Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
Acts 1:1-11
Not All Who Loiter Are Lost: Waiting for the Spirit
If the pandemic has reminded us of anything, it is that there is much waiting in the world. Regardless of our status in life, our political positions, or our web of relationships, it is inevitable that we will find ourselves waiting. Some of that waiting is brutal, and some is downright immoral. Waiting to do the right thing is not just a passive retreat. It can contribute to evil by simply refusing to note its existence. But much of our waiting can be deeply powerful, transforming us for the good, and at the very least, can help us figure out who we are. As Henri Nouwen once said, “Waiting is a dry desert between where we are and where we want to be.”
Sunday in worship with St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, we’ll observe the Seventh Sunday of Easter and Ascension Sunday. The sermon is titled “Not All Who Loiter Are Lost: Waiting for the Spirit”, and arises from the Ascension Story in Acts 1: 1-11, where the risen Christ is with some of the gathered disciples. The disciples hear Jesus tell them that they are not to leave Jerusalem, but are to “wait” there. In that place, they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and will be witnesses to what is most deeply true. In effect, this time of waiting is a period of “readying”, in which they are to make themselves available for usefulness by God to share testimony, to speak and live in such a way that love and faith are enacted. To cite Nouwen again, when we are impatient, we expect the real thing to happen somewhere else, and we are eager to go there. When we are patient, Nouwen says, we dare to stay where we are, and live actively, nurturing the moment and readying for what is to come.
We’ll talk about this in the service, which is live streamed from the www.smumc.church website. We’ll also sing hymns, pray, have a children’s moment, and have a great musical presentation by Brandan Sanchez, Brianna Murray, and Stephanie and Patrick Conklin. We look forward to connecting with you on Sunday morning. The live stream goes active by 10:25 for the 10:30 service.