This Lenten season at Summerland Church, we’ve been journeying together through the stunning, often mysterious vision given to St. John in the final book of the Bible. This past Sunday, we explored the messages to the seven churches—real communities forming a kind of circle along the Roman roads in southwest Turkey. I’ve included a map here so you can trace how the letter would have traveled, from one church to the next, carried by hand and heart.
Each message from the risen Christ follows a familiar pattern: a word of praise, a word naming the problem, and a word of promise. These aren't just words for ancient congregations—they’re meant for us, too. Christ makes clear that every church—and every believer—has a part to play in revealing his presence to the world. The chapter ends with the image of Christ standing at a door and knocking.
This Sunday, we’ll step through that door.
In Revelation 4, John writes, “After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven.” What follows is a breathtaking vision: God on the throne, surrounded by radiant worship and unfathomable beauty. It’s not just a glimpse into another world—it’s an invitation into deeper fellowship with Christ.
Albrecht Dürer’s engraving captures this moment with reverence and imaginative detail, drawing us into the grandeur of this heavenly throne room. While his image doesn’t depict the seven churches explicitly, we remember that John’s vision came to churches arranged in a circle on earth—and now he sees a corresponding circle of praise around God in heaven. The worship of the local church is mysteriously joined to the worship of heaven.
