Exodus 9:22 (NRSV)

The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven so that hail may fall on the whole land of Egypt, on humans and animals and all the plants of the field in the land of Egypt.”

From Background Notes [BN] for April 20^th & 21^st written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Because the spatial language of the Bible places heaven “up,” the net effect is to orient the whole self upward, focused on the God is “of all, above all, through all, and in all,” as one New Testament writer later said (Ephesians 4:6).

While 21st century observers no longer live in a literal three-story universe, yet they can dare to imagine a deeper reality where the old language still applies! What is true of the empirical universe only tells part of the story, and the biblical writers know in the marrow of their souls that the true orientation of life calls on each of us to “stand up and raise your heads, for your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). Heaven reminds us about the existence of sacred space, and gives permission to speak about “up and down” in ways that transcend ordinary space. In prayer and in worship, our whole being assumes this new posture heavenward. [BN, 6]

Join us this week in Study, Worship, Praise and Celebration at Chicago First Church of the Nazarene:

* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am