Reading: Psalm 104:27-35

Heavenly Father,
 send your reviving Spirit among us.
Renew our faith in your risen Son.
Come, Lord Jesus.
I long for your return.
Amen.

— — —

Brothers and sisters,
we do not want you to be uninformed 
about those who sleep in death, 
so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind,
who have no hope.
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, 
and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus
those who have fallen asleep in him.
According to the Lord’s word,
we tell you that we who are still alive,
who are left until the coming of the Lord, 
will certainly not precede
those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, 
with a loud command,
with the voice of the archangel 
and with the trumpet call of God, 
and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that,
we who are still alive and are left 
will be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV)*