Waiting for the Spirit

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Ascension, grace, let go of fear, Pentecost, psalm 27, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust, weakness

It’s always a wonder when the weather outside reflects a state of soul, like a birthday gift that one has longed for but is not sure of receiving. That may seem like a great stretch as leaving the state of soul to the vagaries of the weather seems a bit shallow, but a glorious spring day can certainly lift one’s spirits and add hope to the daily routine.

Psalm 27 gave me that lift just now as the birds announced a lovely Sunday. This interim time from the feast of the Ascension of Christ to Pentecost is a perfect opportunity to reflect on possibility as we consider what is to come: the recognition of God’s Spirit lighting up the world. This “novena” of waiting is building the power of the Spirit in each of us and all of us, allowing us to respond to the call to be the light that we need to see us through the present—a difficult moment, to be sure—into whatever blessed future awaits us if we are willing to find the strength to persevere and create it.

The psalmist sings out: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom should I be afraid? Though the enemy should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear, though war should rise up against me, even then will I trust. One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the loveliness of the Lord.

Can we spend this moment—this week of grace—gathering our willingness and trusting our ability to let go of fear and any weakness that clings to us, recognizing that God is indeed doing something new, readying us to step into a future that calls us together for the life of the world?

May it be so at Pentecost.

Which Is Better?

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Ascension, Christian, I am with you always, Jesus, Scripture, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

For Christians the world over, there have been frequent musings over the centuries about what it would have been like to have lived when Jesus walked the earth, to have recognized and spent time with him (if we did, in fact, recognize him). Would we have embraced his message? Would it have been enough to have been in his presence? Or are we the gifted ones, living in a time when communication is worldwide, when Christians populate the world in great numbers and faith is strong in many places of worship and pilgrimage? Is it more valuable to have the testimony of the Scriptures, as well as works of scholars, mystics and monks who impart their knowledge and experience with a passion that is carried through time and caught by those of open heart?

Today we celebrate the great feast of The Ascension of Christ into heaven. His work on the earth plane was completed and he passed on to those willing to follow him the task of spreading God’s love throughout the world. That task is now ours. We can know him in our desire, in our sharing of his message, in the love we impart to the companions we have been given. We have many messages from Scripture, left to us by those who listened to the words of Jesus when he was here. Today, may we be comforted and strengthened by the promise given as he left the earth:

Know that I am with you always, until the end of the age.

Still Waiting

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apostles, Ascension, by heart, salvation history, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, upper room, waiting, words of Jesus

I’m thinking again today about that upper room that housed the apostles in their time of waiting after the Ascension, the departure of Christ from physical presence on the earth. (See blog post of 5/30.) I don’t know that I have ever considered it in such a visceral way but I have so many questions now that will only be answered in my imaginings. Where else could I go for information? There is so little specificity in most of the gospel stories that it’s difficult to get a good sense of what happened in what was only meagerly presented. I’m not interested in theological treatises for answers.

Here’s what I mean. If I consider the “upper room” as the same or similar to what was mentioned at the time of the Last Supper, I see a long table as the focal point of the room. What happens then if the apostles want to sleep during their nine days of waiting? And how did they pass the time up there? I trust that prayer was their major occupation but when did they eat? And where did they get food? Should the gospel writers be talking about upper rooms instead of one room?

This may sound like silliness and I don’t mean to be irreverent but sometimes – for some of us who are concrete thinkers – it’s helpful to know all we can about the events of our “salvation history.” As I type that sentence I hear the often repeated adage: “Just take it on faith.” In reality, I guess that is what we’re always called to do. There are lots of places to go for the research of scholars through the ages who have written theological tracts and spiritual writers who have delved into the words of Jesus. Ultimately, however, it is a question of letting go of the need for certainly about facts and giving ourselves over to the acceptance of the love that we have come to know “by heart.”

Today is a good day to take a break and place myself in the silence of that upper room for awhile, waiting with the others for the outpouring of the Spirit that will surely come when we have made ourselves ready – perhaps in a week’s time…or maybe even today! And then who will I be? What will the fire of God ignite in me? I guess I’ll wait and expect/accept whatever comes…in God’s time, not mine.

Waiting

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Acts of the Apostles, apostles, Ascension, beloved one, Holy Spirit, I am with you always, Jesus, stay, the promise of the father, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wait

The lectionary readings on this day (Feast of the Ascension) when we consider the completion of Christ’s mission on earth are among the most familiar of the Church year. What then can be said that does not sound prosaic but rather at least interesting at such an important moment? Although the events of this day were likely earth-shattering for the apostles, of course, I wonder if the important lines that we read are not about what happened on that day but rather appear as two brief directives that move us toward what involved a preparation on the part of the apostles.

In the first reading (Act of the Apostles 1:1-11) after recounting the events of the past 40 days, Jesus “enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait…” Then in the last reading from the gospel (Luke, 24), Jesus directed them to “stay in the city…” In both cases, they were waiting “for the promise of the Father.” How could they possibly know what was ahead for them?

Wait, he said. Stay. For most of us, waiting is not the easiest task. Nor, I would be willing to wager, was it so for these friends of Jesus who had been with him in good times and bad and now, at his departure from the earth, must have been thrown back into a place of not knowing once again. But wait they did, going back into an upper room, perhaps the best symbol of encounter in the events of all their time together.

Have you ever waited for something, not knowing exactly what you were waiting for or what the outcome of your waiting would engender? Maybe you were told Christmas would bring you a great gift this year…or, as an opposing thought, perhaps you have heard a weather report of an impending storm and are waiting for the outcome. How is it possible in either of these situations to wait with some modicum of patience?

Waiting for God to speak can also take patience. Hunkering down in stillness to hear “the still small voice of God” takes practice and perseverance. Maybe you are waiting for courage or the answer to a burning question or simply to know that God considers you a “beloved one” each and every day.

As we wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit once again at Pentecost, may we recall the words of Jesus who said at his departure from this world and who promises to us: “I am with you always, until the end of the world.”

Lessons Learned

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Ascension, guidance, inheritance, Mark, spirit, Spirit of Jesus, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

On most days I have occasion to say something like: “My mother used to say…” or “My father had a saying for that.” There is no specific incident or situation that brings them to mind with just the right advice – or, in the case of my father, some humorous retort! They are, however, present and at the ready to urge me on. And there are others who have passed from this life whose spirit remains here on earth in vibrant ways that guide me in a moment of need.

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Ascension of Christ into the eternal realm. The extension of his life for a time after he had been put to death but rose again was crucial for the birth and spread of Christianity. The apostles had not been ready on that first Easter day to take up the work of spreading the good news; they were still trying to put together the fragments of what Jesus had said and demonstrated for them so that they would be able to continue the mission after his departure. Now, ready or not, he was unequivocally leaving. It still took them some days to recognize the reality of this fact.

I always look for what seem like “throw-away” lines in the readings of the day. There is often something in the way of commentary offered by the gospel for our comfort or deeper understanding of “the rest of the story.” As we remember them huddled again together for some days waiting for guidance on how to proceed, we also have the assurance that Pentecost, the miraculous outpouring of the Spirit, did indeed happen with amazing results.

It is Mark’s gospel today that offers the news of their transformation and the reason it could be sustained. After the moment of Jesus being taken up, Mark skips to the report that “they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” (MK 16: 15-20)

As with the apostles, we have confidence that the Spirit of Jesus remains with us through our remembrance, just as the memories of our best teachers bring alive the lessons of our lives. As we let go of the physical presence of those we love, let us recognize the great gift of their abiding spirit, our best inheritance, and be unceasingly grateful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Between the Times

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Acts of the Apostles, Ascension, crucifixion, Father, fear, John, Lectionary, Pentecost, pray, resurrection, Son, Spirit of God, The Great Commission, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The lectionary readings for this seventh Sunday of Easter find us between an ending and a new beginning and we, in the same manner as the disciples, need to be willing to sit in this empty space, reflecting on what has been and waiting for the movement of the Spirit to call us once again to a courageous future.

In the first reading (Acts 1: 12-14) we find the apostles trudging back to Jerusalem after having received “the Great Commission” from Jesus. He had finished his mission and passed on to them what was now theirs to do: to go out to the world and teach what he had first taught them. So today they are together again as they were after the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. Was it the same “upper room” where they had huddled in fear for their lives? What were they feeling now? Fearful still, perhaps, without the certainty now that they would be safe going forward. Bereft, most likely, because they were again without the presence of Jesus for their strength. But at least they were together in the company of those who had experienced Jesus in what we would certainly call a privileged way. And together they were praying for the Spirit of God to come and reveal to them the manner in which they were to fulfill their mission.

In the gospel for today we have a glimpse of this ending from the perspective of Jesus. John’s Gospel (17: 1-11) could seem like a son reporting to his father his completion of a project – for school, maybe – by recounting all the steps he had taken and how successful the whole enterprise had been. This scene, however, was much more. Jesus was just on the cusp of leaving those he loved, that small band of followers who had listened to him, learned from him, supported him and sometimes disappointed him, but loved him enough to stay with him through death to new life. His care for and pride in these beloved ones is clear in his recounting to God. Consider your feelings if you had overheard Jesus saying to God: They belonged to you and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word…I pray for them. What a validation of their discipleship! Moreover, these lines seem to express a deep tenderness in which Jesus holds those he called his friends.

Let us take some time in these days between the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost to sit in this space of emptiness, preparing for a renewed outpouring of the Spirit in our lives and remembering that Jesus promises to us as he did his disciples: I am with you always, until the end of the age.

The Eyes of Our Hearts

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Acts of the Apostles, Ascension, enlightened, Ephesus, eyes, heart, miracle, Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wisdom

Today Christians celebrate the feast of the Ascension, remembering the day when Christ left the earth after commissioning his apostles to “go into the whole world and tell the good news.” The gospels vary in their descriptions of the event and the book following these accounts, the Acts of the Apostles, opens with its own variation of the fact that “he was lifted up” and disappeared from their sight. It’s one of those events that I think “you had to be there” because it seems like something that has to be seen to be believed. Yet, for over 2,000 years, people the world over have heard and believed and followed the instructions that Jesus gave at that time. That is, perhaps, the best testimony to the truth of what Jesus was all about here on earth – the fact that those he commissioned did what he asked so effectively that the message has endured through all this time.

It’s a miracle, really, given that those same accounts add details about the event that reveal the on-going lack of understanding of the message on the part of the apostles. One says they asked if this was the moment when Christ would restore the kingdom of Israel. Matthew’s gospel says today that as they came to the mountain, summoned by Christ, “when they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted.” There is a level of comfort – or maybe relief – in those accounts on days when it all sounds impossible to me, never having seen anyone disappear into thin air.

Once again it is Paul who gives the key to a solution today in his prayer for the early community in Ephesus. He says, “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your heart be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call…” So, no matter how hard we try, our minds cannot grasp these mysteries; it is only by opening our hearts and seeing from that place that we can know and trust in a deeper way what Jesus, the Christ, was doing here on earth and continues to do through us in “a Spirit of wisdom.”

Words of Promise

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Ascension, enlightened, Ephesians, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, spirit of wisdom, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This is the day on which Christians celebrate the feast of the Ascension of Christ into heaven. In the Scriptures we can find a number of appearances of Christ wherein he continually assures all those present that he will never abandon them (by extension, us) and that he will send “another Advocate” to be with us. We will celebrate the outpouring of this Spirit on the 15th of this month, the feast of Pentecost.

One of the most Spirit-filled witnesses to the on-going presence of Christ in the world was St. Paul whose words this morning to the Ephesians (1:17-23) confirmed the message that Christ gave as he was taking his leave of this world. There are two statements of blessing that Paul uses that are particularly significant to me. May we all come to know and understand the depth of meaning expressed in these heartfelt words of Paul:

May the God of Our Lord Jesus Christ give you a spirit of wisdom…May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened…

Ascension

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Acts of the Apostles, Ascension, Ephesians, forbearance, gentleness, humility, Jesus, John, love, patience, Paul, Peace, Peter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unity, unity of the Spirit

Today Christians celebrate the feast of the Ascension, the day commemorating the moment when Christ left the earth and commissioned the apostles to continue spreading the message that he had been teaching throughout his public life. The beginning of the Acts of the Apostles chronicles this event (ACTS 1:1-11) and the letters of Paul, Peter, John and others that follow that scriptural book give evidence of how those charged with the task carried out their sacred commission.

In urging members of the budding Christian community in Ephesus, St. Paul acknowledges that everyone has a specific role to play in the building up of Christ’s body in order to “attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God…to the extent of the full stature of Christ.” Here (Eph. 4:1-7) he urges all of them, regardless of their place or status in the community, to “live in a manner worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace…”

I could spend my life reflecting on just that last quote. I actually read and use it often in prayer services because I think it captures the essence of the teachings and example of Jesus. Today, then, I renew my resolve to keep those words swirling around my every step: humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, unity, peace…all suffused with a hefty dose of love.

Necessary Losses

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Ascension, Jesus, John, Julian of Norwich, Pentecost, suffering, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Many  years ago I read a book called Necessary Losses that had a long but instructive subtitle: The Loves, Illusions, and Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow. I was reminded of that title by this morning’s gospel, part of what is known as ” the farewell discourse” in John’s gospel (Jn 16:5-11). Jesus is telling the disciples that he is going back “to the One who sent me” even though he knows they will grieve his departure. Then he says, “But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” Of course, they probably had no idea what he was talking about – in the same way, perhaps, as we often heard in our youth that “it’s for your own good.” It never seems to make much sense in the moment but in hindsight we can often understand the purpose of those words.

Last night’s “Mystic of the Month” presentation on Julian of Norwich included lots of conversation of Julian’s embrace of suffering. She was certainly not masochistic, but understood that suffering most often leads to  transformation if we accept rather than resisting it. I’m still pondering the truth of these thoughts in my life, knowing that the feast of Pentecost is coming soon when we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that still occurs in our world. Would I love to see Jesus in the flesh? Of course! But the wisdom that prompted his departure, which we celebrate on the feast of the Ascension, teaches us that there is more to life than the physical form and holding on to that keeps us sometimes from going deeper into the truth
of eternal and unconditional love. So Julian’s famous words that “…all shall
be well…” may not satisfy us but might just help us to hold on, trusting God
to always act for our good.