Waiting

A few weeks ago my son ordered a new set of bindings for his snowboard (an odd time of the year, I realize, but he will be good to go as soon as the snow flies.)  Well, to be perfectly frank, I ordered them on my account at the online store so all the shipping communication came to me.  There was a daily request on the status of the shipment - has it shipped?  where is it now? when will it arrive?  Due to the wonders of information technology all of these questions were readily answerable.  "It is in Chelmsford, MA."  Wherever that is.  Oh wait, that information is readily available as well. (It is just southwest of Lowell, making it northwest of Boston.)  We are relieved.

My son lived in a period of extreme anticipation, knowing that something he desired was on the way, but unsure of exactly when it would arrive.  And here, between the Ascension and the feast of Pentecost, the disciples found themselves in the same circumstances, if you take the snowboarding out of it and ratchet up the cosmic significance a few thousand notches.  And as I remember that time, Jesus command that they wait until they were clothed with power, his word that he would send the promise of the Father, as I wait, I am wondering about the work of the Holy Spirit.

He, the Holy Spirit, seems to create controversy in the ranks of the faithful.  I remember someone saying to me many years ago, in semi-allergic reaction to the peculiar (both meanings of "peculiar" intended here) manifestation of charismatic revival in his midst, "I liked it better when we called him the Holy Ghost and he didn't do anything."  Ah, the good old days.

There are two perspectives that I can discern, each with strengths and weaknesses, on the work of the Holy Spirit.  And they sometimes seem to be mutually exclusive. The first is overtly charismatic - focuses on the charisms or gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Here the work of the Holy Spirit is seen as the power of God in miracles and wonders.  This is the Pentecostal (biblical event, not Christian denomination) perspective.  The Holy Spirit comes in flames and wind, in power.  This is also an Old Testament perspective.  the Holy  Spirit, or Spirit of the Lord would come upon individuals and they would prophesy.  It happened also to David when he was anointed by Samuel as king over Israel.  "And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward." (I Samuel 16:13)   We see this work in the scriptures on the day of Pentecost and throughout the mission of the church in Acts as well as in Paul's letters.

And here is the strength of this understanding - God is present and powerful.  Good to remember, as we tend to relegate him to the role of distant judge or vaguely benevolent grandfather.  The weakness, however, is in the discounting of the sublter workings of the Holy Spirit - the glossing over of the less spectacular.  And, sadly, a disdain for those who don't "have it."

The other perspective is that the Holy Spirit is the one who leads us into all truth.  To be sure, he is that.  Jesus describes him as such. (John 16:13) And that he is the sanctifier of the faithful.  Again, no argument here.  He is the one who produces growth, change and holiness in us.  He is the one who convicts us of sin (a great reminder to those among us who feel this is our calling and pursue it with devastating zeal.)  He is the Comforter.  His work is to produce fruit in us - character and virtue: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

The strength of this perspective is that it acknowledges his work with is less spectacular, although no less important.  It acknowledges the quiet yet inexorable faithfulness of God to make us into who he intends us to be.  The weakness, however, is that it is safe, predictable and, if I play my cards right, ignorable.  It can easily domesticate God for us.  And, as Mr. Beaver and the day of Pentecost remind us, he is not a tame lion.  With it also comes a distrust of the exuberant charismatics who are "nice enough, but a little wacky."

Biblically, the work of the Holy Spirit is clearly both.  And as I wait this Ascensiontide, I wait for the supernatural presence of God who miraculous and spectacularly heals me and who, less spectacularly, teaches, sanctifies and comforts me.

HRH

I have been recommending, indeed advocating, that people take a moment to watch the Queen's (that would be Elizabeth II for those wondering which queen) Christmas message in 2011. The suggestion has been met with polite acquiescence, the "I'll humor him" look, as well as the rolling of eyes. My most recent plea included the thought, "It's seven minutes of your life." Clearly less than we waste hearing about cats and weight loss on facebook daily. It is hard to be a monarchist in a republican country...

My advocacy of the Queen's message this past year in particular has everything to do with its solidly and unapologetically Christian message (appropriate on CHRISTmas, I think.) This, of course is a digression. It is not every day that I am thinking about HRH. But I am today because today is essentially coronation day.

Today is the fortieth day after Easter, the day we remember the Ascension of Jesus to heaven. It is a major feast of the church but often slips by unnoticed because we either don't take notice of the feasts of the church (shame because feast is fun) or because it doesn't fall on our usual worship day.

All of the appointed lessons for Ascension talk about the sovereignty of God and the reign of Christ. "He ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father." says the creed. This is an ascension to a throne (sits being the give-away word here). Ascension is the Father's acknowledgement of the reign and rule of Jesus the Christ. It is his coronation day.

As coronation day it comes some time after his battle and victory. The battle was the cross; the victory, the resurrection. And some time after comes the coronation. Forty days in this case. In the Return of the King, the last volume of Tolkien's trilogy, Aragorn who becomes king fights his battles (one outside the his gates and one outside the gates of the enemy) and is victorious. After all this he returns to Minas Tirith and is crowned King. The coronation is the acknowledgement of his reign and rule, which is his both by right of birth and by the merits of his victory.

Aragorn is but a figure of Christ Jesus, whose rule and reign on this day we remember.

The psalm appointed for this morning says:
For God is King of all the earth;
sing praises with all your skill. (Psalm 47:7)

The writer to the Hebrews also reminds us today:
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,
putting everything in subjection under his feet.

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, to that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:7-9)

The writer here underlines one of the common struggles of believing in the reign of Jesus, trusting in the truth of his ascension to the right hand of God - we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. (Yet is the give-away word this time). His reign, though real, is still being worked out in the world, and frankly in me. But that does not make it any less real. Another favorite book comes to mind as I think about the working out of reign. Caspian, king of Narnia, in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, relates to Edmund and Lucy what has happened since they had left Narnia, just after Caspian's victory. He tells them he still had to deal with some "troublesome giants on the frontier." Rule and reign is worked out over time, but that does not make it any less rule and reign, nor any less complete.

Charles Wesley, in acknowledging this day and his King wrote this:
Hail the day tha sees him rise
To his throne above the skies
Christ, the Lamb for sinners given,
Enters now the highest heaven!

And for those who have seven minutes of their life to invest, here's the link to the Queen's message:
Queen Elizabeth II Christmas Message 2011

God both there and here

Robert Browning once comfortingly penned, “God’s in His heaven - All’s right with the world.” (from Pippa’s Song) It strikes me that he only deals with half of the story.

Today is the feast of the Ascension, forty days after Easter. Always a Thursday because Easter is always a Sunday. On this day we remember that Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, ascended to the Father in heaven. Many of the lectionary texts, especially the appointed Psalm focus on the authority, rule and reign of God –

"For the Lord Most High is to be feared;
he is the great King over all the earth.”" Psalm 47:2

"O Lord, our Lord, how exalted is your Name in all the earth." Psalm 8:1

In the Ascension of Jesus we see the Son returning to the Father to rule and reign with him. God’s in his heaven – All’s right with the world. And that is a comforting thought amid trial and temptation.

But it is only half the story. While he is in his heaven he is here among us. Jesus said to the disciples, “if I do not go away the Helper will not come to you. But if I go I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

Jesus, just before his ascension promises that he will be with us always. He ascends to the Father and sends us the Holy Spirit so that God’s in His heaven and God’s on his earth. At the feast of the Ascension I am reminded of Jesus’ rule and authority with the Father, his transcendence. I am also reminded of his very real presence with us, his immanence. Both are profoundly comforting

Both of these realities are captured in the Collect for Ascension Day in the Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.