This Sunday, we return to the book of Jonah for a final look at it, one that will take us down to its (apparently) unsatisfactory ending. See today’s Old Testament reading, Jonah 3–4.

His flight from God now behind him, Jonah actually proclaims God’s Word to Nineveh, and its citizens repent and turn God in one voice and act—even including the king (ch. 3). It is a spiritual movement to gladden the heart of the weariest evangelist!

To our surprise, Jonah is angry. As he spouts off to God, we realize that he didn’t want the Ninevites to be spared divine judgment. He’d rather have seen them all incinerated in a burst of God’s just punishment. They are, after all, cruel and hated enemies of Israel. Jonah would rather die than have his prediction reversed or see Nineveh saved. He stomps off, waiting “to see what happened to the city” (4:4–5).

In another surprising sequence of divine actions, God marvelously provides a plant to shade Jonah from the sun, and then provides a worm to strike it down. Once more Jonah is mad enough to die (4:9).

Twice, then, God has asked Jonah about his anger. According to an old saying, if you want to know something about a person’s priorities in life, find out what makes them mad. For Jonah, number 1 is to protect his reputation and standing, and number 2 is to protect his own comfort. The salvation of people he doesn’t like is wa-a-a-ay down the list.

The Lord has one more try: “You’re feeling sorry for that plant (= yourself),” he says. “Shouldn’t I feel sorry for 120,000 Ninevites?”

And that’s how the story of Jonah closes. No answer from Jonah, no hint of what happens next… or ever. Finis. End of tale. Night-night.

This is all so unsatisfactory! But I think the book wants us to imagine the ending we’d like to have, or that God would like to have, and then to think about ourselves and what makes us mad.

For the Jonah story to have a proper ending, the tensions it raises would need to be resolved. That would require a drastic decision by Jonah, a deep and true change of heart. It is the same with the Bible’s two other unfinished stories—Hosea’s loyalty to his faithless wife (Did she ever come back?), and the elder brother’s pout over the prodigal’s return (Did he ever get a life?). A deep and drastic change of priorities would be necessary for either story to come to a satisfactory narrative conclusion—but the Bible is silent. (Hosea 1:2–11, 3:1–5; Luke 15:25–32).

Our stories are unfinished, too. And, to speak only for myself, there are deep changes of attitude and preference that still need to be made. As I choose those changes and God enables them, the story can continue—my story and yours—and continue… and continue… until Christ returns and every knee bows to him and every tongue confesses that He is Lord (Phil 2:10-11).

And even then, the story is unfinished, for in the New Jerusalem, the gates are never shut (Rev 21:25), and in the lexicon of Eternity, the word “end” does not exist.

The Sunday Morning Service

Our hymns this week are familiar and uplifting. We open with #60 Great is thy faithfulness! For acclamations of praise we’ll sing P&W #168 I will enter his gates with thanksgiving and #220 You are my all in all (be ready for us to divide the house on this one!). Before the sermon we sing P&W #195 Change my heart, O God, and for the closing hymn #747 Lead on, O King eternal!

Susan Lower is accompanist this week. Becky Blocksom will provide special music. Rob Neff is the liturgist, and Susan Kent will tell the children’s story.

A special feature of this service is baptism: Shawn West will reaffirm his baptism and Kristy West will be baptized. Their son Carter and his cousin Paige Graceann Collene will also be baptized.

The Mid-month Communion and Healing Service

Sunday evening at 6 PM, we gather to celebrate the Lord’s Supper and pray for healing—for ourselves and for others. Susan Lower will play the piano and Bob Thompson percussion; he’ll also play a harmonica solo. Communion will be served at the Table. Elder Tami Robinson will assist.

As you know, this will be my last FPCMail to you. Next week, I go back to Toronto where I’ll take up the position of Visiting Professor of Religious Studies at Tyndale University College. I’ve spoken of this at length in the August newsletter. Our address in Toronto is

82 Lawrence Ave. E.
Toronto, ON M4N 1S6
Canada

Our telephone is 416-322-8824, and my email is manthano@sprint.ca.

“I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Amen.

Session has engaged Mr. Adrian Sunday, a licentiate of the Northwest Ohio Association, United Church of Christ, to be temporary supply pastor at First Church. He begins his ministry on Monday, Aug. 16, and may always be reached through the church office.