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There are lots of ways to think about this particular Sunday and the way it falls in the Christian calendar. For Instance, I heard an expression this week calling this Sunday the “Sunday of the Real Absence”. Such a Sunday is used to recognize that Jesus has ascended; the disciples have walked back into Jerusalem. The disciples were excited, sacred and willing to be patient for whatever God had next for them. Thing is, there is according to Luke’s Gospel some time to wait between Christ’s Ascension and the coming of the Paraklete. It is not that this was idle time though. The Church was still praying for the Spirit to come. The Church was still expecting the kingdom to come. And the Church still had to be the Church while it was waiting for the nest step to begin.
It is counter to everything that our culture teaches and preaches… you remember? Maybe I can sum that up this way, “Just do it.” You figure it out and make it happen so you can be the hero or heroine. The white knight in shinny armour on his white charger. There is a real need for the “go to” girl. But the Church waited. They worked while the waited. They slept while they waited. They ate and drank while they waited. They prayed while they waited. Jesus promised it won’t be long. And when has he not been faithful to a promise?
Perhaps it is because we are not as good at keeping our promises that we find it hard to wait for things. Or maybe that’s because we figure we have to do this with our own muscle and our own brains to make the Church work. Maybe it is because we believe we can see what needs to be done and all we need to do is, well… do it. There is a spiritual problem in such an attitude. We see ourselves in it, but what about God. Is God in it? Has God moved in and shown us the way that we should walk and move and do his will? Whatever the reason is, we seem to like to plunge head first into things without being willing to wait. The first great act of the Church was to wait and be patient until God moved.
We are not required as the Church to be the brains behind the mission nor are we expected to move solely on our own power. The Church can and does do many good things. But how often do we wait to be ready and to see God make the first move. We need to remember that the Ascension is not the final act of Jesus. Rather, it is a move on the part of Jesus to come back to his place of power and authority that he might enable his Church to be Church and to fulfill the mission of God through him. The Church in this Ascensiontide then needs to stop and consider who their power and authority for mission comes from. The Ascension does not mean that Jesus is done but rather is ready to draw us in to help us participate in the redemption of the people and the world around us. Jesus reigns over all creation. He has been given the power and authority from the Father to reign over heaven and earth. Jesus is still the head of the Church and we are called to follow him into the kingdom and the life that the kingdom brings. In a real way, we are living in Acts 29. We are called to be the witnesses of Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension in all the world. Easter is still happening and it is more than resurrection. It is exaltation. It is glorification. It is ascension. He is not gone from us. Jesus is not absent from his Church. He is with us through his Spirit. Let us proclaim that this week in his name.
It is counter to everything that our culture teaches and preaches… you remember? Maybe I can sum that up this way, “Just do it.” You figure it out and make it happen so you can be the hero or heroine. The white knight in shinny armour on his white charger. There is a real need for the “go to” girl. But the Church waited. They worked while the waited. They slept while they waited. They ate and drank while they waited. They prayed while they waited. Jesus promised it won’t be long. And when has he not been faithful to a promise?
Perhaps it is because we are not as good at keeping our promises that we find it hard to wait for things. Or maybe that’s because we figure we have to do this with our own muscle and our own brains to make the Church work. Maybe it is because we believe we can see what needs to be done and all we need to do is, well… do it. There is a spiritual problem in such an attitude. We see ourselves in it, but what about God. Is God in it? Has God moved in and shown us the way that we should walk and move and do his will? Whatever the reason is, we seem to like to plunge head first into things without being willing to wait. The first great act of the Church was to wait and be patient until God moved.
We are not required as the Church to be the brains behind the mission nor are we expected to move solely on our own power. The Church can and does do many good things. But how often do we wait to be ready and to see God make the first move. We need to remember that the Ascension is not the final act of Jesus. Rather, it is a move on the part of Jesus to come back to his place of power and authority that he might enable his Church to be Church and to fulfill the mission of God through him. The Church in this Ascensiontide then needs to stop and consider who their power and authority for mission comes from. The Ascension does not mean that Jesus is done but rather is ready to draw us in to help us participate in the redemption of the people and the world around us. Jesus reigns over all creation. He has been given the power and authority from the Father to reign over heaven and earth. Jesus is still the head of the Church and we are called to follow him into the kingdom and the life that the kingdom brings. In a real way, we are living in Acts 29. We are called to be the witnesses of Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension in all the world. Easter is still happening and it is more than resurrection. It is exaltation. It is glorification. It is ascension. He is not gone from us. Jesus is not absent from his Church. He is with us through his Spirit. Let us proclaim that this week in his name.
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