For Sunday, June 1, 2014
Year A, Seventh Sunday of Easter

How easy to get caught up in the vagaries of the weekly news cycle.  We read the daily news and think, “God, are you asleep at the switch?”  Jesus’ disciples didn’t have the Drudge Report but were nevertheless very much like us.  Just before Jesus’ ascension they asked him, “So Lord, now that you’ve been resurrected, is this (finally?…) the time you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).  Jesus response is telling: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”  What?!  But we’ve been working so hard to chart this out.  We want to know the plan, Jesus.  What’s the plan?!  (Exasperated sighs).

“Here is the plan,” Jesus responds.  “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Perplexed disciples’ faces …. So … how does that answer our question about restoring the kingdom to Israel?  Answer: you are thinking far too narrowly.  God’s plan involves far more than wresting political control of 1st Century Palestine from the Romans.  God’s larger plan is actually to restore all of creation to himself and everything that has happened from then until know is in the unfolding.

So put away the charts, stop assuming you have it all figured out, and in the power the Holy Spirit, tell everyone you can what you are witnessing in our midst.  Hallelujah.

Points to ponder:

• How is the Spirit moving in your life to live out the gospel story of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration?
• Who would you most like to share this with?
• How could you make this happen this week?