Pastor Tom Johnson, November 28, 2021
In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he says, “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.” He ends with prayer that their hearts would be strengthened for the coming of Christ. He prays for face to face time with each other and with Jesus. This is a good time for us to understand why Paul would pray day and night to be in-person with God’s people. Long before telegraphs, telephones, texting, and video conferencing, written letters were the closest thing to human interaction from a distance. But for Paul a letter is no substitute. They are separated by many miles. He longs to hear their voices. He longs to see their faces and body language. He longs to smell their freshly baked bread and taste the wine together as they share Holy Communion with one another and with the risen Christ. He prays that a door will open so that he may travel the distance that separates them. It will take days and maybe weeks to make the journey. But it is worth the effort and risk he takes to be reunited with his sisters and brothers in Christ. Many of us just made long journeys to see family for thanksgiving and to share a meal with family and friends. This weekend, airports were the fullest they have been since the beginning of the pandemic. There is a very human longing we have to share time and space with those we love even if just for a few hours or days.
Seeing someone’s face can be a powerful thing. Having our faces seen can be a vulnerable thing. With our faces we display a full range of emotion. Human beings are experts at reading the countless expressions that reveal our thoughts, emotions, and mood. It is even true with our masks on. Have you had the experience of smiling at a baby with your mask on? They may not see your teeth but they will see your smile wrinkles—especially around the eyes. You will likely get an unmasked smile in return. We read each other’s faces to see if we are friend or foe. We show our countenances to show our love and express our care and concern. We show our countenances to reveal our disregard. We hide our faces to conceal our shame and guilt. We hide our faces to deny others acceptance and leave them cold. In the Christian Church, we should nurture a safe place where we can, as Paul says, restore each other’s faith and strengthen each other’s hearts in preparation for the Lord’s return. It is as easy and as difficult as just showing up. As the psalmist says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when sisters and brothers dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). As the writer of Hebrews says, “we should not not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:25). For the first time in our lives, we were prohibited from gathering together because of a viral pandemic. The omicron variant threatens our coming together again. I’m not going to lie; it’s getting old and wearisome. But we also take heart.
One good that God has brought out of this is a reminder—a painful reminder—of just how much of a gift Christian community is. This face to face time is called koinonia which can be translated as sharing, fellowship, or participation. Scripture tells us that when we greet one another we do so with a holy kiss. The love, acceptance, and longing on our faces is sacred. Because on our faces we see the face of Christ. We don’t just serve a cup of cold water human to human. Christ in us and through us serves Christ in and through one another. Paul prays day and night that he will see his Christian family in Thessalonica and that their hearts will be strengthened for the Lord’s return. Do you see the connection between our longing for one another and for Christ? It is inseparable. If we do not long to be together as God’s people, how can we claim to long for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Scripture says, “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love those they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen” (1 Jn 4:20).
Our koinonia together is a foretaste of the koinonia to come. The moment you stepped into this sacred space, we have received the gift of Holy Communion. It continues through the spoken and sung Word of God. The sheep hear the Shephard’s voice. We receive his Body and Blood in this Sacred Meal. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Cor 13:12). When Jacob wrestled with God and received his name Israel, “he called the place Peniel, which means ‘Face of God,’ saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved’” (Gen 32:30). It is in our wrestling with God in prayer together that we encounter God. Jesus is the face of God. We are the face of Christ.
At the end of this service, we will be sent out into the world to show the face of Christ through our service and proclamation. We go out into the world to reflect the light of Christ and be the face of Jesus to a world desperate for acceptance, love, and hope. And we are sent out with those familiar words: “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:22–27). In the first coming, the eternal Son of God takes on our humanity. And so Jesus is rightly called “the face of God.” In Christ we see the love Triune God has for all his creation. In his countenance we see compassion, acceptance, and love. The face of the resurrected Christ shines more brightly than the midday sun. He has lifted his countenance favorably toward us in the Gospel. That is why we call our worship together real presence. We see, hear, touch, smell, and taste that the Lord is good. He will never forsake us or leave us as orphans. We have Christ in one another and his gifts. We have Jesus who says, “Lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20).
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