Sermon onLuke 24:44-53

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

We extinguish the Pascal candle on Ascension Day to remind us that we no longer have the physical presence of Jesus among us in the way his disciples did after his resurrection. But remember that next week is Pentecost, when we remember that tongues of flame, like the one I just put out appeared on the forehead of each Jesus follower.The physical body of Christ became the Body of Christ in the Church.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

And that’s exactly what Jesus warned his disciples against: in Luke, he said, “stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” and in Acts, “he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father.”

 As much as we remember these two weeks as the start of the spreading of the Beloved Community beyond Jesus’ disciples, there was also a waiting period. This was an in-between time, not unlike Holy Saturday—the day between Jesus’ death and his resurrection, a Sabbath day when there was nothing to be done, no outlet for the disciples’ grief or fear.

This time too between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost was a liminal space. Jesus was no longer among the disciples, but the Holy Spirit had not arrived yet.

I imagine there was some confusion and some grief in this in-between time too, just as there must have been on Holy Saturday. Jesus had risen from the actual dead but only stayed with them for a few more weeks? He gave them instructions, but what did it all actually mean?

Liminal spaces, in-between times, are uncomfortable. We like the security of one thing or the other. But Jesus was asking them to wait.

I tend to get anxious and restless during in-between times. I have a hard time focusing, and I tend to find mindless, repetitive tasks to occupy myself with so that I don’t have to deal with the discomfort.

Perhaps this is an in-between time for you right now. Maybe you’re awaiting a medical procedure or recovering from one. Maybe you’re in an in-between time at work. Maybe you’re considering a move or a career change or a leadership position and an answer just isn’t making itself clear.

It's hard to wait. It’s hard to know what to do with yourself in an in-between time.

What did the disciples do during their in-between time?

They could have hidden out in the upper room like they had after Jesus’ death. Or they could have given in to their impatience and disobeyed Jesus to go out on their own.

But they didn’t. Instead, “they worshiped [Jesus] and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple blessing God.”

They stayed in Jerusalem, and they worshiped God.

This part at the end of Luke reminds me of something at the beginning of Luke that might sound familiar: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.”[1]

Jesus’ disciples’ reaction to seeing Jesus ascend was similar to the shepherds’ reaction to seeing baby Jesus in the manger. There’s something about an encounter with Jesus that causes an outburst of joy and praise to God.

The disciples took the liminal time in between Jesus’ ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to rejoice and just spend time enjoying God.

And that’s where the Gospel of Luke ends, with the disciples “continually in the temple blessing God.”

It’s only a breath before the book of Acts begins, by the same author, to the same audience. The two are so closely tied that they’re considered two volumes of the same work, called by scholars “Luke-Acts.”

This liminal moment of joy and praise could be considered the hyphen between the two volumes.

It’s easy to overlook these details and just read ahead into the exciting and powerful stories in Acts. I had never really noticed what the disciples did in the meantime until I looked at this story through the lens of Sabbath.

But it’s meaningful that the disciples spent their time of waiting enjoying God.

For us today, even though God’s presence is all around us, it’s hard for us to find time to just enjoy God.

In an in-between time, it’s easier to access anxiety than joy.

And whether you’re in an in-between time or not, I know you all have a lot going on with working, parenting, grandparenting, caregiving, volunteering, studying, leading in this faith community and elsewhere, and so much more.

That’s enough to raise anyone’s anxiety level.

It’s no wonder it’s hard to find time to spend with God.Even an hour on Sunday mornings can be a struggle. I get it.

We have grind culture breathing down our necks, trying to tell us we’re not enough unless we hustle 24/7, optimize our schedules down to the second, and squeeze every drop of productivity from our exhausted bodies. That’s not healthy or helpful.

So, let’s take a moment to check in with our bodies.

As you feel comfortable, take a couple deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Again, if this feels comfortable to you, turn your head to the side and the other side a few times. Now look straight ahead and tip your head from side to side. And if it feels comfortable, roll your head (not back) just with your nose going from one shoulder to the other. Roll your shoulders if that feels good.

Just that can be enough to ground us in our bodies and in the present moment.

That’s the opposite of what grind culture wants from us, but exactly what God invites us to.

It can and will look different for each of us.

It can, but doesn’t have to, look like reading your Bible or spending time with your hands folded and your head bowed.

It can, but doesn’t have to, look like stargazing or dancing or crying or napping or holding someone’s hand.

What brings you joy or causes you to be in awe?

What places cause you to be in awe?

God is, of course, everywhere, including within you. And also, we humans tend to find the sacred more easily in some places—places of beauty or serenity or connection. T.S. Eliot put it this way, “You are here to kneel / Where prayer has been valid.”[2]

Prayer is, of course, always valid, and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us even when we don’t have the words. But still, there is something significant about connecting to generations before us, standing in aweof the glory of creation, seeking the presence of God in a peaceful place.

I encourage you this week, whether you’re in an in-between time or just the normal busyness of life, to carve out some time to just enjoy God.

Maybe a good place to start would be finding your own place “where prayer has been valid.” Spend some time there—or if it’s too far away or exists only in memory, spend some time visualizing yourself there, making it a sacred internal place you can return to in your mind and heart whenever you need it.

Wherever that place is, spend time there this week, worshiping God with great joy.

[1] Luke 2:20

[2] T.S. Eliot. Four Quartets, “Little Gidding.”