It could have been because of the novelty of watching a human being soar into the clouds. I can almost hear Peter say to James and John, “Well … you don’t see that every day.” It might have been that they held their upward gaze as the full implications of Jesus’ divinity began to sink into the minds of the disciples. It could have been a sinking feeling that the Messiah, as well as their teacher and friend, was really gone and they couldn’t imagine life without him. Whatever the case, the disciples were gazing slack-jawed up at the clouds as Jesus disappeared.
To the overwhelmed disciples, the angels had a message, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking toward heaven?” This reminds me of a quip that has stuck with me for many years: “Don’t be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good.” While Jesus’ earthly mission ended with the ascension, the work of the disciples had yet to begin.
We know from the rest of Acts 1 that following the ascension of Jesus, the disciples reconstituted the Twelve, with the addition of Matthias. They also spent time in prayer as they awaited the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit’s coming. That, of course, came 10 days later on the day of Pentecost. With the gift of the Spirit and the power they received, the disciples began to boldly proclaim the good news of God’s love offered in Jesus Christ. They also began to move beyond the comfort and protection of the upper room to encounter and engage the area around them. It began local, in Jerusalem, and then move further and further into the Greco-Roman world.
During Bishop Shelton’s presentation at the Corridor District clergy gathering, she encouraged us all to consider the start of the new appointment year as a new beginning. Certainly this will be the case for some of our colleagues, as they move to a new charges. However, Bishop Shelton was encouraging each of us to consider how we can begin anew the ministries that are assigned to us.
While we may not be looking up toward heaven to see the ascending Christ, we may be guilty of not fully perceiving the work of the church. Coming out of the pandemic, many of us have focused on rebuilding the worship and devotional life of the church. Certainly this was necessary, like the 10 days of prayer and preparation of the disciples before Pentecost. However, the end goal of the church, and every disciple within the church, is not to look inward, but to focus outward. We exist to continue Jesus’ mission of outreaching love to the world.
I hear Bishop Shelton’s words as an invitation to refocus and renew our own ministry and the ministry of the local church. Rather than finding ways to continue what typically has been done, we can focus on how God is calling us to a revitalized vision and an enlarged perspective of who we are called to serve. Our future is not found in the past, but in the future. Certainly we can learn from our history, but we are called to move forward in our faithful service. We are living in new times, culturally and denominationally. Like the disciples at Pentecost, we are empowered to encounter the world with good news, acts of compassion and the work of justice. May God grant us the ability to receive this gift of new beginnings.
