Looking Up, Looking Around (MPLS)

Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 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; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 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.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards 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.’

I want you to use your imagination. Suppose you were crowned king or queen of the land, and you had virtually unlimited power to effect change. What would you do? Maybe something big and bold: clean up our lakes and rivers; end the war in Ukraine; stop the spread of Covid. Maybe you’d do something closer to home: provide mental health support for our children and youth; an abundance of baby formula on supermarket shelves; well-paying jobs for those who are looking. Maybe you’d do something socially conscious: eliminate hunger; make sure everyone has a warm bed at night; put an end to crime in our community. Or maybe you’d want to do something fun: arrange for an all-expenses-paid, dream vacation for those who need to get away. And on top of everything, could you please find a way for the Minnesota Vikings to win the Super Bowl this year — is that too much to ask?

Why spend time naming these things? Because they remind us of our hopes and dreams for the way we’d like the world to be. People will be naming some of their hopes and dreams for Bethlehem when we get together this week with John Noltner. The lists will vary, but no doubt everyone is looking for something. And they’re waiting and hoping for the day when it will be so.

The disciples had spent the last 40 days with the Risen Christ. Good Friday and Easter had come and gone. Jesus made a concerted effort to connect with his heartbroken followers. He shared thoughts of the kingdom of God. He assured them the Holy Spirit would be coming soon. But first they needed to return to Jerusalem, and specifically, they needed to wait and pray. 

Let’s be honest, waiting and praying is hard. We’re tired of Covid and masks. Enough already. And our children and youth could use mental health support now. And Bethlehem needs to get on the same page as soon as possible, right? Indeed, waiting and praying can be just about the hardest thing in the world.

Maybe that’s because everyone is looking for something, and they’re often not the same. As Jesus was preparing the disciples for his departure, they had a question: “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” It feels like an out-of-place question, doesn’t it? Israel had been under the iron grip of Rome for decades. They had hopes of a pivotal king — a messiah — to come and deliver them. But wasn’t that Jesus, and his cross and resurrection? Perhaps Jesus’ followers had never completely given up their longing for the glory of Israel. Still, their question seemed a far cry from the drumbeat of the Galilean rabbi they’d been following around for the past three years.

As I read through the gospels, there was often tension for those who met up with Jesus. He embodied the kingdom or the reign of God, but he regularly challenged people in the process. He seemed to care more about healing the sick than hobnobbing with the well; more about looking after the poor than filling people’s pockets; more about loving one’s neighbor than hating one’s enemy. What do you think — would 40 more days with Jesus be enough to remind his followers of his vision for the reign of God? Maybe. Maybe not.

Evidently, hopes of glory and power and restoring the kingdom to Israel can run deep. So, as Jesus prepares to leave, he promises them a completely different kind of power, a Spirit-generated power, the same Spirit that had empowered him during his ministry. And Jesus hints that it will be power with a purpose: not to build an army to go up against Rome, but to take the good news of the Risen Christ throughout the Roman world. Jesus’ followers will be witnesses to this. They won’t know exactly what’s coming, and when? But if they go with the Spirit, they may turn the world upside down. First, they need to return to Jerusalem. First, they need to wait and pray.

Do I need to remind you? In a world of instant everything and high-speed internet and microwave dinners, waiting often gets the best of us. Waiting and praying as followers of Jesus can imply that there are things that need doing in our world that are beyond our ability to do them. Let me say this another way: waiting and praying suggest that our best-laid plans are usually not enough without help from beyond. And one more way: waiting and praying indicate that the gift of the Spirit is never an assured possession of the church. It’s a gift, and we must ask the Spirit to come again and again.

Clearly, finding a way forward for the early church — for any church — is no easy task. Jesus has shown us what the reign of God might look like. He has lived that reign, been willing to die for that reign, and now has been raised to life. He is ready to pour out his Spirit upon his struggling, uncertain band of followers. And that’s good. They’re going to need plenty of help to get started.  

Our story today has two main themes: one, the language of resurrection and victory over death; the other, the language of ascension, the Risen Christ soon to be enthroned at the right hand of God. Both themes will show up on Pentecost.  

The life of the Risen Christ will be poured out upon his followers through the Holy Spirit. Here’s why this is important: when things go poorly in the church — and at times they will — when plans fall apart and chaos is threatened, it’s good to know that someone is in charge. In the words of the ancient Ascension Day anthem, Deus Ascendit, “God has gone up.” God has not gone away, mind you, but has gone up to empower the church for what lies ahead. Our Chorale anthem this morning suggests something similar: “God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet… God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness. Sing praises unto our King.” Yes, the Risen Christ has gone up, but he’s not gone away! No, he’s breathing life and power and direction into our church anytime we need it, which is to say: always!

Everyone is looking for something these days. Deep in our hearts, just like those early disciples, we have hopes and dreams of the way the world is supposed to be. We’re not only looking up as Jesus is leaving. We’re looking around at the enormity of the challenges we face. We can’t help but see them! So Jesus provides a pause for the church between Ascension and Pentecost. Ten days. “Wait and pray,” he says. “The Spirit will come soon enough, and unlock your doors, and send you out into the world. I have gone up,” he promises, “but I have not gone away! Don’t think for a minute that you can do this without me!”  

We’re almost done forming our Transition Team at Bethlehem. I’ll be sending out an email with more details this coming week. This is part of our effort to wait and to pray — and let’s not forget, to listen to each other. It’s a reminder that there are things that need doing in our world and church that are far beyond our ability to accomplish on our own.  

A primary question of the Transition Team will be the one mentioned earlier: “What are your hopes and dreams for what we at Bethlehem can create together.”  From my limited time here, I’m expecting a wide range of answers. Things like: 1) continue in the strong traditions of Bethlehem, including worship; 2) plan effective programs engaging our children, youth, and young adults; 3) look out and care for those in our church family who are hurting; 4) share out of our abundance with those who could use a helping hand; 5) build up our online ministry — it’s here to stay; 6) take steps to return to normalcy coming out of Covid; 7)) take care of our planet; 8) stand up for racial equality in a world of George Floyd; 9) work through partisan issues dividing our communities, churches and families; and last but not least, 10) live more fully into the mission of Bethlehem becoming together, sharing in the work of God’s vision for a healed world.

This is a tall order! There will be other suggestions, too. Everyone is looking for something. That’s the kind of world we live in. We look up as Jesus ascends. We wait and we pray. We look around. And often as we do, it just about breaks our hearts. We’ve been profoundly saddened to watch the people of Buffalo, New York with tears in their eyes and a question of why on their lips.  Why did a young man like Payton Gendron hate us so much?   One-by-one these residents are having to say goodbye to those who were killed last Saturday, persons they loved: fathers, grandmothers, retired police officers, activists, substitute teachers, food shelf founders, church deacons. They had names: Ruth, Roberta, Aaron, Heyward, Pearl, Geraldaine, Celestine, Katherine, Margus, and Andrew. They had families. We do well to listen to their stories and feel a bit of their pain and remember the tears of all who mourn.  

Friends, suppose you were crowned king or queen of the land, and you had virtually unlimited power to effect change, what would you do? Hopefully, put an end to such horrific shootings! Of course, we are only imagining today, and truth be told, there are things that need doing in our world that are beyond our ability to do them, at least by our own effort. 

But never forget: we’ve got help!  The Risen Christ has gone up, not gone away, but gone up to empower the church for what lies ahead. We cannot do anything truly worthwhile without him! Amen.