The Next Chapter: The Eternal City

By: Rev. Emily Armstrong

Key Verses: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’” –Revelation 21:2-3

I have a confession to make.  Fifteen years ago, I never thought about urban mission.  All my life, God has placed me in big cities like Indianapolis, Kansas City, Guatemala City, San José, Panama City, and Santo Domingo but I can’t say that I spent much time trying to love my city.  Sure, I complained about the traffic, the noise, the dangers, and the constant sprint of life. But I also enjoyed the arts like the theater and concerts, having a supermarket and a mall that were close, and opportunities for Masters level education.  But thinking about what God was doing in my city, through MY testimony? I doubt that I spent even one moment thinking about it.

Maybe you are reading this, and saying to yourself, That’s me too!  Or maybe the opposite with, That’s not my story – I grew up rural and will always be rural. Truthfully, it doesn’t really matter what your circumstance is; God wants us all to love, pray for and work for the wellness of our city (Jeremiah 29:7).

Dear reader, I want to share with you the phrase that captured me about twelve years ago: The story of God begins in a GARDEN and ends in a CITY.

God has always desired to dwell with humanity – this is one of the most beautiful parts of our God. The story is repeated time and time again, through Eden, the tabernacle, the Temple, and the incarnation of Jesus. And we get to Pentecost, where each person of the Church can be FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT so that we can live in communion with God every day, around the whole world! And God’s next chapter? We will live forever with God in the ETERNAL CITY. 

Let’s celebrate Pentecost this year, filling our cities with His holiness through acts of service, encouraging words and love without condition. We will begin to see a glimpse of the eternal city, right here on earth.

Prayer: Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.