Preacher's Post

Submitted by Executive Direc... on May 1, 2008 - 5:40pm.

The Word: Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 1:6-14
Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36
1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11
John 17:1-11

mystical glory, sharing in suffering

Quotable Words:

"All social movements and organization were born of pain." ~ Matthew Fox

"Ascension means a
God-like view of things,
Rising about our usual
Limitations.
Rise, then, and know
The glory of a life
Set free from fear." ~ Ann Lewin

Preached Words:

a portion of a sermon preached for Ascension Sunday

"...In Luke’s words in the Book of Acts, which is the second half of Luke’s gospel, the disciples left behind must wait, wait for a sign of what to do, wait for power, God’s power, God’s presence. How do they wait? What do they need for this work? They wait in prayer, together.

In John’s words, written several decades after Luke, after Jesus, written to a group of people long separated from the temple, a people struggling to be a community of faith, we see Jesus getting ready to leave his friends. John’s imagination places us within this intimate gathering of friends, within hearing distance of Jesus’ parting words. We see Jesus looking up, in the traditional Jewish posture for prayer. We eavesdrop on that mystical voice and we hear the metaphors of prayer.

He is leaving, and he wants them to be safe, to be close still to him, to God, to the source of their strength for the work they are to do, the healing work of bringing others close to God. He doesn’t give them a plan. He gives them the key to eternity. Eternity, he tells them, is not future life. Eternity is knowing, intimate knowing. Eternity is this moment, when the moment is lived in awareness of God. In this awareness, he prays, they will know God is in them and they are in God. They will know what they need..."

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