31 Dec 2011
Advent Devotional: New Heaven and Earth
New year’s Eve: New Heaven and Earth
Revelation 21:1-7
As the old year dies away, our thoughts may dwell on the past-perhaps longing for loved ones we’ve lost or, more positively, celebrating our successes or recalling good times with friends. Or we may be so focused on reaching future goals that we busy ourselves with too many tasks and fail to appreciate the joys of life that surround us every day.
I recently began reading books and practicing yoga and meditation to enhance my mindfulness–a state of consciousness attuned to fully experiencing the present. John of Patmos wrote that God’s kingdom brings “a new heaven and a new earth” and that now, in the present moment, “the home of God is among mortals.” By focusing our attention and energies on each moment, we experience the world in which God “is making all things new.”
PRAYER: Great Renewer, help us to stop living in the past or worrying about the future and instead embrace the fullness of life in the present–the new heaven and new earth of your dwelling here with us. Amen.
Lynn Foley