Dearest e-votees,
This Thursday is the day in which the church commemorates the Ascension. Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead Jesus departs from this earth. Jesus leaves the disciples but not alone. The Holy Spirit will descend upon them with fire and prophecy, promise and vision in 10 more days.
Where is that promised Holy Spirit now? Where do we look? How do we wait? How do we trust? Blow through us again and again dear Holy Spirit.
Peace,
Karl
------------
1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:1-11, NRSV
This is the second installment of the writings to Theophilus (literally God (theo-) lover (-philus)). Maybe Theophilus is a literal person. Maybe it is addressed by Luke to all of us who are being drawn into a love relationship with God. Quite possibly it is both-and.
Jesus has done all that was required. He did what he did on the cross--defeating sin, death and the devil. Even in the throes of an excruciating death he prayed for enemies, welcomed sinners and cared for his disciples and his mother. Jesus bore what we would not and could not. Jesus destroyed the separation between us and God which was symbolized in the tearing of the sanctuary curtain. We are free to enter God's holy presence and, as Peter Mayer sings, God is Loose in the World. The time-splitting, history-changing insertion of God becoming one of us and stepping into the world is done.
But, before Jesus returns, he lingers for a while to comfort and assure his disciples. Jesus shows his wounds. He breaks bread with his disciples. He feeds them familiar food with fish and bread. He reminds them of all he had told them that has come to pass. And he reminds them of what he has told them that is yet to happen. He spends 40 days, a very holy and significant number, with his disciples showing them convincing proofs. And he tells them to wait. To wait for the Spirit which will guide and comfort them, remind and cajole them, fill them and spill from them.
The disciples see Jesus leave and all they can do is look to where they saw him with longing eyes and slacked jaws. How about us? Do we ever get unsettled by the moves of God. We stare at what we have known or where we have last seen God and perhaps miss looking just where God has been pointing? The Holy Spirit is alive and loose in the world. Have we the courage and the faith to see her stirring? We are people clothed and bathed in the Holy Spirit. God dwells in us and sends us to dwell in the world. We are sent to be witnesses near and far, to those like us and to those particularly unlike us.
Sometimes we might feel far from Jesus. We might wonder where God has gone and why God has left us. But Luke assures us that the Holy Spirit is coming and has come and we are never abandoned by God. May we wait and trust in times that the Spirit seems far. May we testify and be bold as the Spirit empowers.
Holy Spirit, have your way with us. Animate us and inspire us and remind us and cajole us all to the glory of God. Amen.
This Thursday is the day in which the church commemorates the Ascension. Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead Jesus departs from this earth. Jesus leaves the disciples but not alone. The Holy Spirit will descend upon them with fire and prophecy, promise and vision in 10 more days.
Where is that promised Holy Spirit now? Where do we look? How do we wait? How do we trust? Blow through us again and again dear Holy Spirit.
Peace,
Karl
------------
1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
This is the second installment of the writings to Theophilus (literally God (theo-) lover (-philus)). Maybe Theophilus is a literal person. Maybe it is addressed by Luke to all of us who are being drawn into a love relationship with God. Quite possibly it is both-and.
Jesus has done all that was required. He did what he did on the cross--defeating sin, death and the devil. Even in the throes of an excruciating death he prayed for enemies, welcomed sinners and cared for his disciples and his mother. Jesus bore what we would not and could not. Jesus destroyed the separation between us and God which was symbolized in the tearing of the sanctuary curtain. We are free to enter God's holy presence and, as Peter Mayer sings, God is Loose in the World. The time-splitting, history-changing insertion of God becoming one of us and stepping into the world is done.
But, before Jesus returns, he lingers for a while to comfort and assure his disciples. Jesus shows his wounds. He breaks bread with his disciples. He feeds them familiar food with fish and bread. He reminds them of all he had told them that has come to pass. And he reminds them of what he has told them that is yet to happen. He spends 40 days, a very holy and significant number, with his disciples showing them convincing proofs. And he tells them to wait. To wait for the Spirit which will guide and comfort them, remind and cajole them, fill them and spill from them.
The disciples see Jesus leave and all they can do is look to where they saw him with longing eyes and slacked jaws. How about us? Do we ever get unsettled by the moves of God. We stare at what we have known or where we have last seen God and perhaps miss looking just where God has been pointing? The Holy Spirit is alive and loose in the world. Have we the courage and the faith to see her stirring? We are people clothed and bathed in the Holy Spirit. God dwells in us and sends us to dwell in the world. We are sent to be witnesses near and far, to those like us and to those particularly unlike us.
Sometimes we might feel far from Jesus. We might wonder where God has gone and why God has left us. But Luke assures us that the Holy Spirit is coming and has come and we are never abandoned by God. May we wait and trust in times that the Spirit seems far. May we testify and be bold as the Spirit empowers.
Holy Spirit, have your way with us. Animate us and inspire us and remind us and cajole us all to the glory of God. Amen.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment