“How long is the wait?” To the understandable chagrin of many restaurant owners and patrons, there was not a lot of dining out during the darkest days of the pandemic. But if you can remember those days “before,” when going out to eat was more common, there was one part of the experience many did not enjoy: the “wait”. It was the interval of time that ensued after we inquired from the host how long it would be before we could get a table, to the time we actually sat down and gave the staff our food orders. During that interval, we have a choice to make. We can either watch the clock, anxiously monitoring the time it takes for us to be served, or simply enjoy being the company of those at our table. It is a choice about what to do in the interval.
Much of life is lived in the interval, the time between promise and fulfillment, between diagnosis and recovery, between being lost and being found. The interval is what happens between the first day of class and the final exam, between “once upon a time” to “and now you know the rest of the story.” It can seem that the intensity of a new beginning and the longing for the clarity of a conclusion are the great moments of our lives. But most of our days are spent in the interval, trying to decide who we are, where we see the presence of God, and who are our deep friends.
Luke tells us that forty days after the resurrection, while meeting with the disciples, Jesus was “lifted up” and taken out of their sight. The Church has called this the Ascension, and with it there commences a ten day time of waiting for the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was experienced in power. And as the disciples stared upward as Jesus departed, they were asked by angelic messengers, “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” During the intervals of life and faith, we are called to discern where our attention should be directed, and what our waiting for the promised conclusion shall entail.
We’ll talk about this in worship on Sunday morning, as the sermon is titled, “Living in the Interval”. The scripture for Sunday is Acts 11: 1-11, which will be read by Pam Vanzant. The Sanctuary Singers, accompanied by Nara Lee, will lead us musically. We will have a moment for children, prayers and hymns.
If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you in person, if you have registered on Eventbrite, or on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.