I am about to undertake a risky adventure,
namely preaching about heaven. That adventure will occupy my heart for the next
three Sundays at Seneca Presbyterian Church. I enter the adventure fully aware
that its risk lies on multiple fronts. Heaven is something we all contemplate. Exploring
the mystery of what happens to us when physical life ceases is a basic human
instinct. We each have our images and hopes based on what we have read or been
taught or overheard in passing conversations. Even children can speculate on what
or where or how heaven is, and they seem to have a delicious freedom in so
doing.
The older we get the more serious
the issue becomes. We begin losing people who are important to us and we want
to know what has happened to them and where they might be. We long to stay
connected. We cherish the assurance that we will one day be reunited. And we
begin to wonder for ourselves just what our own “next journey” will be. So first of all, preaching about heaven runs
the risk of disturbing personal images of something profoundly significant.
Second of all, what one believes
about heaven impacts greatly what one believes about God. If heaven is the
abode of the Almighty, it is up to God just who is there and who is not. Yet
many of us already believe we know who is there and who is not. Allowing
ourselves to speculate about that imponderable question runs the risk of
challenging cherished beliefs. But I also believe it can deepen our
understanding of who God is and how God does.
Philosophers and theologians have
long speculated about heaven, and have invested much ink in sharing those
speculations with us common folk. They have the time and wisdom to offer point
and counterpoint, and even to reject each other’s arguments. I can easily get
lost in the whirlwind!
Yet as someone who does desire to
ground my understanding of heaven in the biblical witness, I’ve been aided by the writings of N.T. Wright, particularly in his Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission
of the Church (HarperCollins, 2008). As a consequence, what at first seemed
an intimidating challenge has actually proven to be an enlightening journey. I
hope I can share something about that journey in this series of sermons. In the
process, I think our idea of heaven will be expanded rather than diminished.
But ultimately, preaching about
heaven is risky because no one knows for certain the what and
where and how and who. We can read accounts of near death experiences and find
them credible or not. But even if we do see them as credible, they can only provide
us with a faint glimpse of an immeasurable glory. We still see in a mirror
dimly. Perhaps that is all we are meant
to see.
I attempt the risk of preaching
about heaven because so many of the saints of Seneca Presbyterian have or will
soon take that journey. Walking with them is such a blessing to me, even with
the loss that it represents. I intend to begin, end, and frequently remind them
of this disclaimer: Heaven is where God is, and where God is, there is heaven. Beyond
that all details are speculation and faith. Your speculation and your faith are
just as valid as mine.
But I believe the journey is
worth taking. Mitch Albom, author of The
Five People You Meet in Heaven, says it well:
There's one thing I
would say about heaven. If you believe that there's a heaven, your life here on
earth is different. You may believe that you're going to see your loved ones
again. So the grief that you had after they're gone isn't as strong. You may
believe that you'll have to answer for your actions. So the way you behave here
on earth is changed. So in a certain way, just believing in the idea of heaven
is heavenly in and of itself.
Yet I believe there is much more. The risky
adventure begins Sunday.
