Lord Come Quickly
Maranatha. The word rolls off our tongues easily––Lord come quickly––but its implications might give us pause. Do I really want the Lord to come quickly? Perhaps even tonight?
When all is right with my life, I confess I do not always crave the final return of the Lord. I am content at that point to live a long full life and see God after I die comfortably in my bed. At other times, pain and disappointment make me yearn for something better, something uncorrupted. As happy as I have been the last six years here in Indianapolis, I find myself praying with more sincere fervor for the final return of Christ.
It's not just that the passing years have added burdens to my stooping shoulders. It's not even that my increasing age brings decreasing energy. I think my personal experiences have coupled with the experiences of my past life as
I often say that I am not optimistic about the future of the world; I am hopeful. I do not believe the solutions lie within us. Accordingly, I do not anticipate the midterm elections, the next general elections, nor do I long for revolution. Instead, I long for the reign of God to replace the sagging structure of world powers which has demonstrably been shown inadequate to the task of providing for human flourishing. Instead, I agree with Irenaeus that the glory of God is a human fully alive, and further, that only God's governance can provide for such life.
*Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!
Stephen [Steve] Kenney, has been a preacher and a lawyer most of his adult life. Before coming to North Central as Senior Minister, Steve served as Assistant County Attorney in Logan County, Kentucky. As Senior Minister, Steve works with the elders and staff to facilitate North Central's mission––fostering transformed lives into the image of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Much of his time focuses on preparing sermons and other class materials that provide the North Central community with spiritual food. Steve is married to Leslie; they have three adult children and two grandchildren.