Encounter

A couple of things hit me this morning during the Ascension Day service at St. Andrew’s.  The readings were a reminder of the promises of Jesus.  Last Sunday we had the promise of ‘the counselor’ who would come to the disciples in Jerusalem.  They were commanded to wait for this before leaving the city.  Today, we heard this through words written by Luke in Acts 1:4-5, On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:  “Do not leave Jeruslem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John Baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Further along in Acts (today’s reading) two men dressed in white stood beside the disciples as they were looking intently up into the sky as Jesus was going.  In Acts 1:11 comes the next powerful promise yet to be fulfilled, “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Now what I really found amazing about today’s service was the response of the disciples to all of this.  In Luke 24:51-53 we read, While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.  Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.  And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

This is what really set me thinking.  What would happen here, in this place, if we were to stay continuously in the church praising God until the day of Pentecost?  Would we be expectant like the disciples?  What do we expect when we go to church? At a minimum, we would have to do something in the church.  We would joyfully greet all who visited, we would give rest and solace and nourishment to worn out and tired souls, we would dust and polish the furniture and perhaps even organise some shelves and bookcases.  Then we might wash the beautiful stained glass windows and perhaps see clearly through the sparkling colours the presence of the holy spirit in our midst.

The following words are from the pen of Lilias Trotter, whose words and art have been beautifully packaged in the book above available on Amazon.  This particular segment relates to the verse We live by faith, not by sight, from 2 Corinthians 5:7.

We have to do with One who “inhabiteth eternity” and works in its infinite leisure.

Some years ago, when a new railway cutting was made in East Norfolk, you could trace it through the next summer, winding like a blood-red river through the green fields.  Poppy seeds that must have lain buried for generations had suddenly been upturned and had germinated by the thousand.  The same thing happened a while back in the Canadian woods.  A fir-forest was cut down, and the next spring the ground was covered with seedling oaks, though not an oak tree was in sight.  Unnumbered years before there must have been a struggle between the two trees, in which the firs gained the day, but the acorns had kept safe their latent spark of life underground, and it broke out at the first chance.

And if we refuse to stay our faith upon results that we can see and measure, and fasten it on God, He may be able to keep wonderful surprises wrapt away in what looks now only waste and loss.  What an up-springing there will be when heavenly light and air come to the world at last in the setting up of Christ’s kingdom!