WHAT’S NEXT?
A sermon preached by
Rev. Dr. Randle R. (Rick) Mixon
First Baptist Church, Palo Alto, CA
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Text: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Eleven men and maybe a few fellow travelers stood on a Palestinian hillside and watched in amazement as their teacher, their mentor, their leader disappeared into the clouds. One would think that by now they might have grown beyond amazement at the course their lives had taken since they had met Jesus in Galilee. Perhaps it is true that wonders never cease. They are chided for standing there, “looking up toward heaven” and so they return to Jerusalem to wait as they had been instructed, to see what amazing thing would happen next.
There are two notable things they did while they waited – they stayed together and they prayed. Both of these activities are instructive for the church today. William Willimon reminds us that “Waiting, an onerous burden for us computerized and technically impatient moderns who live in an age of instant everything, is one of the tough tasks of the church. Our waiting implies that the things which need doing are beyond our ability to accomplish solely by our own effort, our programs and crusades. Some other empowerment is needed, therefore the church waits and prays” (William Willimon, Interpretation: Acts, p. 21.)
This little group, gathered on the hillside and then in the upper room, are real human beings, men and women with names, identities, histories and hopes. They follow Jesus as far as they can and then they wait for the coming of the Spirit. It is they who make up the first church. Though the times have changed radically, it is still real human beings, men and women with names, identities, histories and hopes who gather to wait for the coming of the Spirit. It is people like you and me who make up today’s church.
Today’s text we gives an account of people patiently waiting in prayerful attention for God’s guidance. This is a tale about the first faith community in our tradition, about the beginnings of the church, and there seem to be parallels we might draw. Though this story of the selection of Judas’s replacement is not one of the most popular or commonly read from the New Testament, it both follows and precedes stories of great importance. This little anecdote bridges the time between the Ascension, Jesus’ leaving the earth, and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the celebrated birthday of the church.
These followers of Jesus, still gathered in the Jerusalem, had been through it all. They had followed Jesus faithfully, until things got tough. Then many of them, especially the ones he had counted on the most, abandoned or betrayed him in his time of greatest need. They had witnessed from afar or had heard reports of the ignominy of the trials before Caiphas and Pilate and the agony of the Crucifixion. Their hopes dashed and their hearts broken, they had gone into hiding, waiting for their first opportunity to escape the city, only to be shaken into a new reality by the word of the women from the empty tomb, “He is risen.” And so he indeed appeared before them, and walked the earth with them for some 40 days after the Resurrection, trying to reinforce for them all that he had taught and shown them.
In this first chapter of Acts, the writer tells the dramatic tale of Jesus’ ascent into heaven. They are gathered with him on the Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem, and he is sharing with them some final words. “This is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Still, they struggle to grasp the nature of the coming reign of God and the radical new life it promises. They ask again one of their mundane, earth-bound questions, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom of Israel?” They are still hung up on the restoration of the ancient kingdom of David, the physical and temporal empowering of Judea, the overthrow of the Romans and the establishment of Israel as God’s chosen people, partners with God in ruling the world.
“It is not for you to know the times and periods that [God] has set by [God’s] own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Will they ever get it? Will they ever comprehend that God’s reign, God’s coming culture, is not about power and influence, is not about who is on top and who is on the bottom, is not about privilege, prestige or the elevation of one people over another? It is about love and freedom and a shared table where ALL are welcome. Well, the time has come to let them see what they can do for themselves with this good news that Jesus has shared with them so generously. He has come and lived among them, the Word incarnate. He has come from God and now he returns to God. For some, this, the Ascension, is the real culmination of Jesus’ life and ministry. As the disciples stand watching, he rises from the hillside and, before their eyes, is taken into a cloud and disappears. They stand there, mouths open, hearts sinking, minds wondering, “What’s happening? What’s next?” when they notice, standing with them, two of those classic figures in white. “[You people from] Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come the same way as you saw him go to heaven.”
Now I know that we don’t all put equal stock in talk about heaven, especially heaven in some celestial sense, but Jacqueline Schmitt, the Episcopal Chaplain at Northwestern University, has a helpful view of this story and its talk of heaven. She says “...the story of the Ascension is very simple. There is no fanfare or grand finale as in pagan myths or epic movies, but only a modest indication of where Jesus was going. He ascended for a short while, until suddenly a cloud hid him from sight. The cloud – [we] have met that cloud before - on Sinai, at the Transfiguration - is the usual way of telling us that God is present. Jesus returns to God...to a place, up, down, sideways or around the corner, of another dimension. And so, the Word that was present at the creation of the world, that became human in the birth of a poor boy in a stable, that conquered death with his rising to life, on this day makes the whole creation new” (The Rev. Jacqueline Schmitt, Sermons That Work - Easter 7, textweek.com, 5-28-2006.) That is, heaven and earth are bridged, the holy and the human come together in ways that promise transformation for all of life – yours and mine included.
After the Ascension, the disciples make their way back to the room where they were staying, “...constantly devoting themselves to prayer...” Finally, Peter begins to show the sort of leadership to which Jesus has called him. Something needs to be done. It is not enough for them to be gathered in their safe space, lost in prayer and the sorting out of all that has happened to them. Their task of bearing witness, of telling Jesus’ story, has been clearly laid out for them. To get on with the task, they need to choose someone to replace Judas. They need to have a full complement of leaders for the growing community. So, Peter calls a meeting.
The criteria for serving were simple. It had to be someone who knew Jesus and who had traveled with them from the beginning. Though there were many present who met these criteria, including the women who had been the most faithful followers, they nominated Joseph and Matthias. Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen...” after which they did the thing that would have been expected of them in that time and place. Trusting that God had already selected the one, they cast lots to reveal God’s decision. And the lot fell upon Matthias.
In reflecting on this first church meeting, Bill Wylie-Kellerman suggests that “In the absence of the Lord, Judas’ empty place at the table must be an ache too much to bear, like a branch lopped from the vine, or an open wound in the body. Judas was ‘numbered’ among them. Now their number is incomplete...With credentials only that he was with them from the beginning, Matthias fills an ache and a place and a ministry—an opposite number of austere anonymity—never to be mentioned again in scripture. But the prayer of election falls upon him” (Bill Wylie-Kellerman, Living the Word, sojo.net.)
In drawing parallels to today’s situation at First Baptist, Palo Alto, we don’t want to overreach or overwork the analogy. But in our current state we can understand some of the loss those first disciples were feeling, the ache to fill empty spaces with people good and worthwhile. We are not very likely to be casting lots in order to pick members or leadership, but the parts about praying for guidance do seem highly relevant. Prayer for God’s guidance is essential to our life together. We regularly share our joys and concerns and trust that God takes our prayers seriously.
In whatever sense “what’s next?” is a real and present question, any process in which we are involved needs be characterized by focused, disciplined prayer. We say that we are “a church whose mission is to worship God, to explore together faith and commitment to Christ, to serve those in need, and to provide a home for heart, soul and mind.” We print this on the front of our weekly bulletin and highlight it on our web site. As we consider what’s next, think about what it means to be this kind of faith community. Will you pray with me that God will sustain and lead us where God needs us to go?
In our story, Matthias never gained Judas’s notoriety; Joseph also known as Barsabbas went on to serve; Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus carried good news with them everywhere. Whether one is well-known or not, there are so many wonderful ways to bear witness, to provide leadership, to be part of a faith community that I hope you will be open to and disciplined in seeking God’s guidance for this community. We are gifted in many ways. God certainly has work for us to do; the future may yet be bright for us.
I invite you to consider again our Call to Worship. As we consider “what’s next,” will you read it with me once again with everyone reading together the words in bold?
One:
What do you do when you are left alone?
What do you do with that ball of crumpled emotion when meaning and purpose disappear,
as the one you follow is taken,
and the love you have chased is torn away?
What do you do when you are left alone?Remember the dream!
Transform the visions into actions!
Turn the talk into work!
Follow in the footsteps!
Hear the future calling you!
Grow into community!
Pursue the promptings of your soul!
Let go and let us adventure!
Be the church! Amen.