brite Divinity School, put it in his commentary on Revelation, Revelation has long been “a happy hunting ground for bizarre interpretations”[2]

Our interpretation of Revelation, which we began last Sunday, is guided by several questions posed by Alexander Campbell, one of the founders of our Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He said, When studying any book of the Bible, first ask:

Who is the author? A pastor named John.

When was it written? In the early 90s based on a vision that came to John on a Sunday while he was “in the Spirit” in worship.

Where was it written? On the isle of Patmos off the west coast of Turkey, a 1st century Alcatraz where John was imprisoned because he insisted on confessing Christ is Lord, not the emperor.

What message does Revelation convey? One word: persevere. When facing trials or tribulations: turn your eyes upon Jesus. Anchor yourself in him and you’ll find strength beyond your own strength to persevere because God’s ultimate victory over evil, sin and death is sure. Jesus’ resurrection confirms that.

To whom was Revelation written? Seven congregations in present-day Turkey. John writes, “I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea” (Rev 1:10, 11). On a map, they’re clumped together on what Eugene Peterson described as a Roman postal route. It would be like our Regional Minister, Dale Matherly, writing a letter to Disciples churches in Casper and Cheyenne, Fort Collins and Loveland, Greeley, Fort Morgan, and Sterling. The number seven is poetic license. It’s the biblical number for completeness. All-inclusiveness. Meaning that as we read John’s letter to the seven churches, we can infer his letter is to all churches, including Heart of the Rockies.

So what does the Revelation say to churches then and now? Well, chapters 2 and 3 present tailor-made messages for each of the seven churches delivered first-class not by a postage stamp, but an angel. In his poetic language, John tells us, “I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest.” (1:12, 13) “In his right hand he held seven stars” (1:16). John then reveals the meaning of the vision: “the seven lampstands are the seven churches and the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches” (1:20). Got that? John saw Jesus standing in the midst of his churches. Standing with the churches were their guardian angels.

Jesus gave a message to each angel to pass on to their church. (The word angel means messenger). All seven messages are structured the same:

They begin “To the angel of the church in (fill in the city) write…” followed by “These are the words of … followed by a poetic description of the risen Christ (2:1, 8, 12, 18, 3:1, 7, 14).
Then comes the body of the message, beginning with a compliment from Jesus. Each compliment begins with the words “I know your works” (2:1,9,13,19, 3:1,8,15) followed by one or two things Jesus affirms about each church’s ministry. How good is that! Persecuted bands of Christians small in number scattered throughout Timbuktoo under the thumb of an oppressive Empire are told not only that they have a guardian angel, but their angel tells them that none other than the risen Lord Jesus Christ knows them, knows what they’re facing, and compliments them for ministry well done. Talk about a shot in the arm! To the church in Ephesus, for instance, Jesus says, “I know your works, your toil and your endurance… I also know that you are enduring and bearing up for the sake of my name and that you have not grown weary (2:2,3). There are similar compliments for other churches, kudos from Christ for holding fast to the faith, steadfastly doing what is good, right, and true, and living lives exuding faith, hope, and love.[3]

There then follows – shall we say – constructive criticism. Areas for improvement.
Closing with a benediction, the same for each church: “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (2:7,11,17,29, 3:6,13,22).

My imagination got the best of me as I read each church’s guardian angel deliver their Christ-sent compliments. I wondered what compliment the angel of Heart of the Rockies might speak to you. To borrow Revelation language, I think the angel of HRCC might say on behalf of the risen Lord, “I know your works. You are a Great Commandment congregation, always seeking to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and might and your neighbors as yourselves.”

Heart of the Rockies’ angel would affirm your loving God with all your minds. My experience in the Wednesday morning Bible study, the Tuesday evening Disciple IV class, and the devotions offered at the Men’s Breakfasts is that you’re a congregation who studies God’s Word carefully, are not afraid to ask hard questions, and are always striving to apply God’s Word to the issues of our day. One of my predecessors at the church I retired from in KY, the Rev. Dr. A.W. Fortune, said a century ago, “The church door ought to be tall enough that it is not necessary for a person entering to leave their head outside.” You bring our heads in here when you dig into God’s Word. The angel of Heart of the Rockies would commend you for loving God with all your minds.

But you love God with heart, soul, and might also. I’ve worshipped in some churches where the intellectual love of God was evident, but heart and soul were absent. All head. No heart. It’s possible to be “coldly rational.” I remember hearing about a church located next to a restaurant. The restaurant’s walk-in freezer apparently needed repair because a truck was parked between the restaurant and the church on which was printed in bold-faced letters Refrigerated Services. Perhaps you’ve experienced “refrigerated services” of worship from time to time that have left you cold. Love God with some heart, soul, and might please! I believe the angel of Heart of the Rockies would compliment how Wendy, Ruth, and I (and Melissa, Jeff, and their associates before us) plan and lead worship that will be “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) – that there will be something in every service that will make us think and make us feel, enlighten us (Ah!) and inspire us (Aah!), make us ponder something and motivate us to do something. The angel of Heart of the Rockies would affirm that as a Great Commandment congregation we love God with heart, soul, mind, and might.

And we love our neighbors as ourselves. I can hear the risen Lord say to the angel of Heart of the Rockies, “Tell them I know their works, including their service to others.” Serving Others is at the heart of Heart of the Rockies’ Vision Statement: Loving God. Serving Others. Changing Lives. You have a so-called Outreach Corner in the lobby that’s not in a corner at all. It occupies a prominent place on the southwest-facing wall touting your outreach ministries. But there’s not enough room there for all you give yourselves to with your time, talent, and treasure, so you’ve got a bulletin board next to the nursery with more outreach, and in addition to that, even a poster in the men’s room in a location where you have a captive audience welcoming volunteers for Faith Family Hospitality. Then there’s Heartside Hill. Every church says they strive to love and serve their neighbors. But talk is cheap. You deeded nine acres of prime real estate to build affordable housing for your neighbors. I think the angel of Heart of the Rockies would compliment our being a Great Commandment Congregation built upon the foundational three-legged stool of Worship, Outreach & Welcome: WOW.

I hasten to add this: The angels’ compliments to the churches in Revelation are followed by correctives.[4] Constructive criticism. Growth areas. The correctives begin with the phrase, “But I have this against you” (2:4, 14, 20). For instance, to the church in Ephesus, Jesus says, “I have this against you, that you have abandoned your first love.” In angel speak, a Christian’s “first love” is Jesus. Say what? Christians abandoning – no longer in love with – Jesus? Say it ain’t so! But apparently in Ephesus it was. What’s a church without Jesus? Without Jesus spoken and sung, a room isn’t a sanctuary, it’s just a lecture hall or a concert hall. Without Jesus referenced in the conversation, it isn’t Christian education, it’s just a chat room or a book club. Without showing mercy in Jesus’ name, a church is just a social service agency, the United Way at prayer; without seeking Jesus’ end of justice by Jesus’ means, it’s just a political action committee. Don’t ever let it be said of Heart of the Rockies what was said of First Christian, Ephesus – they abandoned their first love.

But what Jesus had against the church in Laodicea was even more blunt. He said, “You are neither cold nor hot... Because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (3:15, 16). Yikes! Lukewarm Christians? Christians without zeal and passion for the cause of Christ? Christians whose praying is tepid, whose singing is meh, whose worship is but a sanctified yawn, whose actions on behalf of what is good, right, just, and true are done with all the verve of room temperature oatmeal? Yuch! Christians no longer “standing on the promises” but merely sitting in the premises? Don’t ever let it be said of Heart of the Rockies what was said of First Christian Laodicea: “Their worship, witness, and works are lukewarm.”

Having said what I just did about not abandoning your first love and not becoming lukewarm, I’m not worried because at the Men’s Prayer Breakfast yesterday morning I heard Cody Robertson say that what he yearns to do in ministry above all else is to proclaim the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as God’s glorious way of repairing and reconciling the whole world. And I heard him say it’s time for Christians to be weird, by which he means there are innumerable ways in which each of us experience the living God in the risen Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and its okay to talk about those experiences of our great God’s mystery and majesty. You can’t be lukewarm in the presence of that!

Consider this – Pastor John received a revelation, part of which was a vision of Jesus standing among seven lampstands and seven stars: Jesus in the midst of his churches and their guardian angels.

And consider what Jesus might say to us by the angel of Heart of the Rockies. This read from the NRSV translation of the Bible – New Revised Shirey Version:

“To the angel of the church in south Fort Collins write: These are the words of the one who is exalted far above the highest peak of the Rockies: I know your works. You are a Great Commandment congregation, ever seeking to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and might and your neighbors as yourselves. Never forget your first love. Love Jesus. Never let the flame of the Holy Spirit go untended. God forbid your spiritual thermostat ever read lukewarm. Love each other. Love your pastors, Wendy and Cody, and let them love you.”

“Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the church.”

God bless you Heart of the Rockies. God bless you Cody, Ashley, and Carter.

And let all God’s people say, AMEN

[1] G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, p. 29.

[2] Boring, Revelation, p. 4.

[3] The churches in Sardis and Laodicea receive no compliments, but that’s another sermon.

[4] Smyrna and Philadelphia receive only complements, no correctives.