“A man of unclean lips”

Meditation on Isaiah 6:1-8

Trinity Sunday (May 31, 2015)
Here's the video link to this sermon:

Pastor Karen Crawford May 31, 2015 https://vimeo.com/129427406 "Pastor Karen's Sermon for Trinity Sunday."

***

    “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’  Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here I am; send me!’”

***

      My friend, Marylynn, had already been driving 3 and a half hours from her home in Rochester, some of it in the pouring rain, before she pulled into my driveway at 9:15 Tuesday morning. My suitcase was packed and ready to go, but I had a few butterflies in my stomach. Our journey would take both of us to places we had never been and involve another 6 hours of driving northwest through parts of Minnesota and into north-central North Dakota. Sometimes we traveled on smooth highways, but mostly we traveled back roads, some of them poorly marked and full of bumps and ruts. After making some wrong turns and circling back a few times, we learned that you can’t rely solely on maps, Siri, or Internet driving directions, at least not when your ultimate destination is a little church on an Indian Reservation. Lord willing, Marylynn and I will lead a team of about 18 volunteers from our church and First Presbyterian in Rochester to Bdecan Presbyterian Church on Spirit Lake Tribal Nation Aug. 5 through 9. Our journey this week was a 2-day, “up and back” pre-mission, mission trip--a time for us to meet the youth pastor and people in the church and community, check out the facilities and grounds, make lists of items needed, and plan the details of our August trip. We plan to host VBS at the community center in the tiny, unincorporated town of Tokio on the reservation and make some repairs to the church and manse.  That might be the short answer we would give if someone were to ask us why we are going. But that isn’t the “real” reason.

       The real reason we are going is because God has stirred in us compassion for this very needy group of people--especially for the children. While some other volunteers will also be coming to Spirit Lake to do repairs and bring other aid, we are the only group to offer Vacation Bible School this summer. Now some people might question the usefulness or effectiveness of a 3-day VBS for a community plagued by poverty and high rates of drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, suicide, teenage pregnancy, and unemployment. Some might say, “What’s the use of even trying to help when the problem is so huge--and there is only a few people going--and staying only a few days?” They might even ask, “Why aren’t we focusing our full attention to compassionate mission to needy people living right here, instead of driving to serve people in a different culture in a community 6 hours away?”

   Our answer is the call of God--the one who loves the whole world--not just this community or our near neighbors. John 3:16 tells us that God SO loved the whole world that He gave His only Son so that all who believe on Him would not perish in their sins, but would have everlasting life. We go because we feel called. We go because of our faith and desire to be obedient to Him. If we are truly Christians as we say we are, then we believe in the power of God’s Word and Spirit to change lives and heal brokenness of every kind, including broken relationships between God and human beings and people with one another. We go because the same Spirit that convicts us of our own sin and unworthiness compels us to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ and our hope in Him with people living without hope. We go because God has given us so much and we have more than we really need--and there are people who lack comfortable housing, adequate clothing to wear, and sufficient nutritious food to eat. In Matthew 25:37-39, when Jesus tells the parable of the sheep and the goats, the “righteous” ask the King, “ ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

    The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ”

     We go because God asks us, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ and we, like Isaiah, although we are anxious and feel unworthy, respond in faith, “Here I am; send me!”

***

      Isaiah’s vision of the Lord described in Isaiah 6 happens soon after King Uzziah dies around 740 B.C. The king, as Second Chronicles 26 tells us, ruled Judah for 52 years. Under his reign, the kingdom experienced economic prosperity and grew in military power and political influence. But Uzziah “forgot” that he was just an earthly king and challenged the sacred worship of the temple. His arrogance led to his death. Some call this passage Isaiah’s call or commissioning, while others point out that it isn’t placed at the beginning of the book of Isaiah; he is already a prophet! It is also possible that Isaiah was not given this vision of the Lord in His temple until after King Uzziah’s death because of the king’s sin.

    In any case, the passage begins with the sharp contrast of the earthly king who dies because of his sin and the divine King of Kings, seated on his throne, winged seraphs standing in attendance and calling out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts! The whole earth is full of his glory!”  The vision is a stark reminder to us that God is not human, the Lord is distinctly other; and we are not holy. No matter how hard we try to be good, we can never make ourselves worthy before the Lord.

      Isaiah sees the Lord in all His glory and is both terrified that he is going to die and amazed to look upon God’s holiness. The prophet, through whom God wishes to speak, is especially keenly aware of the sins of his mouth. It brings to mind when Jesus tells the Pharisees in Matthew 15:11 that it is not what a man puts into his mouth that defiles him--but what comes out of the mouth that defiles--what he says! Isaiah realizes in an instant that, in spite of his devotion to the Lord, he is a sinful man living in a sinful world. “Woe is me; I am lost!” he says. “I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips. Yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts!”

     But God doesn’t leave Isaiah in his sinful state. God has a plan to use Isaiah, but the Lord must first transform his prophet before he can be used. The Lord sends a seraph--one of his winged, celestial creatures that forever sings God’s praises --to hold a live coal from the altar fire to Isaiah’s mouth. Interestingly, the word “seraph” or “seraphim” occurs only 6 times in the Old Testament and only here in Isaiah 6 describes a celestial being; the other 5 times, “seraph” describes a serpent, such as the poisonous serpents that afflict Israel in Numbers 21:6-8 when they are grumbling in the wilderness. Only after the winged creature purges Isaiah of his sin and guilt does God deem Isaiah “ready” to hear His call.

    “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” the Lord asks.

    Isaiah answers, “Here I am! Send me!”

***

     Friends, I wouldn’t be honest if I told you that Marylynn and I aren’t anxious about this mission trip. We feel called to organize and lead this trip as we feel compassion for the Native American community living on Spirit Lake. Still, it is very hard to feel “ready.” There are so many unknowns and things beyond our control! This is the first time our two churches have gone on a mission trip together; none of us have ever served the Spirit Lake community. We are strangers to them! How will the children and families respond to us? We are also still waiting to hear confirmation from a few prospective volunteers; we still have room for a few more enthusiastic, faithful people to help with VBS. Unfortunately, we don’t know how many children will come, what their ages will be, or if they will have special needs and require assistance. We plan to serve a light breakfast, lunch and snacks for the children each day and have an ice cream social for the children and their families on the last day. But because we don’t know what our attendance will be, we don’t know how much food we need--or how much money we will need to buy the food.

      Our anxieties about a short-term mission trip seem very small, however, when we consider how big our God is--so big that “the whole earth is full of his glory.” So distinctly other is the “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of Hosts.”  The compassion we feel for the needy children and families living at Spirit Lake is nothing compared to the compassion that the God who SO loves the world feels for them. And God’s Word teaches us that being “ready” for what God has called us to do is NOT up to us. We can make all our plans and our lists, but only God can prepare our hearts and minds for the labor that lies ahead.

      We are all a people of “unclean lips”--sinful people, living in sinful times. For God to use us, we must first humble ourselves before Him, and allow Him to transform us. And He will, by His mercy and grace, just as He did for Isaiah, who responded in faith when he heard the Lord say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” “Here I am; send me!”

Let us pray.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of Hosts, we praise you for your glory that fills the earth! We thank you for loving the world SO much that you gave your only Son so that all who believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life with you. Thank you for your call to all of us--a people of unclean lips--and your promise to transform us, more and more, into the image of your Son so that you may use us for Your saving work. Forgive us if we ever respond to your voice with anxiety, doubts, or fear. Build up our faith and strengthen us with your wisdom, joy and peace to walk in the ways you lead us. Help us to know how to minister to people in need, especially the children who live at Spirit Lake. Prepare their hearts to receive your Word and be filled with new hope as you prepare us to proclaim your gospel through acts of kindness, generosity, and love. In Christ we pray. Amen.

    

“Dry Bones, Hear the Word of the Lord”

Meditation on Ezekiel 37:1-14

May 24--Pentecost--2015

    

     “The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

      So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’”

***

    I am happy to share with you two exciting things that happened this week. The first is that our newly forming “Nurture” group met for the first time on Tuesday night. So far, the group is small--but mighty! They have hearts of compassion and they are generous, giving of themselves and their time to make visits and calls, send cards and bring hope and joy to the sick, elderly and shut in, lonely, and otherwise needy in our congregation. We will meet about once a month for prayer, sharing, and a brief lesson from Stephen Ministry founder Kenneth C. Haugk’s book, Christian Caregiving: a Way of Life. My main purpose for organizing this group is to encourage and help build up the people who have been so faithful to quietly and lovingly minister to others, humbly using their spiritual gifts for God’s purposes. I want each of them to know that they have everything they need to minister if they keep the Word of God in their hearts and allow themselves to be guided by the Spirit that lives within us. They are Christ’s peaceful presence amidst the suffering, a healing balm and tool of comfort as they love and serve the Lord by caring for God’s people.

      Then on Thursday, our confirmation students completed their program by sharing their faith statements with session. And we rejoiced in the Spirit, that rushing, “violent” wind that first came to us at Pentecost and continues to live and move and breathe and work among us. We cannot take credit for this new generation of sheep in our flock. We can only give thanks for the Spirit’s work, leading one lamb at a time to accept God’s mercy and grace and seek to follow God’s Son, Jesus Christ. 

      We expect a lot of our confirmation students--as we do all of our active members. We have all vowed to be Christ’s faithful disciples, obeying His Word and showing his love. We have all promised to be “a faithful member of this congregation,” to “share in its worship and ministry” through our “prayers and gifts” and “study and service,” fulfilling our calling to be Christ’s faithful disciples.  Friends, it is good for us to regularly examine ourselves and consider if we are, indeed, keeping our vows and living out our calling as active members. For we can’t expect our youngest members to keep the vows they made today and live out their calling to be Christ’s faithful if we don’t help them by encouraging them and setting a good example for them to follow.

    Our constitution of the Church tells us the ministry of members, “is a joy and a privilege. It is also a commitment to participate in Christ’s mission. A faithful member bears witness to God’s love and grace and promises to be involved responsibly in the ministry of Christ’s Church. Such involvement includes: proclaiming the good news in word and deed, taking part in the common life and worship of a congregation, lifting one another up in prayer, mutual concern, and active support, studying Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life, supporting the ministry of the church through the giving of money, time and talents, demonstrating a new quality of life within and through the church, responding to God’s activity in the world through service to others, living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural, and social relationships of life, working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment, participating in the governing responsibilities of the church, and reviewing and evaluating regularly the integrity of one’s membership, and considering ways in which one’s participation in the worship and service of the church may be increased and made more meaningful.”

***

    Studying the Pentecost Scriptures this week, I began to see the question of fulfilling our calling to be Christ’s faithful disciples as not a question of whether we are doing what Christ has called us to do, but, instead, a question of whether we have the faith to live out the calling. For what we say and do comes from what we believe--not just what we say we believe, but what we truly carry in our hearts and hold so dearly that we cannot help but seek to live it out.

     Our belief in the Holy Spirit is foundational to our faith! We talk about the Spirit’s work and seeking to be guided by the Spirit all the time in the PC (USA). In fact, our denominational logo is a blue cross with three symbols of the Spirit; 2 red flames burst from the base and a descending dove forms the top of the cross.

     The Spirit in God’s Word opens our hearts and minds to the truth, convicts us of our sins, and transforms us into new creatures in Christ. At Pentecost, the Spirit is poured out on the whole assembly --not just select individuals-- as they gather for worship and prayer. The Spirit enables the disciples to proclaim the gospel in the native languages of the devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. The Spirit that enters us at baptism continues to dwell with us as God’s people, uniting us in Christ. The Spirit empowers us with gifts, such as love, joy, gentleness, kindness and patience. The Spirit reveals God’s will; and enables us to obey.

     But a major problem in congregations today is that so many have lost faith in the power and presence of God’s Spirit with us. We are tempted to place our trust in worldly things, such as our own logic, experiences, or worldly wealth and ideas that lead us to measure congregational “success” by number of members or children in Sunday school.

    But the biggest temptation of all for churches, I believe, is focusing too much on MONEY, giving money too much power and importance to the ministry of our congregation. As human beings, we are rarely satisfied with the money that we have--no matter how much we have! We always want more and think we need more. This is how money can become an idol in the church. Yes, we need to be good stewards of God’s resources. And we are called to give generously and joyfully to the Lord! But we can easily move from good stewardship to idolatry if we stop relying on the guidance and power of the Spirit and begin to rely on our own ability to provide for ourselves and make ourselves “successful” by worldly means! Likewise, if we place our trust in the power of money to secure our future as a congregation, we have turned the Church of our Risen Savior into a human organization. We have quenched the Spirit and failed to be God’s faithful disciples! We are as lifeless and barren as Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones in a desert valley.

***

     Ezekiel is a prophet and priest living in Jerusalem when the Holy City and the Temple are utterly destroyed. He is one of many whom King Nebuchadnezzar exiles to Babylonia in 597 B.C. Ezekiel dwells on the question of why God allows such bad things to happen to God’s people. He concludes that it is because the people have been unfaithful to the Lord. He wonders what the future holds if God has abandoned God’s own people. Is all hope lost?

     And then the Spirit of the Lord carries Ezekiel to the valley of the dry bones, a battlefield graveyard filled with the bones of dead soldiers, symbolizing the death of Israel. When God speaks to Ezekiel, the Lord calls him “mortal”-- for that is what we are! We are only human. The Spirit leads Ezekiel all over the valley and the bones are “very dry.” And God says, “O mortal, can these bones live again?” Ezekiel replies, “O Lord God, only you know.” And the Lord tells Ezekiel to preach--“prophesy over the bones!” Say to them “O dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord!”

    The promise of life is there for Israel, friends--and for the Church. We are just dry bones if we try to be the Church on our own, solving our problems by trusting in our own skills and abilities, logic, or worldly possessions. Let go of any fear for the future and stop worrying about money. Be more like our newly forming Nurture group that focuses on loving and serving the Lord through prayer, visitation, and other compassionate acts for members in need. Be a good example to our newest, youngest members--our confirmation graduates. Be Christ’s faithful disciples by giving generously and joyfully, trusting that the Spirit of God that was poured out on the believers at Pentecost still lives and moves and breathes amidst the assembly of believers, gathered for worship and prayer.

    Remember Ezekiel’s words of hope to God’s people in their suffering. “O, dry bones! Hear the Word of the Lord!... I will put breath into you, and you shall live again.  And you shall know that I am the Lord!”

Let us pray.

Holy One, thank you for your Spirit that continues to dwell in our hearts and amidst the assembly of believers today! Thank you for the Body of Christ, the Church in every time and place, and for this congregation in this small, rural community. Lord, we want to be Christ’s faithful disciples. Remind us that we are only mortal and that we need you for our very lives. Help us to hear your Word and obey! Forgive us for our worldly attitudes, for our love of money and desire for more, and for when we have given into the temptation to trust too much in ourselves, our own abilities and our own reasoning rather than fully trusting in your Spirit to be our wisdom, power, protection and support--our hope for the future. We pray your Spirit will strengthen our newest and youngest members, as well as those of us who have been members for many years. Change us all into the likeness of your Son and remind us often that we Church belong to you. And that without faith, we are merely dry bones in a desert valley. In Christ we pray. Amen.

“Lord, is this the time?”

Meditation on Acts 1:1-11

Ascension Sunday

May 17, 2015

  “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.”

***

      Sometimes people get to talking about the past and what they would do differently if they had the chance to do it all over again. Some say they wouldn’t change a thing. They remember their youth as “the good old days” and long for those days to return. But I remember how hard it was to be a teenager and a young adult. I would never want to be facing all those choices again as I was graduating from high school—and feeling more than a little frightened and uncertain about the future.  

       As a high school senior, I didn’t know what career I wanted to pursue, only that I wanted to go to college. I knew some things that I liked to do--I liked to write, but I had heard that it was difficult to find jobs, and I was troubled by the adjective “starving” that was often linked with the word “writer.” That sounded bad! And I liked to teach and had done well in school, but I knew that teaching would be stressful. I remembered all those naughty kids in my classes! And I imagined that parents and administrators would not always be nice to teachers, who may be blamed when students receive poor grades or earn low scores on standardized tests.

    My parents, though they were college grads, offered me very little advice about college and career, except to pursue a major that would lead to a “good” job, meaning one that would allow me to earn enough money to support myself. I didn’t think to ask advice from the church or a pastor or even to ask the Lord what He wanted me to do. We were not involved with a church at the time. We had moved away from our small town when I was a teen and had not found a new worship home. In truth, we had not looked very hard. There were many other things to do besides church and Sunday school in our new community, a suburb northwest of Washington, D.C.

   Looking back—this is what I wish I could change. I wish that my family had been active members of a loving congregation, that I personally had had a stronger faith and had hung out with Christian friends as a teen. I wish that I had gone to church regularly, read the Bible more and prayed! When I was a teen, church seemed “uninteresting” and “irrelevant.” But there were some tough years ahead—years in which the support of a loving church and a strong faith would have made all the difference!

      It wasn’t until after my first two years of college, when I transferred to a university in Baltimore to pursue a teaching degree, that I came face to face with who I really was (without the Lord) and how selfish I had been. The Spirit nudged me to that conclusion, convicting me of my sinful attitudes and revealing to me God’s amazing love and mercy for sinners—for me!! But the first step toward spiritual health was choosing to respond to a personal invitation to an ice cream social, sponsored by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. The ecumenical group, led by volunteer youth leaders and funded by donations from local congregations, met on campus for worship, small group Bible study, prayer and spiritual encouragement.

   I can’t “fix” the past now. The time machine from the Back to the Future movies has not yet become a reality. But there is one thing I can do as a pastor and a sincere believer who wishes she had always known that Jesus Christ is the answer for all people. So many folks today, young and old, choose to walk in darkness and despair rather than in the hope and promise of our Lord! The one thing I can do is to encourage families and young people, such as the two graduating seniors in our church family.

   Lexi and Logan, don’t forget about your church and all that you have learned from God’s people! Especially, don’t forget about the Lord—and the call to be His disciples! Remember always God’s love for you! He wants to help you carry your burdens and teach you His ways. Wherever you are, whatever you do, keep on asking the Lord to guide you and give you courage to do His will. You can trust that God will do this—if you stay close to Him! Seek God in His Word and through simple daily prayer. You don’t need fancy words! Speak to the Lord from your heart! God’s will for you is what is best for you—and for all of us!

   To Lexi and Logan’s families, I say this: don’t forget about your church and all that you are learning here. Just because your children have reached young adulthood, your work of raising them in the nurture of the Lord is not over! Continue to be good models of a Christian family—praying, attending worship and meditating on God’s Word. Seek to be the people God wants you to be. Don’t think that you know God’s will, without asking Him! This next one is maybe the hardest of all; don’t love your children more than you love God. Don’t hold onto to them too tightly—so that you keep them from finding the Lord’s will for their lives. Pray for them and trust in the Lord. Remind them that His will shall be revealed to them, if they are faithful to seek Him. Reassure them, especially if they feel confused about what path to take in the future, that when we seek to follow Christ, God will make something beautiful of our lives. In His time.

     

***

    Today, along with being “Graduation Sunday,” is Ascension Sunday in our church year. God’s Word transports us back to those precious final days and moments that Christ’s followers spend with their risen Savior, before he ascends to be with the Father. Acts describes this period as lasting 40 days, and the teaching to have come through the Holy Spirit, though the Spirit had not yet descended on the crowd on Pentecost.  During these 40 days, the Lord persuades them that He has, indeed, risen from the dead! What exactly Christ says and how he persuades them is not known, except that it is through “many convincing proofs” and “speaking about the kingdom of God.”

     Jesus had spoken about the kingdom of God throughout his ministry on earth, urging hearts toward repentance and showing the way to the Father and faithful living. He taught His followers to reveal the Kingdom to the world by speaking God’s Word and engaging in acts of kindness, mercy, healing and love. He taught the disciples to pray for God’s Kingdom to COME and “THY will”—God’s will!—“be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  So, when the apostles hear of the promise of the Holy Spirit sent in “not many days from now,” they think, “This MUST be it! This MUST be the Kingdom we have been waiting for!”  

     But they still don’t understand what the “Kingdom” is. They are “stuck” in the past, still hoping for the “good old days” of ancient Israel, before the first temple and the Holy City were destroyed and God’s people were exiled from their home land and held captive by their enemies. The apostles ask Jesus, “Is this it?? Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”   Jesus answers, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.” What he is saying is, “Trust God for what you don’t know and cannot see. Have faith! The Father will bring about His Kingdom, in His time.” The Lord promises that when the Spirit comes, the apostles will have all the power they need to be Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to all the earth. This is his final word to them—before He is lifted up. And they stand there gazing at the sky until “two men in white robes” appear and urge them to stop standing around, looking up. They assure them that Jesus IS coming back! In the meantime, they have work to do! Their work will begin with gathering for prayer in their most holy place—Jerusalem—and preparing for a mighty act God. The promised Spirit will transform and empower them to be what the Lord wants them to be—Christ’s witnesses to all the earth.

***

     Friends, we have the promised Spirit with us now! By faith and the power of the Spirit, we are the Church, the Body of Christ. We have been called and empowered to be His witnesses, carrying His message of hope to the world. Sometimes, we just want to get comfortable and stand around looking at the sky, doing nothing while we are waiting for the return of Christ and His coming Kingdom. But we have work to do! Be faithful to the Lord’s call! Let us live out the gospel, working together to build up our faith community. Let us pray for and trust God with all the children and youth of our congregation. The Spirit will lead them on the right paths, if they seek God in prayer and keep His Word in their hearts. It is also important that, if our young people do leave the community, they continue to worship the Lord wherever they live. Help them find a loving church or Christian group like Intervarsity that will strengthen them in the faith and support them through the challenging years ahead! And may we all bear witness to the love and grace of Christ and the coming Kingdom of God. And as we trust in Him and seek to follow Him, God will make something beautiful of our lives. In His time.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we gather now to praise you and pray for your present and coming Kingdom, though we cannot yet imagine how wonderful it will be! May your will be done through us, Lord! Send your Spirit, again and again, to fill and empower us and transform us into the people you want us to be. Thank you that we can trust you to make something beautiful of our lives, if we only submit to your will. Thank you for your love and the sacrifice of your Son so that the world may be saved through Him. May we be faithful to be Christ’s disciples, bearing His hope every day to our communities and world. Keep us firmly in your grasp, Lord, not allowing any of us to be lured away from the church and the faith. Strengthen us to confess our sins daily and to forgive ourselves and others as you so kindly forgive us. And we pray for our children and youth in this community—that you will grant us wisdom to train them up in the way they should go—so that when they are old, they will never stop loving and serving you. May we learn, more and more, to entrust our children to your tender care and not to worry about them when they are away from us. Lead them to right paths-- to be witnesses of your gospel of love and grace and pass on the faith through word and deed to the next generation. Draw us all, Lord, to find a “holy place,” a quiet place to pray and find refreshment in the Spirit of our living Christ, through whom we pray. Amen.