The Church at Rest

After going to church for the first time in four weeks, I have been at home, crashed on the couch, resting and still trying to get over this congestion and sore throat that just seem to hang on and on and on... But I did make it to church, which was so nice. There's just something about coming together as an assembly of believers with no other purpose but just to worship that cannot be duplicated any other way, no matter how many Bible studies you do or Christian songs you listen to. (And just forget listening to those preachers on the TV. I won't even go there.)

And on top of that, we sang one of my current favorite hymns today. Even though my husband is the song leader, I usually do not know ahead of time what we'll be singing, nor do I try to influence his choices, but I love it when we sing this one - even when congestion makes alto pitched too high for me. I'll post a couple of the stanzas:

The Church's One Foundation

The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

’Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.

I love those two lines - the thought of a Victorious Church at Rest. And I don't picture a rest in the sense of being exhausted, strung out on the couch (sounds way too familiar lately...). But more in the sense of how Moses used the phrase in Genesis, when God rested on the seventh day of creation. He's God; He's not tired. But He's done. His task is completed. And one day, the Bride will no longer be awaiting the Bridegroom's coming, standing as a witness to a doubtful, hating world who jeers at us, proclaiming through measures both bold and subtle, "He's not coming! Why are you wasting your time?" At the consummation, we'll not only see Him face to face, but will be free from all the toil and tribulation, doubt and sorrow, weakness and sin.

We'll see the completion of all our work. And then we'll realize that it is nothing compared to the work He has completed, and chosen to use us as a small part of the completion.

And we'll have peace.