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SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2008

THE SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

THE SUNDAY AFTER THE ASCENSION

Acts 1:1-14 (When you're not sure what to do)

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TODAY’S SERMON THEME:

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1. Some things will remain in my mind forever. One example: Nearly 15 years ago, I became the rector of a large parish in a very large city. In the six months before I started, the church had gone through unthinkable, unspeakable, unbearable, incomprehensible pain, anguish, and turmoil. Words like "murder," "abuse," "death," and "betrayal" were used to describe the things that had happened there. When Dixie and I arrived, we were immediately overwhelmed by the things these people had gone through. The pain, anguish, anxiety, and confusion were tangible. You could literally FEEL them. We immediately realized that we were completely incapable of dealing with the situation. We were powerless. Only God could address the deep spiritual pain that was so pervasive. There are times in life when all you can really do is STOP, WAIT, and PRAY. And this was one of those times. And that is what we did. As individuals. As families. As ministry groups. As a parish. We prayed. And we prayed. And we prayed. And then we conducted a week-long prayer VIGIL -- after we had been there three months. For 168 straight hours (seven full days), we kept vigil in the parish's Upper Room prayer chapel. Our people were at prayer for 168 straight hours -- one person at a time, one hour at a time, one prayer request at a time. And all of it centered on the little upstairs chapel at the church. One person at a time, starting with ME, lives were changed. Hearts were changed. Emotions were changed. One person at a time, we began to see miracles taking place all around us. During our five years at that parish, we continued to hold week-long prayer vigils twice a year -- during Holy Week and during the week of All Saints day. And we held weekly prayer-and-praise services and weekly healing masses as well. We prayed, first of all, for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit -- for the POWER of God to turn our hearts to Him alone. And we prayed for each other. For victims and criminals. For the living and for the dead. After five years, the average Sunday attendance of the parish had DOUBLED -- to almost 400 a week -- and 10 "house churches" were meeting during the week in neighborhoods all around us. God is good, ALL the time. Even when we can't see Him, hear Him, or feel Him.

2. I may be at one of those moments in my life right now. Right this very minute, in fact. I KNOW that God is good, all the time. But I am facing one of those all-too-frequent moments of confusion and chaos. As most of you know, I fell on the ice two months ago -- on March 1 -- and shattered my right wrist. I had surgery on March 5 and was making slow but steady progress. My final cast came off two weeks ago and I have been doing regular physical therapy. Things seemed to be going well, though I was having more and more trouble with some of the wrist exercises. On Thursday of this past week, I got the news from my surgeon: Things are NOT going well in my wrist and I'm going to need additional surgery -- probably tomorrow or Tuesday. The steel plate and screws in my wrist will (more than likely) be removed, and a new plate and screws will be inserted, probably on the OTHER side of my wrist. (I broke both the radius and the ulna bones when I fell.) In addition, there are a couple of other repaired shards that will need to be repositioned. Just when I was starting to play the piano again. Just when I was starting to play the guitar again. Just when I was starting to feel better doing simple things with my right hand, again. Things like brushing my teeth, combing my hair, cutting with a knife, tying my shoes, buttoning my shirt buttons, playing with the dog and cats. And now more surgery. I am literally at one of those moments when all you can do is STOP, WAIT, and PRAY. (STOP fixating on things that are beyond my control. WAIT for God’s merciful presence. PRAY for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.)

3. The main point I want to make this morning is this:

During those frequent moments in life when hope disappears, confusion reigns, problems increase, and answers float silently away, we must remember to do three simple things: Stop. Wait. Pray. Staring anxiously into space won't help. Only an infusion of God's POWER can sustain us through life's catastrophes. (STOP fixating on things that are beyond our control. WAIT for God’s merciful presence. PRAY for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.)

4. Now, can you just imagine what the apostles of the Lord felt when Jesus was taken UP out of their sight into heaven, leaving them standing on the Mount of Olives looking up into the clouds? Can you just imagine? It was 40 days after the Lord had risen from the dead, on the first Easter morning. For more than seven weeks, Jesus -- in His glorified, resurrected Body -- had met with them, spoken with them, broken bread with them, teaching them the wonderful mysteries of the Kingdom of God. If ever there were a graduate course in Christian theology, THIS WAS IT. I suspect that the apostles hung onto EVERY WORD that proceeded from His mouth. I suspect that they YEARNED for Him each and every day that He spent with them. I suspect that they had moved dramatically from PAIN, SORROW, ANGUISH, and CONFUSION following Jesus’ crucifixion and death to HOPE, JOY, and LOVE during his 40 days with them. And then, suddenly, He led them out of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives and left them. Suddenly, He was taken out of their sight. Suddenly, He was gone again. And there they were. Alone again. Can you imagine what they were feeling? Our first lesson today from Acts Chapter One tells us the details:

(1) As they gathered during those days after Easter, the apostles were told to remain in Jerusalem and to WAIT for “the promise of the Father,” the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, their heavenly empowerment. “You heard me tell you,” Jesus said, “that John baptized with water, but before many more days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus tells them to STOP fixating on things that are beyond their control.

(2) And so they did. The 11 apostles (Judas Iscariot had taken his own life on Good Friday) STOPPED what they were doing, they WAITED for the promised empowerment, and they PRAYED. And prayed. And prayed. For 40 days, they did precisely and specifically what Jesus told them to do. “If you really love me,” Jesus told them on Maundy Thursday, “you will do what I command you to do.”

(3) On the 40th day after Easter, Jesus led them out of the city to the Mount of Olives, where the apostles had an important question for Him: “Lord, at this time will you restore the Kingdom to Israel?” In other words, was this the time of the end? Would the messianic kingdom of David be brought back? Would the Romans be kicked out and God’s Kingdom restored? (People are still asking this question today. Only it is phrased in terms of the “end times.”)

(4) Jesus’ answer to them also applies to our questions about the “end times.” “This is NOT for you to know,” Jesus said. “The Father has fixed these things on His own authority . . .” and . . . basically . . . it is none of your business. Instead of fixating on things beyond your control, Jesus reminds them to STOP, WAIT, and PRAY . . . and they will be EMPOWERED by the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses (and His martyrs) RIGHT NOW. In the present tense.

(5) And then, as they are listening to Him and looking at Him, HE IS LIFTED UP FROM THEM . . . TAKEN AWAY . . . DISAPPEARING INTO THE CLOUDS. And they are left standing there, gazing upwards. Suddenly two angels appear and ask the pointed question: “Men of Galilee. WHY are you standing here staring up into the clouds?” And the angels remind them of Jesus’ words. And, so, the apostles returned to the Upper Room in Jerusalem to do three things: STOP fixating on things that are beyond their control. WAIT for the coming of the Holy Spirit. And PRAY. Stop. Wait. Pray.

5. You know, some days life comes at us really hard. Some days it seems that the whole deck of cards is about to come tumbling down. Some days it appears that CHAOS, CONFUSION, and DESPAIR are getting the upper hand in our lives. Some days are like that. MANY days are like that. Maybe you have been there recently. Maybe you are there right now. I know that I am. I am right there in the middle of it. So I am reminding myself this morning, on this Sunday AFTER the Day of Ascension (the Sunday BEFORE the Day of Pentecost) . . . that God is good. All the time. Even when we can’t see Him, hear Him, or feel Him.

During those moments when hope disappears, confusion reigns, problems increase, and answers float silently away, we must remember to Stop. Wait. Pray. Staring anxiously into space won't help. Only an infusion of God's POWER can sustain us through life's catastrophes.