Who God intended us to Be - Homily Feast of the Ascension Sunday

 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052922-ascension.cfm 

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. Praise be Jesus Christ – forever and ever!

A couple of weeks ago as I was leaving the ballpark someone asked me “Deacon what are you doing here?”  I answered, “Enjoying my grandbabies playing ball.”

She laughed, “I can’t wait to hear about it in your homily.”  For sure, I thought about that as I prayed over the scriptures.

They are not babies anymore. They are growing up from babies to toddlers to children; soon they will teenagers and young adults.  

The transition from baby to toddler, toddler to child, child to teen are liminal moments. We never stop growing - always in transition of who we will be. All of us on the threshold of what God intends them to be.

The reason I know the phrase “liminal moment” is  scripture scholars define the Ascension a liminal moment, a time between times, leaving one place and being on the threshold of another - a time of transition.

That moment written about in today’s scripture at the end of the Gospel of Luke and the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. The time between the ministry of Jesus and the works of the apostles began at that moment, the ascension. The liminal moment is the transition of the disciples who followed Jesus to become his Church.

In Luke, Jesus reminds his disciples of the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, which will cloth them with power from on high. He blesses them and tells them to go back to the city and get ready for it.

Then Jesus ascended into heaven.

His Church did what Jesus asked, “Empowered by the Holy Spirit, they went and preach the Gospel “the Good News” to all of creation.” The greatness of the power of God moves us to what we are intended to be.

Today, many are stuck in a liminal moment. Stuck between where they have been and where they are going. Even some baptized Christians have not open themselves to the power of God, the Holy Spirit.

Maybe, it is apathy on their part. Maybe, it is the failure of others to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Maybe, it is the indifference of society as a whole.

This are all symptoms of hearts that have become dull in hope, love, joy and so much more. A dull heart can lose faith. It is a reason many despair. It is the cause of many fears. It is a reason many are unhappy in this life.

This heart becomes apathetic because this world dulls the heart. The dulled apathetic hearts testify to the tragedies and injustice around us.

However, hope is in the power of God.  It enlightens the eyes of our heart. The promise of God kindles in us faith, love, joy, peace, and hope. The fruits of the Holy Spirit clothe us with the power of light.

God’s power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Christ in a place of honor in heaven; God’s power made all things and holds all creation in existence.

The world will continue as it is until a change comes. A change promised by Jesus. He blessed us with the power to bring change. That is the power the world needs.

God’s power to bring us from that liminal moment between what is and was to what He intends us to be.

Friends: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowledge of him.

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened to know the hope that belongs to his call,   the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe….

May you be blessed to be who God intended you to be. 

Be good, be holy and go out in the world with joy praising God. May Jesus Christ be praised forever and ever.  Amen.

He is Risen Indeed - Homily 3rd Sunday of Easter

 Jesus Christ is risen, Alleluia  

A friend, an elder in the Lutheran Church, sent me this Easter Greeting the first thing Easter Morning. The response I texted back, “He is risen indeed. Alleluia, Alleluia.”

This is a traditional Easter greetings among Christians, but, I wonder if these are the words the disciples shared after Jesus appeared to them the first time?  I’m not sure because I don’t think they were sure.

The disciple were behind closed doors when Jesus appeared to them. Thomas put his hand in Jesus side and fingers in the nail marks. The disciples felt the breath of Jesus upon their face when He breathed upon them. And they were still not sure.

All that was going through their minds, did we not see Jesus crucified? Was this Jesus or a ghost that passed through the walls? They were not sure what they had seen.

Simon Peter has the answer, “I’m going  fishing.” The other disciples say, “We’re coming with you.” They go fish all night and catch nothing.

When the dawn comes. Jesus is standing on the shore looking towards them. They could see Jesus well enough; the boat was only about 100 yards from shore. However, the disciples did not realize it was Jesus.

Jesus speaks; calls them children. “Cast the net over the right side of the boat” and they did. “The number of fish in their net was so great; they were not able to pull it in.”  The disciples may have thought, it seems this happened before. They remembered the  time Jesus said that he would make them fishers of men.  And, John realized, “It’s the Lord.” Then, Peter excitedly jumps out of the boat to get to Jesus.

On shore, Jesus has the Eucharist ready for them. Even though no fish had been brought to shore, fish were cooking. Bread was ready to be broken and shared. Jesus tells the disciples; bring what you have.

There is a whole lot of meaning in that short sequence. Time does not allow us today to explore all that is there.

The point I believe this gospel make is He is risen indeed. 

A second point is Jesus asked the disciples to do some things. Share the Gospel. Baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Build my Church. Share the Eucharist.  Jesus called them to a new life.

Like children they had a hard time doing as told. They hid.  Even after Jesus breathed upon them the Holy Spirit, they ran to the isolation of a boat in the middle of the Sea of Tiberius.

Maybe they forgot Jesus could walk on water.

They wanted the comfort and familiarity of their old life because the disciples were scared. They were scared for the mission Jesus had given. They were scared for their lives and the persecution to come. They were scared of things they had seen, experienced, and would experience.

Was the Jesus they saw a ghost? Was the Jesus that came to them a hallucination or was Jesus really raised from the dead and alive? None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?”

A question to be asked by many answered by this Gospel account.  Was Jesus dead - the dead do not eat? Was Jesus a ghost - ghost do not eat?  Did the disciples hallucinate – hallucinations do not serve you fish and bread to eat?

Jesus is a living, breathing, tangible person standing before them.  Jesus body, blood, soul, and divinity invites the disciples to breakfast. Only the living needs to eat.

That meal is the Eucharist.. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.  The disciples truly realize Jesus Christ resurrected to life. They are able to tell everyone the resurrection was not myth or story.  Jesus is alive and eats breakfast.

He is risen indeed.  This truth is the enormity of Jesus’ promise. It is in the enormity of all He asks of us. It is truth for long time disciples, followers of Jesus, new believers, and those who want to believe.

In Jesus Christ, life goes on. We eat breakfast. We visit with our friends. We live our lives doing the things we enjoy. Called in our everyday lives to something greater.

Jesus told the disciples to share the Good News. Baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Build His Church. Share the Eucharist. Come to a new life.  Instead, they were scared. They ran and hid.

Loving them, Jesus came with a simple meal to give them strength.

Just like the disciples, we are to share the Gospel. Baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Build up His Church. Share the Eucharist.  We are called to a new Christian life and we can often run away and hide.

Loving us, Jesus comes to us in a simple meal to give us strength to do the things he asks.  It gives us strength to face all the scary issues of our individual lives in this scary world.  

“Blessed are those who have not seen and believed.”

Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel, the good news of the risen Christ by the way you live your life and love one another.

He is risen, indeed.  Alleluia - Alleluia