+ The Good Life

Is Anyone Worthy?

This past Sunday, as we gathered around the Lord’s Table, we reflected on the stirring scene of Revelation 5, which asks the question: Is Anyone Worthy? 

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, and we’ll turn to John 12, where Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of Hosanna! and palm branches waving. We’ll contrast this scene with John’s later vision in Revelation 7, where vast crowds from every nation wave palm branches before the throne of God, worshiping the Lamb.

In between those two palm-waving parades, John gives us a vision of Four Horsemen in Revelation 6—agents of conquest, war, famine, and death—who ride out when humanity pursues power apart from God. You can view Albrecht Dürer’s vivid etching of the horsemen here.

When we contrast this stampede with the way Jesus rides into our lives, it raises questions worth reflecting on as we prepare for Holy Week:

• What kind of King are we looking for?
• What kind of parade do we join?
• Where are we placing our hope?

As we journey toward Easter, I’m excited to worship the One who is truly worthy:

the Lamb who was slain,

the King who rides a donkey,

the Lord who reigns at the center of it all.

 

On Earth as it is in Heaven

This past week in Worship we continued the theme, The Triumph of Grace: Awakening the Spiritual Imagination through the Visions of Revelation. You are invited to watch the service online, worship in song, and reflect on Revelation 4, where John invites us to look through a door standing open in heaven where he presents the breathtaking throne of God surrounded by worship.

Our message last week was titled On Earth as it is in Heaven.  This is stunning text that draws our attention to a deeper reality than our unique mission or anything we do for God.  This text directs our attention and affection to the One who sits on the throne now and always. It invites us to center our very identity on God.

This Sunday, we continue our series through the Visions of Revelation, with chapter 5, and a message titled: “Is Anyone Worthy?” In this text we will be introduced to the Lamb who appears as slain, standing at the center of the throne. This is one of the most powerful images in all of Scripture.

In anticipation, for Sunday take a moment to reflect on the Albrecht Dürer engraving inspired by Revelation, Chapter 5. In this image Dürer depicts a heavenly moment, where the Lion is revealed as the Lamb, and heaven erupts in even greater worship. Let’s continue to let these images stir our imagination and awaken spiritual devotion as we continue our Lenten Journey.

Walking through Christ’s Open Door

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.

Where can we Find Jesus

As we journey through Lent, we continue our theme: The Triumph of Grace: Awakening the Spiritual Imagination through the Visions of Revelation. This past Sunday, we explored John’s vision of the Risen Christ speaking to the church in Ephesus, recorded in Revelation 2:1-7.

In this text, we see a phenomenon I call spiritual amnesia—the tendency to forget the deep love of Christ that first captured our hearts. Jesus calls the church to remember their “first love” and return to the joy and devotion they once knew.

To help us in this process during Lent, we are encouraging one another to share art, music, and literature that awaken our spiritual imagination and stir our love for God and others.

The Triumph of Grace: Awakening the Spiritual Imagination through the Visions of Revelation

Beginning on the first Sunday of Lent, March 9^th, I will begin a message series titled: The Triumph of Grace: Awakening the Spiritual Imagination through the Visions of Revelation. This series will explore the first seven chapters of Revelation, uncovering how these words brought hope, strength, and encouragement to the early church as they worshiped God amidst dark political and social turmoil. Rather than a book of fear and speculation, Revelation reveals a glorious vision of worship—a reminder that God’s grace prevails even in the most challenging times.
 
I encourage you to join us in worship in person or online, as we grow in our understanding of God’s grace, the power of worship, and the ultimate hope revealed by our Lord. Experience the triumph of grace this Lenten season!