Greetings Siblings in Christ,
Alleluia! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! As you are reading this, we are now nearing the end of our Easter Season. This season began on Easter Sunday and continues for fifty days ending on Pentecost Sunday, which takes place this year on June 8th. Pentecost is a well known major Christian festival. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This story is recounted in the Book of Acts, chapter 2. We, as Christians, put a lot of importance on this day for it marks the beginning of the Christian church’s mission to the world. In essence, one can say it's the church's birthday. However, there is another Christian holiday that often gets overlooked that takes place right before it. On the fortieth day after Easter, Christians around the world celebrate what is known as the Ascension. This is the day we remember when Jesus was lifted up into the heavens to be at the right hand of the father. This event is recorded in Luke 24 and Acts 1. In my rereading of this story, I was particularly struck by the ending of Ascension account in Acts 1. The Book of Acts states:
10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward 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.”
I am struck by this passage because I wonder what the disciples must have thought as they saw Jesus being raised in the heavens? I wonder what feelings they must have had as they searched for Jesus in the clouds. Were they sad? Were they angry? Perhaps, they were confused or even felt abandoned. One may even guess that they could be worried, scared of what was to come. Jesus was not there anymore to lead them or protect them. Could they have been afraid of what might happen to themselves?
When I read this passage, I cannot help to think about how sometimes we too are looking for Jesus. In this world that we live in, there is so much happening, and a lot of time we too are afraid. Perhaps, we too wish that Jesus was physically by our side, and because of this we like the disciples are looking up into the heavens searching for Jesus. However, is this what we are called to do? Are we to stand back waiting for our Lord to come? Perhaps, sometimes we spend all our time looking up searching for Jesus that we miss Jesus standing right in front of us. In Matthew 25, Jesus said:
35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ …‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ (v35-36,40).
And so, Jesus is already here in front of us in and with those who are in need, the “least of these brothers and sisters” of ours. So, we need not stand looking up at the heavens for him. However, we are to recognize him in front of us and go where he is at and be with those who he is with. When we do this, we are with Jesus and through the gift of the Holy Spirit Jesus is leading us to where we need to be. As we enter into the summer, as part of the VOCARE spiritual practice of the Nourishing Vacation Project, we will be exploring what it means to be open to the Holy Spirit and how he leads us into calling as disciples. We will talk about what it means to walk and to be with Jesus, and how that relates to how we live and walk in this world. Instead of waiting and looking for Jesus to come again out of heavens, we are going to explore what it means to live an active faith grounded in Christ. And so, as we begin this exploration, I pray that we never fail to see Christ in front of us. I pray that we open ourselves up to the mission that Christ is calling us into, to be where Christ is, and to be with the “least of these” as Christ is with us.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
Alleluia! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! As you are reading this, we are now nearing the end of our Easter Season. This season began on Easter Sunday and continues for fifty days ending on Pentecost Sunday, which takes place this year on June 8th. Pentecost is a well known major Christian festival. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This story is recounted in the Book of Acts, chapter 2. We, as Christians, put a lot of importance on this day for it marks the beginning of the Christian church’s mission to the world. In essence, one can say it's the church's birthday. However, there is another Christian holiday that often gets overlooked that takes place right before it. On the fortieth day after Easter, Christians around the world celebrate what is known as the Ascension. This is the day we remember when Jesus was lifted up into the heavens to be at the right hand of the father. This event is recorded in Luke 24 and Acts 1. In my rereading of this story, I was particularly struck by the ending of Ascension account in Acts 1. The Book of Acts states:
10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward 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.”
I am struck by this passage because I wonder what the disciples must have thought as they saw Jesus being raised in the heavens? I wonder what feelings they must have had as they searched for Jesus in the clouds. Were they sad? Were they angry? Perhaps, they were confused or even felt abandoned. One may even guess that they could be worried, scared of what was to come. Jesus was not there anymore to lead them or protect them. Could they have been afraid of what might happen to themselves?
When I read this passage, I cannot help to think about how sometimes we too are looking for Jesus. In this world that we live in, there is so much happening, and a lot of time we too are afraid. Perhaps, we too wish that Jesus was physically by our side, and because of this we like the disciples are looking up into the heavens searching for Jesus. However, is this what we are called to do? Are we to stand back waiting for our Lord to come? Perhaps, sometimes we spend all our time looking up searching for Jesus that we miss Jesus standing right in front of us. In Matthew 25, Jesus said:
35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ …‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ (v35-36,40).
And so, Jesus is already here in front of us in and with those who are in need, the “least of these brothers and sisters” of ours. So, we need not stand looking up at the heavens for him. However, we are to recognize him in front of us and go where he is at and be with those who he is with. When we do this, we are with Jesus and through the gift of the Holy Spirit Jesus is leading us to where we need to be. As we enter into the summer, as part of the VOCARE spiritual practice of the Nourishing Vacation Project, we will be exploring what it means to be open to the Holy Spirit and how he leads us into calling as disciples. We will talk about what it means to walk and to be with Jesus, and how that relates to how we live and walk in this world. Instead of waiting and looking for Jesus to come again out of heavens, we are going to explore what it means to live an active faith grounded in Christ. And so, as we begin this exploration, I pray that we never fail to see Christ in front of us. I pray that we open ourselves up to the mission that Christ is calling us into, to be where Christ is, and to be with the “least of these” as Christ is with us.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
