“In-Between Time”—Acts 1: 1 – 26

            It’s the season of graduations.  Last night at Paola High School stadium, family & friends, teachers & mentors helped 142 students commemorate their successful completion of 12 years of academic study.  Some of these students have plans for continuing their education in the fall.  Some have plans for work beginning soon.  Right now, though, many of them are in an “in-between” time.  In-between high school and college or trade school, in-between high school and career.  Last weekend the Weatherbies celebrated Aaron’s college graduation.  Although he has secured a dream job, it doesn’t begin until late summer.  So he’s in an in-between time also:  in-between attending college and directing an award-winning school choir program.  Two weeks ago, my family was in Richmond, Indiana celebrating Mary Margaret’s college graduation. Referring to the increasingly longer in-between time—in-between college and career—that faces many graduates today, Mary’s Baccalaureate speaker talked about “falling into the future”—allowing ourselves and possibly our future to be shaped by the experiences in our in-between times.  Within the context of the Christian faith, we might express “falling into the future” as trusting in the Holy Spirit. 

            Graduation seasons are not the only in-between times.  There is in-between jobs, in-between relationships, in-between homes.  Often we don’t realize when we are in-between, though because it feels like what we’re experiencing is loss. On the front side of loss, we usually cannot see what will come next, so we don’t recognize we are “in-between.”  When have you experienced “in-between” time?  What was it like for you?  

            Combining her degree, her passion, and her lifestyle, as well as continuing to nurture relationships she has formed serving low income families, Mary Margaret is managing a grant this summer. Building relationships between local farmers and her community center clients, she is striving for food justice in her town.  Funded for the summer only, her work with this grant is in-between college and what will come next.  Like Peter in our text today, Mary Margaret has been moved to action in her “in-between” time.

            Today’s text is set in-between—in-between Jesus’ ascension and his sending of the Holy Spirit.  Staying together in Jerusalem, his group of followers—which includes the apostles and the women who had accompanied him, as well as others who had joined them during his ministry—his group of followers waits.  Having recently been separated from Jesus—witnessing his ascension—it feels more like a time of loss than an in-between time. But, holding onto Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit, his followers devote themselves to prayer.  Even though they don’t know what this “being baptized by the Holy Spirit” will look like or be like, Jesus’ followers try to prepare themselves for what will come next.

            Intimating that the leadership group—the apostles—is incomplete at 11, Peter suggests the addition of a 12^th person, someone who has been with the group from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  Of the 120 gathered, two are nominated: Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias.  We have not heard of these men before, nor will we hear of them again in scripture.  But we assume they are both part of the group still gathered together in Jerusalem a few days later when the Holy Spirit comes and empowers the believers to speak the good news in many languages on the day of Pentecost.  We assume they both continue to serve Jesus as members of the growing group of his followers that later to be called the church.

            Presented together, Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias represent the unassuming, faithful followers whose response to the love of Christ form the relationships which draw people into the community of faith. They represent the unassuming, faithful followers whose response to Christ’s call to care for the “least of these” undergirds the mission of the church.  They represent the unassuming, faithful followers whose service lays the groundwork for others’ faith development.  Although only one of them is selected to complete the leadership group of 12, we never hear anything more about either of them.  That suggests they respond to Christ’s love for them regardless of officially being named a leader—or not.  That suggests they respond to Christ’s call on their lives independent of being ordained “elder” or “deacon” or not.   

            We live in an in-between time:  in-between Christ’s 1^st and 2^nd coming—that is in-between his life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension and his physical return.  We live in-between Christ’s initiation of God’s rule on earth and when God’s rule will come to complete fruition.  In this in-between time, we get glimpses of what God wants for all of us.  We get glimpses of God’s rule breaking in to the here and now.  In this in-between time, we have been introduced to Christ, our faith has developed and been nourished, and the mission of the church has flourished—more often than not, because of unassuming, faithful followers like Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias.

             W. H. and Lorraine tell me that worshiping here with us each Sunday morning is one of their joys of life. Since March, neither of them has been able to come here, but they have felt “cared for” and missed by this congregation.  They have remained connected to us because a group of unassuming, faithful followers of Christ have called and visited them, have sent them cards, and have shared our worship services with them on CD.

            For 50 years our church has been providing clothes for people in Paola and Miami county.  Many of them are in-between—in-between jobs, in-between permanent housing, in-between caring, supportive relationships.  Emptying sacks of donations, sorting the nice from the not-so-usable items, hanging up or folding the items, then assisting customers and clients, a large group of unassuming, faithful followers of Christ prepare our Thrift Shop for its Saturday sale day each week.

            Jesus’ followers gathered together in the in-between time and were guided by prayer.

 “Prayer is the appropriate context for decision making as the church”[1] envisions the future, choosing leaders and implementing mission.  “Prayer signals that the church looks beyond itself for guidance and direction.”[2]  A few of our long-time members, serve this church through a prayer ministry.  They pray for you, individually, that you might grow in your knowledge of the word of God and in your faith in God.  They pray for me—that God will form me into the pastor you deserve.  They pray for this congregation—that we will serve God’s mission in this community and the world.  These unassuming, faithful followers of Christ shower us with their prayers and their prayer ministry nourishes this congregation.

            I wonder who, for you, has been a Matthias or Joseph Barsabbas—an unassuming, faithful follower of Christ whose presence in your life has supported you and nurtured your faith.

            Our congregation is in an in-between time—in between what we have been and what God will make of us.  Will you join Matthias, Joseph Barsabbas, and countless unnamed unassuming, faithful followers of Christ?  Will you respond to Christ’s love for you?  Will you answer Christ’s call to live your life as his disciple? Will you reach out to others—our children, our youth, our adults— helping to develop their faith?  Will you reach out to others—offering fellowship or friendship to those who are new around here or who are lonely or grieving or who are suffering from depression?  Will you reach out to people who are struggling with life’s circumstances?              Will you reach out to others—offering your time, energy, money, and yourself to the missions of this church?  Will you befriend a preschool parent or mentor a scout?  Will you sort volunteer at the Thrift Shop or the food bank?  Will you worship at the nursing homes?  In this in-between time, like the gathered group of Jesus’ followers, we prepare ourselves with prayer.  In this in-between time, like Peter may we stand up, speak out, and act!

            Let us pray:

God of all times—past, present, and future—we thank you for your creating, sustaining, everlasting love.  God of all times—in this in-between time, draw us close to you in prayer. In this in-between time, through the power of your Holy Spirit, fill us with enthusiasm and give us energy to serve you!  Amen.

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[1] Noel Leo Erskine, “Acts 1: 15 – 17, 21 – 26:  Theological Perspective” in Feasting on the Word, Year B, vol. 2. Edited by David L. Bartlett & Barbara Brown Taylor.  Louisville:  Westminster John Knox Press, 2008. p. 528.

[2] Ibid.

God's Love--Mothering Love 1 John 4: 7 - 21

God’s Love—Mothering Love

            When I returned mid-week from celebrating Mary’s graduation and began to plan for worship today, I remembered this is Mother’s Day Sunday. I thought back to the Mother’s Day worship services of my childhood—at 2^nd Baptist Church during the 1960s.  As I told our children earlier, motherhood was celebrated, and a few mothers were singled out for special recognition.  Called to the front of the sanctuary, they received a corsage from the church—presented by the pastor—who then thanked God for them and prayed for all mothers.

            After much reflection this week, I’ve determined that my brother and I did what we did that one Mother’s Day because we wanted our mother to be singled out, to be recognized by both the congregation and the pastor as special because she was special to us.  There were 4 categories for recognition.  Clearly our mother did not meet the criteria for 3.  Because we were in elementary school, she could not be the “newest” mother.  There were just the 2 of us, and as I remember it we were perfect children—one could not even say we were “a handful”—so, she was not the mother with the most children.  In her mid-thirties, she was not the youngest mother.  Actually, my brother and I thought she was old.  That was it:  she might be the oldest mother!  So when the pastor announced it was time to recognize the oldest mother, we encouraged her to stand. 

            The last Mother’s Day worship I attended at 2^nd Baptist was probably my senior year in high school.  And, as I remember it, although motherhood was still celebrated that day, only 1 special recognition was offered—for the oldest mother.  No, I did not suggest that my mom stand that day.  Over the years I’ve concluded that recognitions like the one we always had at 2^nd Baptist, while meant to be affirming, can actually be received as hurtful.    

            Today is Mother’s Day—a Hallmark card day celebrating motherhood.  For some people it is a happy day.  We share good memories with our loving mothers, or we spend time enjoying our own sweet children.  For other people, though, this is not a happy day.  Grieving for children or parents they can no longer share life and love with, for some people, today is a despairing day.  Grieving for children they longed for but could not bear, for some people today is a sad day.  Grieving for the loving parent they never had,

for some people, today is a lonely day.  Conscious of those who cannot celebrate “being a mother” or “having a mother” day, I suggest we celebrate mothering—showing care and concern for others.  Our Mothering Day recognition can include aunts and uncles, friends and neighbors, teachers and mentors.  I suggest we do celebrate because in mothering relationships we experience love. 

            Today’s text is all about the nature of God—who and what God is. And the bottom line is God is love (1 John 4:8). With today’s text, we can explore God’s love.

            God’s love is tangible. This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him (1 John 4:9).  God’s love is made physical in the person of Jesus the Christ.  God entered into human existence in the life and ministry, in the death and resurrection of a particular person in a particular place at a particular time in history.  This scripture was written to a community founded by people who had lived with this particular person—people who had eaten, slept, traveled, and learned—with this Jesus.  This scripture was written to a community founded by people who had witnessed with their own physical senses—this Jesus.  They had seen and heard, smelled and touched him.   Witnesses to God’s love which came alive in the life and in the ministry of Jesus, the authors of this scripture boldly claim God’s love is tangible.   

            God’s love is unconditional. This is love; it is not that we loved God but that he loved us (1 John 4:10). God’s love is the love we see in Jesus’ life.  Jesus was friend not only to moral, religious, and socially acceptable people.  Jesus was friend to political revolutionaries (the zealots), to dishonest businessmen (the tax collectors), to immoral people (the woman caught in adultery), and to social outcasts (the Samaritans). There are no ifs and buts for God’s love.  There are no strings attached, to God’s love.[1] God loves. Period.

            God’s love is initiating. We love because God first loved us (1John 4: 19). Long before we look for God, God is seeking us out, turning us towards him, not only waiting with open arms, but—like the father in the parable of the prodigal son—ready to run to meet us.

            God’s love is costly and self-giving. This is love . . . God . . . sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins (1 John 4: 10). Upon the first reading of this verse, it seems like God is a divine child abuser—a parent forcing his child to do something dangerous.  But then we recall the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all 1 God.  So we realize it is God giving himself so that we might be drawn into closer relationship with him, a relationship this author refers to as abundant life.  God’s love is sacrificial.  God, the Son—Jesus, experienced all that life has to offer:  joy & pain, love & loss, trust & betrayal, relationship & abandonment, life & death. Entering into human existence and experiencing human suffering, God the Son—walks with us through whatever we encounter. 

                        God’s love is renewing.  It empowers us to become different people. If we love each other, God remains in us and his love is made perfect—(comes to completion)—in us (1 John 4: 12). God’s love is experienced in the person of Jesus the Christ.  When we act out love using Jesus’ life as our blueprint, we are drawn ever closer to God.  We are drawn into the relationship God has intended with us since the beginning of creation.  As our love grows and changes, we grow and change as well.  As we grow and change, our love grows and changes as well. We, ourselves, and the love we act out are intertwined.

            Our first encounters with love are usually in our family of origin.  So, it is often through the lens of our own family experiences that we connect with these descriptions of God’s love.

            Those of us who are parents can recall the 1^st time we held each of our children.  Overcome with love—not because of anything this helpless, little creature cradled in our arms has done, but because she is my child, we experience a taste of initiating love.  At that moment, we comprehend God’s words:  “I loved you before you were born.  I love you now.  I will always love you.”  

            Not too long after I got my driver’s license, I ran an errand for my parents.  Backing out of the store parking lot, my car met with some resistance.  I had scraped the back end of the car parked next to me. No one was hurt; the damage was minimal. Their car’s taillight was broken, and silver from my car’s bumper streaked down the back side of their car. My bumper was scratched. We exchanged contact information, and I drove home.   But I was so worried my parents would be angry with me for messing up the car.  When I walked in the door, I burst into tears,  “I’m so sorry. I had a wreck.  I’m so sorry.”  And what did my Daddy do?  He wrapped me in his arms and said, “It’s okay.  Are you hurt?  It’s okay.  Did anyone else get hurt? It’s okay.”  Then he called the couple whose car I had scratched and drove over to their house with a new taillight.  He installed it and using rubbing compound, he erased the silver from my bumper.  That’s an experience I hang the description of God’s unconditional love on.  “It’s okay.  Nothing you do can ever change my love for you.”  

            In the spring of 1953, my grandfather, my Papa, took out a $500 loan.  That was a lot of money back then, especially for someone who worked hard for his living.  He took out that loan to pay my mom’s airfare, so that during her pregnancy, she could be with her husband—who had been drafted recently and posted to Germany.  At the time, no one imagined how important it was for them to be together. At the time, no one knew that cancer would claim his life in less than a year.  I do not know how long it took my Papa to pay off that loan, but this family story is a rich illustration of sacrificial love.

            It is often within our family, that we first experience love.  Enjoying some successes and suffering some failures, it is often through our family relationships that we practice love.  On this day of celebrating mothering love, I hope that each one of us may recognize God’s love.  I hope that each one of us may experience God’s overwhelming, endless, transforming love.

Let us pray: Mothering God, your love nurtures us.  Fathering God, your love sustains us.  Mentoring God, inspire and encourage us to practice your love both within and outside of our families.  Amen.

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[1] Shirley C. Guthrie, Jr.  Christian Doctrine.  Revised edition.  Louisville:  Westminster John Knox Press, 1994. p 105.