Easter 7A, Acts 1:1-14, Psalm 47, 1 Peter 4:12-19, John 17:1-11 The Rev. J. Brian Ponder, Chaplain Church of the Resurrection, Starkville, Mississippi May 8, 2005 In the Name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Today we receive a hodgepodge of lessons ranging from a vignette concerning the Ascension account in Acts to what is known as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer in John's Gospel. Our readings are not only chocked full of wonderful images, but the First Letter of Peter even offers us a motivational speech of biblical proportions … literally. In New York's Chelsea district, right behind General Theological Seminary, there's a medium-sized church which faces Tenth Avenue. I can't recall the name of the church, but I always noticed when I passed by it that it seemed to be a hub of neighborhood activity. The church has its own parochial school, and there are always kids coming and going to and from school during the week. Right up the street is the landmark Empire Diner, which sits cattycornered to the neighborhood Vet's office, and the neighborhood park is right across the street. Now something unique about the park, just like the seminary, is that it sits on land donated by Clement Moore--believed to have penned A Visit from St. Nicholas (a.k.a. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas). The other interesting thing about Moore Park is that it's a children's park. Adults are only allowed in the park, if they're accompanied by a kid. At one time in the City's history, this rule may have been charming--and it still is to some extent. But there's also a safety aspect to the rule … to protect, to look after the welfare of children. With the school and the Seminary's day care and the park, this area is kid-friendly--at least by New York City standards. As you can imagine, there's always a lot of activity there. And … FYI … you can always catch a cab at the corner of Tenth Avenue and 21st Street. There's always something happening. But, I want to go back to the Church for a moment--this church at the corner of Tenth and 21st. This church … this ordinary, Catholic school and parish could be any other of the hundreds dotting the City--lively centers of the day's hustle and bustle, gathering places for service, busy with activity even when school's out for the not-too-infrequent Saint's holy-day. But there's one thing that makes the Church significant--at least for me anyway--and just may be significant to all of us here today as an example, if that's possible. Benefiting from Chelsea's codes and ordinances, this little church is fortunate not to share any immediate or conjoined air space with surrounding buildings. No other buildings butt-up to it, concealing, or even destroying, works of architectural uniqueness--something that has happened to many other buildings in the City. The church has maintained an architectural story-board, if you will, above its doors and wrapping around the building--a storyboard depicting the life and ministry of Jesus. Now this feature is no architectural triumph by any means, but it definitely stands as a testament to the work and mission of Christ in this world--a proclamation to the world today of Jesus as Emanuel, as Jesus the Crucified Christ, as Jesus Lord and Savior. The figures, as my mom recently noted while reflecting on a visit to the City, seem child-like … Each of the characters plays his or her parts in joy-filled amazement and wonder, basking, one might say, in the presence of God. Perhaps this is not at all a coincidence, considering the school's relationship to the church and the proximity of the neighborhood children's park … the child-likeness, that is, of the characters. But what should be noted is that the figures capture that spark of inquisitiveness and imagination and awe that many times, unfortunately, only children seem to have to that certain degree. The most notable scene by far, as far as I'm concerned, is a depiction of Jesus' Ascension. … Nestled away in an awkwardly stepped corner of the building, wrapped around the far right side as you face the building and at the end of the storyboard, dimmed under the shadow of the roof's overhang, is this scene, and there in the very midst of his amazed disciples, all of whom are somewhat lost in wonder, is Jesus, or what's left of him, at the very moment of his Ascension into heaven. Gazing up, the disciples and I or anyone who makes pilgrimage to this little church and seeks the re-telling of the story, catches the glimpse of Jesus, only the hem of his garment and two little feet dangling out of the clouds … What an image! Two little feet, as if, draped over the side of a pool or boat dock, dipped in nice, cool water. But the power of the image is not so much the great cloud, or the feet themselves, but their amazement! … The disciples' wonderment! Their eyes wide as if hearing a wonderful story for the first time, or better yet, seeing for themselves. They did see for themselves! … In the context of the Ascension, our lessons today offer a compounded motivational speech of sorts for us. They were words retold to comfort and encourage the disciples who would never again see for themselves, and they are words for us Christians, even today, when Christ is not physically present. These are words meant for a time when the Church would need the shoulder of the many who have gone before in order to endure, to cope, to manage and what's more, to be inspired. They are words of hopefulness, even in midst of that which might threaten us from within, let alone from without. They offer us not empty promises, but prayers for assurance. … that those who hear them or seek to understand them may, in their own way, see for themselves. On a day like today when we especially remember child-parent relationships, and in particular our Mothers, what a vivid image we are given in the words of John's gospel … that glorification, or rather the knowledge of God, comes through the ideals of relationship and mutuality and interconnection. Jesus sets this forth in the context of a parent-child relationship--that God can only be known through Christ … that God has been revealed to us in Christ Jesus and that in that revelation we understand more fully what God always was and is and will be … that union with God is attainable through Christ and that we are of a God with whom our lives may be filled with wonder and amazement … and in all of it find, as one author has suggested, a God with whom our hearts can be known: … [our] troubles, that [God] may comfort; … [our] joys, that [God] may sober; … [our] longings, that [God] may purify; … [our] mislikings, that [God] may help conquer; … [our] temptations, that [God] may shield; … [our] wounds … that [God] may heal; … [our] indifference to good … [our] instability … [our] weaknesses, needs, and troubles, [sorted out … that in this relationship we come to know more fully just who and whose we are.] Jesus' prayer as we have received it in John's gospel is one of earnest sincerity. He prays in adoration and thanksgiving. We, too, are called to pray in such ways … not just in times of strife or struggle, but in times of gratefulness and rejoicing, even in times of amazement and wonder. Jesus' prayer is one for equipping the saints to do the work yet to be done in this world--not saints of yesteryear, or saints who are so far removed from us that we cannot relate … but saints … you and me … us … in this world … and in our own day. Jesus prays for the welfare of God's children that the work that each and every one of us has been called to do--you and me--as Children of God, may be accomplished--that is … that in all we say, and all we sing, and in all we pray, and in everything we do here and, what's more, in everything we do in that world out there may be done to glorify God and Christ, realizing in whose presence we ever-find ourselves, even when the tangibility of the Savior seems far from us.… Jesus' prayer is a prayer of consecration and dedication of self, of his disciples and of us--the Church universal--that we, too, may see for ourselves the glory of God in this world, that we may know for ourselves the redemptive work of God in Christ, that we may tell the story of God's redeeming work done … that we may yet see God … here and now, in these very pews, or on Tenth Avenue and Twenty-first Street, or on University and Montgomery, or wherever it is that we are called to witness to Christ--and reclaim our wide-eyed wonderment. Jesus equips the saints to do the work they are called to do in the world in which they find themselves … the disciples in the formation of churches … or later Christians to endure persecution and even later to others to endure persecution by Christians … Luther to nail theses to the door … Teresa to live and work amongst the poor of Calcutta … others to prayerfully pluck names off an Angel tree or to take food to those unable to cook for themselves … or to make sure that that name in the file or on the other end of the telephone is met with dignity … or to be wherever it is that the saints are called to surprise this world of ours--that it be transformed. May we ever strive to be agents of transformation in this world. May we, in eagerness, awe-filled-ness and thankfulness, ever seek to glorify God in Christ. Amen