[The Rev. A Wayne Schwab, Sunday after the Ascension, 5/16/10; RCL, John 17:20-26, Trinity Church, Plattsburgh, NY]
This 7th Sunday after Easter in the church year is the Sunday after the Ascension of the risen Jesus into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God. Luke tells us that the astounding appearances of the risen Jesus to his disciples ended after 40 days. “Then he led them as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them. And they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And were continually in the temple praising God.”
The longer ending of Mark reads, “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.”
A technological mind says, “Hey, What?” We are in the world of picture language. Mark and Luke are describing the faith experience of the first Christians.
I continue sharing what the Holy Spirit leads me to see, to hear, and to learn. Here my learning is about listening for the faith expressed in the Gospel stories of Jesus. These accounts of Jesus being seated at the right hand of God are metaphors – picture language – of what the early Christians experienced. They were seeing God in Jesus and they were seeing God’s power at work in Jesus. To have “sat down at the right hand of God” is a picture way of saying God’s power is at work in Jesus. To be at the right hand is to be at the place of honor and sharing of power.
And Mark adds that Jesus continued to work with them. They could preach and heal in Jesus’ name. This diverse set of people – some fishermen, one a former tax collector – this diverse set of people could preach and heal too.
So see this ascension story as the picture way our Christian forbears exclaim, “Jesus is walking with us and he’s sharing with us!” We just heard that story from Acts – Paul and Silas cast out a demon, are put in prison, are freed by an earthquake and convert the jailer and his family. Jesus’ power – God’s power – at work in them – “in the name of Jesus Christ ... come out of her.”
Do let go of scientific thinking and use your faith thinking – see Jesus powerfully at work today.
* * *
And this brings me to another basic, the most basic, learning. The good news is that in Jesus we see God helping us to do what God wants us to do. God wants us to be loving and just always wherever we are.
Our problem is that we need help to love and to be just. Our love and justice are real – and weak! We have our limits. Many, many times we need help lest hard-heartedness and injustice win. How we need help!
The good news – the Gospel – is that God gives us the help we need! God’s power, Jesus’ power, the Holy Spirit’s power – however you know power coming from beyond yourself – always comes first. It’s with help from beyond us that we love and are just when times are tough to love and to be just.
That’s the way to understand our Gospel story. Jesus prays for us, his followers, to be united. “I ask that they all may be one.” All the words about unity in today’s gospel are about what Jesus asks the Father to do first or what he has already done.
“. . . may they also be in us . . .”
“. . . the glory you’ve given me I’ve given to them . . .” and
“. . . may they be with me where I am . . .”
Whatever we do that’s good – that’s loving and just – God is helping us to do. There is no “if.” “If” we do this, “if” we do that, God will help us. There are no conditions. God’s help is unconditional. We are used to saying God’s love is unconditional. God’s help is unconditional. God is always on our side to help us to be loving and just – always on everyone’s side – Buddhist, Muslim, atheist – when anyone is loving and just. God is helping them.
Beware to preaching and teaching that always puts an “if” on God helping us.
. . . if we go to church every Sunday . . .
. . . if we believe . . .
. . . if we pray regularly . . .
Do all of these – sure – just remember that God is helping you already. Going to church, believing, praying – these do not bring God’s help. No, they open us to the help already there.
We are here because there was no “if” in our parents love for us. Weak, wrong, but also right to the point of our survival.
The splits in the church tell us “it ain’t easy, Lord.” Yet there is a basic unity at work. We are working to get back together. Our own Episcopal story is good here. We have gotten back with the Lutherans. We are about to seal unity with the Moravians. We are working on unity with the Methodists. We do this only with Jesus’ help!
You want to know what the Gospel is. This is the Gospel. God is on our side – on everyone’s side – believer or atheist – Christian or animist (an animist sees God’s spirit in everything – trees, animals, people). It’s time for some stories.
Each of these leaders got tired from to time. They went to a Swiss pastor, Bloomhart, put it this way to someone who said, “I don’t believe in God.” He’d say, “God believes in you!” No wonder the great teachers of the last century – Karl Barth and Emil Brunner – went to him for help when they got tired. “God believes in you.” God is already at work in everyone – no “ifs” – God is already at work in everyone of us. God is always trying to break through to us. When we believe, God has done it. “God believes in you.” God is acting first. No “ifs.” God’s work is first. When we are loving and just – when we believe – God has been at work in us already.
“Media damages kids.” So goes a headline. Children and teens spend more than a quarter of every day using media – television, video games, computers, and cell phones. All useful. All harmful when they replace face to face time with others.
The American Psychological Association reports in a study that the violence in video games makes children and teens more aggressive in both their thinking and their living – less aware of how others feel, more ready to hurt others. Britain’s Home Office has issued a report that sexual imagery leads to males being more violent with women.
Did we not all suspect that? What to do? Parents, all adults, need to spend more time with children and teens. We need to talk with them. We need to get them with people more than with the media.
We are doing it already. A survey finds that from 1995 to 2007, parents have already doubled the time they spend with their children and teens. We are on the way. More is needed.
Let’s say, “Thank you, Lord.” In faith, we believe that this is God’s work among us. The Spirit has opened parents up. They want to do it and they make the time to do it. Both are God’s work in them. Whenever you see love at work, you are seeing God at work.
Closer to home. A local school just offered an evening for parents on "What to do with your family at home." 300 people came! That was God’s work. God led them to do that. How can we say that? We can say it because all love is a sign of God’s work in us. Two truths. God is working in those parents. The parents are responding. Two sides. God acts. We act. God’s act is first. Ours is second. We do it saying, “Thank you, Lord.” No, “ifs.” God is helping already.
Another story. I happened to prepare Marcus for confirmation – by telephone. I did my follow-up Tuesday night. I asked, “Where have you seen God at work in life?” He answered, “I don't know. I’m getting good grades.” I said, “Marcus, that is God’s work in your life. Can you see it that way.” Marcus: “It’s a new way to think. It’s good.”
It sure is good, Marcus! Do we rejoice whenever we see a good thing happen? If you don’t, learn to do it. A friend teaches high school juniors and seniors to read. The school pays for that coaching. And there are coaches who want to do it! Say, “Thank you Lord.” If you don’t react that way when you hear something good, teach yourself to do it. God will help you.
There’s the Gospel. We can only do so much of what God wants us to do. What we cannot do, God helps us to do. God is always at work in us to help us to be loving and just.
God helps Bloomhart to say, “God believes in you.”
God helps the American Psychological Association and Britain’s Home Office to say media hurts children and teens.
God leads parents to double their time with their sons and daughters.
God led those 300 people to that session on what to do with your children.
God helps schools to help their slow learners and the coaches who coach them.
God helps Marcus to do good work in school.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you for helping us to do what we are too weak to do on our own. That is indeed good news – Gospel! You are already helping us where we need help. You even help us to respond. Thank you, Lord.
Jesus prayed for God to act first.
“. . . may they also be in us . . .”
“. . . the glory you’ve given me I’ve given to them . . .” and
“. . . may they be with me where I am . . .”
And that is just what God does!
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