Larry E. Lenow
FUMC
5-4-08
Ascension Sunday A
“Standing In Awe”
Text: Acts 1:1-11
You can’t just stand in awe, but you have to stand in awe. Last weekend our Confirmation Class went on a field trip to Washington D.C. to see the Washington National Cathedral and the national Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Why, you may ask, does a United Methodist Confirmation Class visit an Episcopal Cathedral and a Roman Catholic Shrine? Amy described it this way. When you walk in, the reaction is always the same. You cannot help looking up. And the kids are silent. Their mouths drop open as they walk about in a sense of wonder and awe. The Cathedral is a marvel of gothic architecture and art. Its otherworldly beauty gives one a sense of the glory of God, and what a testimony of faith that people spent over eighty years constructing a house of prayer for all people. Likewise art and architecture of the Shrine overwhelm; its series of domes tell the story of the faith in incredible mosaics. It is truly a treasure. They go, because it is important that the kids as they approach their first public profession of faith know awe.
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” With these last words Jesus was then lifted up and ascends into the clouds, ascending to heaven and leaving his earthly ministry in the hands of his followers. His disciples could not help but look up, mouths hanging open, standing in silence, overwhelmed with awe. One wonders how long they stood there like that, for eventually two angels show up asking, ‘Men of Galilee why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” Or, if I may slightly paraphrase, “Just what do you think you’re doing? He just gave you your marching orders. Chop. Chop. Let’s get moving.” You can’t just stand in awe. Christ has given us a job to do; Christ has trusted us with a commission. You will carry on. You will continue my ministry. You will be my witnesses. You will tell the others about me, won’t you? Tell them who I am what I did. And you will tell, you will witness not just with your words, but you will sow them. You will demonstrate, teach them by example, my love. You will love them as I have loved you and they will experience my love through you. They will see me through you; they will know me by knowing you. By word and deed, by what you do and by who you are, by your love you will be my witnesses and will have a ripple effect, like dropping a pebble in a pond, your ministry your influence will grow. First right here in Jerusalem and not just Jerusalem but in the greater Judea area. And not just here among our people but it will spread wider to the others to Samaria and eventually to the ends of the earth. It’ll start right here in Fredericksburg. And not just Fredericksburg proper, you understand, but really to the whole region, to all the jurisdictions, but our work will not just be local but we must impact all our society, both near and far. And then our ministry must reach those in other countries, with other languages and completely different cultures. Yes, we are his witnesses. It is a great commission, a high calling, a holy trust and a big job. So what are you waiting for, why do you hesitate, what’s holding you back? Men and women of Fredericksburg, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. You cannot just stand in awe. You cannot just stand in awe, but you must stand in awe.
I can’t help but notice that these two angels, these heavenly messengers didn’t say anything about the job being easy, or quick or even remotely pleasant. And between you and me, from Jerusalem to Judea and from Judea to Samaria and from Samaria to the ends of the earth, there’s quite a bit of debris left along the way. If you want to think about people cold and uncaring I could mention a few doctors and nurses I’ve met along the way. Separating their feelings and emotions from all the hurt and pain, I would imagine, a necessary self-defense mechanism. If you want to talk about people down and discouraged, there are many teachers that fall in that category, frontline witnesses to the breakdown of accountability, parental involvement, respect and community fabric. People who are just bone tired? Caregivers, hands-down. Whether it’s caring for your own parents, or nursing home staff, or working with special needs children. You give and give and give until there’s nothing left. You cannot give what you do not have. Cynics? Politicians. You can only resolve to change the world so many times before you wise up. Jaded? I’m sorry, my friends we clergy have long since cornered the market on that. Yes, I’m afraid there’s quite a bit of human debris between Jerusalem and the ends of the earth. But have you ever noticed that among the brightest lights shining in our world, some of the greatest sources of hope, strength, encouragement, peace and love are doctors and nurses, teachers and care-givers, political leaders and even church leaders, an incomplete list let me be quick to say but you get the point. How is it that it works both ways? What makes the difference? It is that sense of awe. You can’t just stand in awe, but you have to stand in awe. That is to say that whatever it is that you’ve committed yourself to, however it is that you are trying to add to or change the world, it may not be enough. Whatever is your motivation, whether you are operating out of idealism, whether it is a sense of obligation, whether it is to make yourself feel good or important or holy or just better, whether it is a sense of duty or even a sense of guilt, my friend you are marking time. You are marking time till the well runs dry, unless you stand in awe. Unless you know what it is to stand in utter awe of the glory of God. That is the only thing that will keep you going through thick and thin. That well doesn’t run dry. That well is living water that springs forth to eternal life and those who drink of it will never thirst. That’s what has kept us going for two thousand years and literally to the ends of the earth and is still going every bit as strong today as it was in the beginning.
You see, you can’t just stand in awe; he has given you much too big, too important a job to do. But if you’re going to do it, you do have to stand in awe. You might think about that as you come forward to take unto yourself the very body and blood of Christ. And you might think of it even more as you leave this service to be his witness in the world.
Awe.