Awaiting the "Go" sign!

Just where did Jesus go? And how are we to be his followers no if we cannot see him? Perhaps it is in the words of the angels, who are standing there with the disciples and ask them this simple question, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?” (Acts 1.11) The Ascension is not a goodbye or even a farewell. It is a hold on a minute, I’ll be back.”

But then you need to go further back in the Gospel of Luke (24.36-53) to the last of Jesus’ appearances in the upper room. The very same room where they celebrated that last meal together and from they went to the Mount of Olives where Jesus was taken, arrested and led away to his crucifixion. Jesus came to them and spoke his peace over them. He had to continue to show himself to them for them to believe that it was truly himself. As a final proof, he asked for something to eat and they gave him a piece of broiled fish. How many ghost or dead men do you know that can eat a piece of fish? And what did they talk about while Jesus ate his piece of fish? Were they quieted by awe and wonder or struck dumb by incredible impossibility

Then he took the extraordinary step of taking the time to sit down with them and open their minds to see and understand what the Scriptures said about him. It was one last attempt to really know Jesus and his true nature. It would vital for the disciples to know these things in the days ahead. They would be going out into the world and acting like crazy people, like Jesus and everyone else would recognize this.

It would be important to know the Scriptures because knowing who God is and what God has promised to his people aids us in what we need to do.  Knowing and studying the word of God allows for us to see and to know God. Having Jesus speak God’s peace over us is the covering we need to have the staying power necessary to do ministry in the places and spaces to where God calls us.  God’s word spoken over us, moves us from fear to faith; from misery to mercy; and from ignorance into mystery with awe and wonder. But it is so much more to the Christian life than that.

I remember preaching one Sunday morning about the necessity of discipleship in the Church. I thought I had done a reasonable job. I made lots of eye contact After the service I had a dear older soul come to me and quietly whisper to me, “Sir, that was a pretty good message, but I don’t need to be a Christian. I am an Anglican.”  Please understand she was thinking I wanted her to become Pentecostal rather than Anglican and that was not going to happen. She was a dyed in the wool Anglican and was not about to become something else.

So think I need to say two important things. The first is that all baptized people are followers of the Lord Jesus. We are all members of his Body. Anglican, Pentecostal, Roman, United, Baptist: We are all God's children. We need to know him in this life so that our lives can be different. That is what worship is for: so that we can see and hear and know Jesus through sacrament and in each other. We worship so that we can witness to the community beyond the sacrament so that we can show them who Jesus is and draw them into his presence. Sometimes it will happen fast whole other times it will be a long, slow process.

What do you do when you have been blessed and are waiting for the “go” sign? It seems clear that Luke thinks it should be about being in the presence of God for prayer and worship – for us as vessels to be filled to the brim with everything that God has for us and for those around us.

How do we continue the mission? We follow the footsteps of Christ in the dirt and we follow the lead of the Spirit in our hearts and minds. They need to be and are one. We pray to be led and then we act as we believe we are led by the Spirit. Do I and can we as communities of ministry make mistakes? Yes. We can. All of us can and do make mistakes. But on the other hand, I have never found myself in a place and space where God could not use me because I have prayed and stepped out in faith to follow my Master. We are blessed at the end of worship but we often don’t know for what until we get there and that is okay. 

Where did Jesus go? He went home but he’ll be right back.

Jason+