Why are you looking up, when you should be looking in?

May 20, 2012 Ascension Sunday Acts 1:1-11 Luke 24:44-53 Why are you looking up when you should be looking in? Year B Read the Apostles Creed The apostle’s creed is written in the hymnal, but I wanted to make copies of it for each of you to keep in your bulletin graveyard. Wherever you put old bulletins – pull this out and read again. This is the ancient creed of the church. Many United Methodist churches read the creed every Sunday as a part of worship, so that people can start to store it in their hearts. Written about 100 years after Jesus was ascended by the church – it is called the apostles creed, because it is said to contain sayings from each of the 12 apostles. It is not everything that we believe – says nothing about Jesus being divine – but it is basic. The basic life of Jesus – Christmas, Easter and last Thursday. Do you remember what you were doing last Thursday – last Thursday was Ascension Day – in the bible – it is the day that Jesus ascended into heaven. The significance of the Ascension No one saw what actually happened on Easter – it remains between the father and the son. But for 40 days after, Jesus did come back to his disciples to tell them that he was okay. That is actually not a big mystery – a lot of people come back to us after they have passed away to tell us not to worry about them. But what is surprising about this story – is that Jesus made sure that everyone saw him as he ascended into heaven. Not only the disciples, but anyone who happened to be around. There is a famous painting of this event – where the disciples are gathered around, looking up – and all you can see is Jesus feet in the clouds. The word apostle means witness – someone who saw it for themselves, and has the job of telling others what they know. They saw Jesus go up into the sky for themselves, so there is no question about where he is today. Ascension can be a sad day I am sure that the day that their master left them was a sad day for them indeed. The day that Jesus left this earth, and went into heaven. Must have been sad. I get sad when I am reading through the bible, and I finish all of the gospels. No more red letters in the bible, no more words and teachings directly from Jesus. Truth be told I think Ascension Day can be a sad day for all of us – when we realize that Jesus has gone on, we get comfortable with being told what to do, with being able to follow and not having to think or be responsible. To put our lives in Jesus hands, and not have to worry about anything. The days are coming, when we will have to stop sitting in the pews listening, and we will have to start talking. The days are coming when we will have to stop worrying about what would Jesus do, and do for ourselves. When we stop listening to the story – and to be the story for ourselves. We don’t have to change today – we have one more Sunday. One thing Jesus did tell us about ascension – is that we have to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit in order to be true witnesses – but that day is coming soon – next Sunday is Pentecost. Sadness of being left alone It is sort of the sadness that we feel – on our first day of real school when we are away from our families for the first time. My mother was a single parent – so I think by kindergarten I was sort of ready to go to school. I do remember the first time my mother left me with a babysitter, who was not family. I was three, and I remember after a couple of weeks of that mess, I told me mother that she was going to have to find something else to do with her day – because was not going back to that lady. The lady was really mean to me, and all of the kids for that matter, but it was hard being away from my mother all day. She put me in the preschool next door to her job. LEAVING YOU IN GOOD HANDS The story is told of a mum who would take her son to nursery school, kiss him good bye and would always say to him "Darling, I’m leaving you in good hands, OK?" She will do this every day she takes her son to school. When the son was of age and mum was quite old now and experiencing dementia, the son took his dear mum to a care home. As he said good bye, he remembered the words of his mum when he was quite young; he then kissed her and said, "Mum I’m leaving you in good hands." His mum who could hardly remember things now because of dementia held on to his son’s hands and tears started streaming down her eyes; she remembered her own very words years ago. Jesus is just turning the table for us The good news for us is that Jesus is not leaving us alone – he realizes that it is just time to turn the tables. We have been taught, now it is time for us to teach, we have been blessed, now it is time for us to bless others, we have witnessed – now it is time for us to witness, we have been loved, now is it time for us to love. The apostles creed contains the good news for us is that everything that we need to go into an unspoken. Undeveloped future has already been given to us. The whole message of Luke is that Jesus did everything to fulfill the scriptures. He is the messiah spoken of in the scriptures. He suffered, he died, he atoned for our sins, and he has given us the gift of salvation. We have been sitting here all year listening and living the story – we know all we need to know. Jesus has done all he needs to do. We don’t need anything else than what we have to build the kingdom of God around us. Don’t You Believe in Shoes? There is a story by Hugh Price Hughes titled, “The City of Everywhere.” In this story a man arrives in a city one cold morning. As he gets off the train, he sees that the station is like any other station except for one thing everyone is barefoot. No one wears shoes. He notices a barefoot cab driver. “Pardon me,” he asks the driver, “I was just wondering why you don’t wear shoes. Don’t you believe in shoes?” “Sure we do,” says the driver. “Why don’t you wear them?” asks the man. “Ah, that’s the question,” the driver replies. “Why don’t we wear shoes? Why don’t we?” At the hotel it is the same. The clerk, bell boys, everybody is barefoot. In the coffee shop he notices a nice looking gentleman at a table opposite him. He says, “I notice you aren’t wearing any shoes. I wonder why? Don’t you know about shoes?” The man replies, “Of course I know about shoes.” “Then why don’t you wear them?” asks the stranger. “Ah, that’s the question,” says the man. “Why don’t we? Why don’t we?” After breakfast he walks out on the street in the snow but every person he sees is barefoot. He asks another man about it, and points out how shoes protect the feet from cold. The man says, “We know about shoes. See that building yonder? That is a shoe manufacturing plant. We are proud of that plant and every week we gather there to hear the man in charge tell about shoes and how wonderful they are.” “Then why don’t you wear shoes?” asks the stranger. “Ah, that’s the question,” says the man. Dr. Robert E. Goodrich told this story in his book, What’s It All About? Then he asks, “Don’t we believe in prayer? Don’t we know what prayer could mean to our lives? . . . Of course we do; we know about prayer. Then, why don’t we pray? Ah, that’s the question. Why don’t we pray? . . . Why don’t we?” Robert E. Goodrich, What’s It All About, adapted by King Duncan We have heard the story, we know the story, and we even say that we believe the story – so what is stopping us from living the story? What is stopping us from witnessing about what Christ has done for us in a way that not only changes our lives, but the lives around us? You live in Christ, but does Christ live in you? I came across an interesting question while preparing for this sermon. We all know that we live in Christ – but does Christ live in you? In your actions? Your thoughts? Your feelings? Most important your deeds? How do you know that Christ lives in you? When you know that Christ leaving is not a sad day – but a day of celebration. Jesus is not leaving you, he is just stepping out of the way so that you can have the power to live your life in the spirit of Christ. That the power of the holy spirit is going to work, in spite of my doubts, my fears, my sadness. I have told this story before, but it works here too… NO OTHER PLAN An old legend imagines Jesus arriving in heaven right after the Ascension, welcomed by all the angels. Then the angel Gabriel asks Jesus, "You suffered much, dying for the sins of mankind. Does everyone down on earth know it?" "Oh, no," replied the Savior, "just a handful of folks in Jerusalem and Galilee know about it." "Well, Master," continued Gabriel, "what is your plan for everyone to know of your great love?" The Master replies, "I asked all my apostles to carry the message into all the world. I told them to tell others, who will in turn tell others until the last person in the farthest corner has heard the story." Gabriel’s face clouds, for he spots a flaw in the plan. "What if after awhile Peter forgets, and goes back to his fishing on Galilee, also James and John and Andrew? Suppose Matthew returns to his tax booth in Capernaum, and all the others lose their zeal and just don’t tell others. What then?" After a pause comes the calm voice of the Lord Jesus, "Gabriel, I have no other plan." You are not just a part of the plan – you are the plan. You are blessed by God The most important message of the gospel lesson comes at the end. It says that Jesus walked with them as far as Bethany, and then he realized that he must depart. As he left, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And they were so happy to receive his blessing, that he went praising God forever in the temple. The word in the old testament for bless most often is baruk – but that word is used for a blessing for God. How do we bless God? Through praise and worship. The new testament adds a new element of spirituality to the meaning of blessing. The Greek use the word marakus – which means to be as happy and well as the gods in heaven. The one thing I can say about the Greek gods – they were very well indulged – they had everything. And the one thing they loved to do – was party and have a good time. Every day that Christ lives in us – is a party. When we know that we are truly blessed by God – we have an abundance of joy. That does not mean that we will not have sorrow, pain, loneliness, or sadness. It means that we have joy in our hearts and souls to get us through. We are never alone, and we can act in courage, we can witness to our hearts content. Jesus is not above us – Jesus is in us. We live in Christ and Christ lives in us. Pentecost – next Sunday is the day we receive our power – today Ascension is the day we receive our joy, our confidence, our blessing. Let us pray.