Preacher: The Very Rev. Dr. Valori Mulvey Sherer, Rector
En el nombre del Dios: Padre, Hijo, y Espiritu Santo. Amen.
Open BCP to page 15 – The Calendar of the Church Year. Today is the Feast of the Ascension (transferred). It is the 40th day after Easter, and so it falls on a Thursday this year. It’s a principal feast because it represents the manifest moment that humanity and divinity were eternally reconciled by and in Jesus.
Reflecting on how to live in this state of reconciliation, St. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus: “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe…”
Let’s take those things one at a time…
1. What is the hope to which Jesus has called us?
That there is no one and no thing (no event, no circumstance) that can not be redeemed by God. The plan of God has been fulfilled in Jesus the Christ, in whom we have been reconciled by the forgiveness of our sins. Every one of us will, at some point in our lives, be counted among those who are lost or gone astray. Because of our reconciliation to God in Jesus, no matter how lost we get, no matter how far we stray, we can never go beyond the reach of God’s redeeming love.
Our Catechism describes Christian hope in this way: “The Christian hope is to live with confidence in newness and fullness of life, and to await the coming of Christ in glory, and the completion of God's purpose for the world.” (p. 861)
We, the created, are the love that issued forth from God and God has a plan for us. It’s almost astounding (isn’t it?) that we have been included by God in this plan as partners in the continuing work of reconciliation. That alone should lead us to hope in ourselves.
Related to our hope is our assurance that “nothing, not even death, shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (BCP, 862)
I don’t know about you, but it’s a comfort for me to remember that even when I sin I will not be cast out of God’s love for it. Nothing can separate me from the love of God which is in Christ. And no one here on earth can do to me what God chooses not to do. When we come into the presence of someone who has clearly forgotten that, it’s up to us, as witnesses of Christ, to help them remember.
2. What are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints?
The “saints” refers to all who believe. Think about how many people that is and how many riches they represent.
We have abundant riches right here at Redeemer: In one there is abounding generosity, in another – innocence and purity of heart, in another – a contagious joy.
One brings poverty, another wealth. One is gay, another is straight. One is the teller of truths (even the hard ones), another is a source of gentleness and comfort.
One brings wisdom, another – a sharp wit, and another - simplicity. One brings chaos, stirring us out of our complacency, while another bring quietness, helping us to still our hearts and re-center them on God.
The gifts present among the body of Christ are brought together into a synergistic whole by the power of God for the benefit of God’s people.
3. Finally, what is the immeasurable greatness of his power – and why just for us who believe?
The funny thing about God is that God gives lavishly (as St. Paul says), without regard to what we deserve. The greatness of God’s power is in us, all of us, but will go unrecognized, unobserved until seen with the eyes of an enlightened heart.
That’s because the ability to see and understand in this way comes from God. As we heard in the gospel from Luke, Jesus opened the minds of the apostles to understand the scriptures so that they could go out and proclaim the gospel, the Good News to all nations, to all peoples.
The same is true for us. The eyes of our hearts are enlightened by Jesus. Only then can we recognize the greatness of God’s power in and around us and its purpose.
The spirit of wisdom and revelation in us is the Holy Spirit of God which we receive in our Baptism, and which clothes us in power from on high. This Spirit, the Spirit of God which dwells in us, is the source of our testimony, our gifts, our compassion, and our greatness.
That’s why, when Jesus ascended, and the apostles were standing there gazing up at the sky, the messengers from heaven asked them, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand there looking toward heaven?’ What you seek isn’t up there – it’s right here – in you.
To be fair, for the disciples, it was about to be in them. Jesus told them to wait until they had been clothed with the power from on high – which happened for them at that first Pentecost, which we’ll celebrate next Sunday.
We, on the other hand, have already been clothed with this power. It happened for us at our Baptism. Some of us recommitted to it at our Confirmation. And all of us remember it each time we gather for Holy Eucharist.
We come to this Eucharistic feast to take into our bodies the word of God and the sacrament of his body and blood. It is spiritual food for our journey because journey we must, witnessing the truth we know, shining the light of Love into the darkness of the world, or the darkness of a life, confident of the immeasurable greatness of God who transforms all darkness into light, all death into life.
(Note: Lila enters the nave riding her Princess bike)
I recently visited our young member, Lila, at her home. As I was leaving, Lila came outside with me to show me her new Princess bike. She wanted to show me how she could ride it and how the training wheels would keep her from falling. Lila was quick to point out to me that she didn’t always need the training wheels – only sometimes. And one day, she wouldn’t need them at all.
I walked alongside Lila as she rode her Princess bike, leading me on a tour of the grounds of their home. She pointed out all the things I should notice as we went along, including her favorite purple flowers just coming into bloom.
As we journeyed together, the experience felt to me like an illustration of the path of Christian maturity. Lila knew she needed training wheels, not all the time, but sometimes. Lila also knew that one day she would learn to ride this Princess bike with no training wheels.
I remembered when I learned how to ride a bike; how my Dad ran alongside me holding my seat so the bike would stay upright. I was thrilled and terrified all at once. I remember that moment when I realized that he had let go and I was riding on my own. I was filled with excitement and fear… and confidence.
I trusted my Dad who seemed to think I was ready, and so I trusted myself, pumped my legs, and rode off. I could have ridden forever. I had it nailed.
Walking alongside Lila and her Princess bike, I understood that if Jesus had not let us witness his ascension, we’d all still be riding around on our training wheels.
Jesus knew the disciples were ready. The disciples may not have realized it until they found themselves doing it – like when Peter shared his testimony with the household of Cornelius the Roman Centurion, or when he raised Dorcas from the dead in Joppa. (He raised a woman from the dead!)
Filled with excitement, fear, and confidence, the disciples went out and shared their Good News. Now it’s our turn.
Let us pray: Give us grace, O God of love, to trust you. Give us confidence to pump our legs and ride out into your world, carrying your light in our eyes, your love in our hearts, and your gentleness in our actions. May our lives reflect the joy of being in relationship with you, and may our witness be one of justice, mercy, and peace toward all you created, in your Holy Name. Amen.
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