Eschatology: The Study of My End Times
ESCHATOLOGY: THOUGHTS ON MY END TIMES
Eschatology:
1834, from Latinized form of Greek eskhatos "last, furthest, uttermost, extreme, most remote" in time, space, degree (from PIE *eghs-ko-, suffixed form of *eghs "out;" see ex-) + -ology. In theology, the study of the four last things (death, judgment, heaven, hell). Related: Eschatological; eschatologically.
December 21st is the darkest day of the year. The day with the least amount of daylight.
On December 26th one can begin to detect with the naked eye a change in the light. The daylight begins to return.
Early Celtic Christians thought this was a beautiful picture of The Christ’s death and resurrection journey made evident in the natural world. I’m thinking about this because along with the transformation of our year, I’m experiencing a transformation to my life’s purpose and work.
In January of 2011, I accepted the position of worship pastor at Restoration Community Church in Denver as an act of surrender. Back then, as I wrestled with whether to take the job, I felt Jesus asking me, "Why are you so afraid? It's my church, just love her. That's all you have to do." Thankfully, I overcame my fear and began the work of creating and leading a community of musicians and artists who could cultivate a space for worship at Restoration. During the subsequent years, Jesus continued to mature me and break my fear of God and my addiction to certainty. Now, seven years later, I’m continuing to follow the pattern of my discipleship and trust. I’ve been learning to accept (kicking and screaming) my own mini-crucifixion/death-and-resurrection season and I’m celebrating it with another act of surrender. I left my position at Restoration last month and the completion of my work as a worship pastor ( at least, for the foreseeable future) was the completion of 2017 and the completion of three decades of my life. I’m greeting the morning of 2018 with the anticipation of what wild gifts life will give.
This is a change for sure and I don’t know what is going to happen next. I do know that this not an end. I think you know that too. This is the time when you can see with the naked eye, the returning of the light. A new chapter for Paul and for Torn Curtain Arts.
The name Torn Curtain comes from an account in scripture of an apocalypse (the word actually means “unveiling”) that occurred in the sacred temple when the crucifixion of Jesus ruptured the fabric of reality along with the fabric that separated people from the holy mystery of God’s presence. The curtain tore and God got loose never to be confined again. In this way, the study of “last things” is really about the cross and not of the apostle John’s psychedelic vision of the end of history. The cross is when one world died and a new world was born. This has always been and will continue to be the vision of Torn Curtain Arts. We preach Christ crucified.
Thank you for your faith in us. I hope you join us as we keep moving into new worlds, playing, performing, designing and cultivating more beautiful crisis’ for people so they can experience The Christ from now until the end of all things.