Why Church (Part 6) Ascension Sunday

Why Church? Story Not Finished: Psalm 93; Luke 24: 44-53

            One of the things I loved most growing up was when my Nana told me stories. Every day that she kept me when I was very, very little, we’d start the morning out with breakfast then long-winding stories of childhood imagination and fancy. She was very long-suffering. The only problem is that a child’s attention span will eventually give out and chores need to be done, so none of the stories ever got finished. Nana is the best unfinished storyteller I know. Well, except, I think she may come in second to God. God really is the best and unfinished stories.

            In the Gospel lesson for today we read the story of Jesus’s ascension into heaven, and it gives us a glimpse into how God writes the narrative of life. Fair warning, this is a literal two-part sermon. I know we are working through a series, but this same sermon will spill over into next week. You, too, get an unfinished story. Back to the gospel, the disciples thought the trauma was over. When Jesus was crucified, they lived in fear, dread, worry, and the belief that they were next. They thought all was lost, and the whole work of Jesus was over. They became stuck and paralyzed. Then Jesus appeared, and brought relief, strength, and guidance to them.

            Forty days later, Jesus is gone again. He gets swept up into heaven even as he is blessing them. There’s no warning, no time to get prepared, no real therapeutic adjustment phase. Boom. Jesus is gone. But this time, they pray and worship because they know now that this is not the end of the story for them. Jesus tells them that the death and resurrection fulfill scripture and prove he is the Messiah. Jesus tells them there is work to be done in forgiveness, repentance, and turning to God. Jesus tells them they’re witnesses to the miraculous that they have experienced. Jesus tells them that soon the Holy Spirit will come and fill their hearts, souls, and minds. So, when Jesus is gone for the second time, there’s no weeping, angst, or worry because they know that the story of grace is not yet finished. That story, that good news, goes on.

            Where do we find ourselves in this story of grace and redemption? Often, we find ourselves stuck. We get stuck on bad habits, long-lived fears and worry, uncertainty, old wounds and wrongs that people have done to us. It is very easy for us as humans to get stuck in place in our spiritual lives. Look at the disciples. We will learn next week that they wasted no time. They moved in earnest to tell the good news they had learned. And we get stuck because we get all upset over something in life and miss the next chapter of God’s grace. Jesus forgave his killers even as he was on the cross. Stephen, the martyr, prayed that God would not hold his death against his murderers.

            As people of faith, following Christ means turning the page, moving on, and being ready for the next amazing chapter of life that God is about to write. If it had been anyone else except for the disciples at the ascension, I’m sure there would be questions or comments like, “Why’d he have to go away again? If Jesus isn’t going to lead us like I want, I’m done. This Holy Spirit thing hasn’t shown up yet, guess it was all a hoax even if he did rise from the dead.” And my favorite, “This isn’t how we used to do it in my Synagogue.”

            If we don’t look for the next chapter of faith, we will never be able to follow Christ because he will be gone, and we will not be ready to move with him. This is a problem because God has amazing things planned for us to do. Our lives interwoven with God’s guidance and love creates something amazing, beautiful, and unexplainably fantastic. When God speaks, acts, and lives in and through one of us, it's absolutely beautiful. But we have to be willing to let God write the story.

            Theologian Henri Nouwen said, “To pray, to listen to the voice of the One who calls us the ‘beloved’ is to learn that that voice excludes no one.” As you will hear next week, the disciples were not stuck by Jesus’s being gone from them. They went out with a sense of urgency preaching, teaching, and living the call that all should know the love of God in their lives. We cannot be distracted from living that same mission. At the end of the day, our primary call is to introduce people and especially hurting people to God’s love in and through our Christ-like work.

            A friend of mine came home one evening from work. He found his wife of two years sitting on the couch. Her wedding rings were setting on the coffee table. As he sat down, she said, “I can’t do this anymore. I don’t think I really loved you like I should, and I’m sorry but I can’t explain it. You need to leave tomorrow.” The house was in her name, so he was forced to depart and stay couch surfing with friends. This one thing could have ruined the remainder of his life. But instead, he leaned into his faith in God, and he turned the page to the next chapter of life. Years later, he met, married, and started a family with someone who was far more perfect for him, and was blessed beyond measure. If he had gotten stuck on the adversity of today, he would have missed all of God’s blessings that were coming.

            If we ask today, “Why church?” The answer is simple. God is not done writing the story of life, of faith, of creation, and of redemption. God is the master of unfinished stories, and God is still writing the next chapter of your walk of faith. The story is not done, regardless of your age or ability, until you take your last breath here and wake up into a whole new book of God’s blessed hope.

            In every story there are rough spots and there are wonderful moments of joy and relief. The trick is that we have to keep going to get to the next chapter of life in our walk with God. The disciples could have been totally let down by Christ’s ascension believing him to be gone. But they knew now that Christ was the overcomer of death, suffering, and life’s trouble. They weren’t scared anymore. Instead, they were eager and ready for God to lead them into the next chapter of their lives here and there lives of faith with God.

            Next to God, my Nana told the best unfinished stories. She and mom laugh about me saying as a child, “Tell!” every time there was a pause in the story. But that’s how we should live, eagerly anticipating how and where God can call us. Next week we finish up this series on “Why Church?” with Pentecost. So, stay tuned and come back for part two of this sermon next week. It may be the final part of this story, but it is by no means the final chapter. God is calling, and there are so many amazing places we can go in faith.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/793817738918955