Heaven Shall Not Wait
John Bell is a Scottish Presbyterian, a hymn writer and preacher. He is a member of the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian Community that attracts pilgrims from around the world. John Bell was the preacher one summer when my family and I were at Montreat, and when he entered worship and stood to preach he always did so barefoot. When asked why, he told us that he knew that he was standing on holy ground.
John Bell wrote a hymn text and tune a few years ago titled “Heaven Shall Not Wait.” Each stanza begins with that phrase, “heaven shall not wait,” and then it goes on to describe the things that our hearts yearn for, that we normally imagine happening when God comes at the consummation of the age and sets everything “to rights.”
We love to think of a coming day when wrongs will be made right and all things set straight, but in his hymn, John Bell proclaims that “heaven shall not wait,” for Jesus is Lord now and has already ushered in His Kingdom. This reflects an “already/not yet” reality that is foundational to our faith.
It seems to be a characteristic of established congregations to “move slowly,” and sometimes even to talk things “to death.” A wise retired pastor told me one time that the older the congregation the slower it will move and change. And he was right. But sometimes, we must not wait.
Yesterday afternoon our youth met in the youth house and cleared out space for our new “Just Kids” clothing ministry. As a part of this work the youth arranged their space in the largest room in the youth house, and it looks wonderful. The team that is leading this ministry has been working hard and they have not wasted any time. Sophie, our middle daughter, is serving on this team, and I don’t know that I have ever seen her so excited about something at church. The entire team’s energy is contagious. They will not wait. That is what happens when God’s people see a need in the community and catch a vision of what God is calling us to do.
As I have felt the excitement from the Just Kid’s Team, my thoughts have been drawn to the hymn, Heaven Shall Not Wait. This is a great recording of the hymn, led by Tom Trenney, another Montreat Conference regular, at his church in Lincoln, Nebraska.