It is All There on the Walls

“mene, mene, tekel, upharsin” Daniel 5

The expression ‘The Handwriting is on the Wall’ comes from Daniel, chapter 5. When a mysteri- ous message appears on the wall of a banquet hall, it means nothing to the people who had ransacked the holy temple of God, so they asked Daniel, a Hebrew with the gift of wisdom, to interpret it for them.

The expression, according to Daniel, means ‘numbered, weighed, divided.’ The interpretation says God is numbering their days (is testing their faithfulness), is gauging their worth, and will deal with them accordingly – – their future hangs in the balance.

While the Persains who received the message could not make heads or tails out of the message (each word on the wall represented a different coin!), Daniel knew the future of the Persian empire was in question. They were about to be tested and if they did not respond correctly, their kingdom would come to an end. Daneil’s faithfulness did not leave him in despair. It was a time when he began to ques- tion:

“What does It Mean for Us?

What will the Future of the Faithful be Like?

What is the ‘Handwriting on the Wall’?”

Daniel’s faith was a beacon of hope to the Hebrews; the failure of the Persians to meet the challenges before them, led to their downfall.

As you walk around our church building and look at the deterioration of the wood siding, you are looking at our history, the test of time. The original church structure (the sanctuary and entry) is 126 years old, having been built in 1906. The back section of our building (our offices, pantry area, the kitchen, and fellowship hall) were built in 1957, almost 70 years ago. The weathering of the building is a visible testament to the countless people served and years of dedication offered.

Who can Calculate the Faithfulness it Represents?

Who can weigh out the Suffering Alleviated?

Who can Determine what the Guidance of those Many Years is Worth?

We are about to begin a Capital Campaign for the exterior walls of our church. Because we find ourselves in a newly defined “flood plain,” we need to cover our church in “non-permeable material” to protect it from future water damage. The cost of such a project is $225,000. We take refuge in our faith and await the bright tomorrow ahead of us and ask ourselves what is the “Handwriting on the Wall”? Will we meet the challenge? What will our future be? Our missions, our worship, the guidance we offer to others are hanging in the balance.

Some will say our misfortune was forced upon us by others; some will say we are paying for a situation we did not create, and it is unjust. Yet we know, God takes particular interest in our faithful- ness, is weighing out our situation, and will guide us accordingly.

Rev. John Hughes                                                                                           October 2025