Reflections on Ascension - Acts 1:1-11 - "Left Behind"

Read the Ascension text here: Acts 1:1-11


            Several weeks ago a "Rev." Harold Camping announced and a number of believers were truly expecting the end of the world.  May 21 – absolutely – it can’t be wrong.  All the calculations pointed to this date.  So, huddled and expectant they waited.  In a way they were gazing into the heavens watching and hoping and expecting.  And it was evening and it was morning – no rapture!  This is not too surprising actually.  There have been any number of predictions going back to the 19th century and they have all been wrong.  And, I can myself predict with certainty that future predictions will also be wrong.  Why?  Well, for starters Jesus specifically commands folks NOT to even try predicting.  But there are other reasons as well and these reasons all come together around the Feast of Ascension.
            First, one assumption of these predictions is that the world is so evil that God will destroy the world.  This is the first mistake.  In fact, this is completely non-biblical (as is the entire Rapture theology for that matter).  When God created the heavens and the earth, at the end of each day we read that God looked on what God had made and saw that it was good.  Actually the Hebrew is the word “TOV.”  God pronounced the work of creating the earth and everything that is as being TOV – fantastic – amazing – awesome.!  The word “TOV” implies excitement; it implies that God was so excited by God’s work of creation that God could hardly keep from dancing!  And throughout the Old Testament – despite the problems – God constantly reaffirms God’s love and commitment to this amazing creation.  In fact God is so filled with love and commitment for the creation that God is born in Jesus.
            Second, the Acts text is one of my favorite New Testament stories.  Jesus leads the disciples out to Bethany, says goodbye and ascends to heaven.  The disciples stand there watching, gazing into the heavens.  Finally an angel (messenger) tells the disciples to stop gazing into the sky, to lower their gaze, look around and get to work.  How often are we tempted to gaze into the sky looking for God?  How often do we miss God at work in the midst of the world all around us because we are looking in the wrong place – into the sky.  Like the disciples we need to lower our gaze, look around at God’s creation and get to work.
            Finally, what is this work that we are called to?  It is everything that we are engaged in – what we do day in and day out.  Any work that contributes to the community, builds up others, provides sustenance – that is the work of everyday life: our vocations, family life, play, civic involvement, volunteer work – all of it honors the Father who created this world TOV.  This is why we have been "left behind" – and this is a good thing (it is TOV) – Jesus leaves his disciples behind for the good of the world which God loves so that they might do works of love and grace and be open vessels of God’s love in the midst of this wonderful creation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Funeral Sermon on John 14

Once more I have had the unpleasant experience of having to listen to a "pastor" expound on the John 14 text in a way which focuses exclusively on "what we get when we get to heaven." Central to this position is the insistence that "you better believe in Jesus - have a personal relationship with Jesus" or else you won't be getting one of those nice mansions." This is not the Gospel and it is not what this text is saying. In fact I find this approach to funeral sermons to be reprehensible as it subjects vulnerable and grieving men and women to a manipulative religious diatribe which is totally irrelevant to the occasion - the loss of a loved one. Not only that, but I have experienced also the dishonesty of evangelical "pastors" enlisting the deceased in their manipulation (e.g. Mildred believed in Jesus so you all should be like Mildred and believe in Jesus). This is NOT the Gospel. This is manipulation and it is irresponsible. So, for al...
Read more

Reflections on the text: Genesis 33:1-11

Image
Please note - I am replacing the Lectionary text appointed for Proper 14 with this text. This text is the climax of the narrative we have been hearing for the previous 3 weeks.  I will say that I think it odd that this text was not included in the series of texts appointed this summer.  Leaving the story and jumping to the Joseph cycle over this climactic story is kind of like following Captain Ahab on his quest for Moby Dick and then jumping to a new story just about the time that they lower the whaling boats.  So, here is the climax of the story:  Genesis 33:1-11 Confrontation! As morning breaks Jacob moves from his campsite and there he sees his brother approaching with 400 (armed?) men.   After the experiences of the previous night his fear and foreboding seems to have been replaced with a sense of inevitability.   He spent the night wrestling with an unknown and unknowable assailant and in the morning he has determined that in this assailant he h...
Read more

Reflections on the text – “David and Goliath”

Image
Read the text here: I Samuel 17:1-49 Five Smooth Stones* Of all the stories in the Old Testament perhaps there is none which is as well-known and well-loved as this story of the little shepherd boy, David, defeating the big, well-armed Philistine champion Goliath. The entire construct of this story – the little guy defeats the big guy - has entered into our national consciousness and is often referred to when a small community, for example, is able to prevail over some large corporate conglomerate.  But there is a lot more to this story, so much more in fact, that it is impossible in one week to examine the story completely.  In preparation for this week I read a number of articles and sermons – one of the best is an essay on the nature of religious violence: “After He Killed Him, He Cut Off His Head: David, Goliath and Sacred Violence” by Dan Clendenin – find it at: http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20090615JJ.shtml   So, what is your exper...
Read more