Blessed Ascension Day

Ascension of Our Lord
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 during 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 toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 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."

Here is another one of those marvelous moments when we are reminded of the futility of clinging to our need to know.

Here's a simple truth about the way things work. We see a miniscule amount of what is going on as God's Love continually transforms all. It is not for us to know about timing or sequence or point of completion.

So what are we to do? Well, it seems clear that we aren't supposed to stand around doing nothing. But at the same time we err when we try to run ahead down the path and make things happen more quickly than God wills.

Just last weekend at our CRLC Dual Board retreat we reflected upon the many, many aspects of ministry that are being called into new life....and the reality that many previously unknown things are being born. Some folks expressed a bit of frustration that things seem to move slowly ... that there isn't always adequate clarity about how things are proceeding.

Then it popped out of my mouth: When it comes to the birth of God's plans, we can't induce labor.

All we really need to know is that God is doing something...and that it is very, very good. Christ is with us...at all times and in all places... The Holy Spirit moves us along the path to new life and it is simply up to us to accept that in faith....and then get on with getting on....loving God and serving others.

It sounds so simple....why do we make it so hard?